FOUND heaven not too long ago, in the form of a little lunch counter way way west on Division Street in Chicago’s West Town.
Leo’s, a locally popular, completely grass-roots joint, is everything you’d want a 21st-century coffee shop to be – a mix of intriguing characters, great chili and a damn fine cup of coffee.
The City of Big Shoulders has a well-deserved reputation as a picturesque yet utterly staid, sprawling metropolis-in-the-cornfields type place.
However, those in the know know this: With the proper amount of time and perseverance, they’ll find a boatload of urban treasures.
West in general moves to a wonderfully offbeat rhythm, worlds away from the slick consumerism of downtown – Michigan Avenue and State Street in the Loop – and a cluster of dried up lakefront neighborhoods on the North Side, neighborhoods formerly known as vibrant.
The corner of Milwaukee, North and Damen serves as the Midwest’s ground zero of hip and happening.
Many neighborhood icons have fallen victim to money-hungry landlords, but the busy intersection continues to serve as a good starting point for any exploration.
Look for Letizia’s Natural Bakery, close to the heart of Chicago’s Puerto Rican community. Fabio and Letizia are proud owners of this lounge-type joint where the espresso is of the top-flight Torrefazione blend and the chocolate tarts are to be taken most seriously.
Computer types discuss software here, and young lovers steal after-school kisses in softly lit corners.
While time spent on the West Side could fill days, one cannot exclude the North Side as a whole.
Uptown, for example, long plagued by all manner of ills, now surpasses Chinatown as a true-to-life destination for authentic Asian cuisine and culture. Thai, Cambodian and Vietnamese are all well represented.
Siam Noodle and Rice on Sheridan Road has long been a neighborhood favorite. This unassuming space on a particularly drab block excels in the basics. Fried Dried Beef, Tom Gha Kai soup and a plate of Pad Thai will lighten your wallet by a mere $15.
Wander down Argyle Street – the heart of “Little Saigon” – to Broadway, and drop in on Pho Hoa. Pho is a delicious rice-noodle soup topped with flank steak, sprouts and other assorted greenery, all for about $4.
The restaurant’s location in a little strip mall turned sideways is easy to miss, but don’t underestimate the draw – crowds can be sizable.
If all this eating has you in an advanced state of lethargy, amble the few blocks over to Lake Michigan. One of the most treasured gifts left to residents by city planners is the continuous ribbon of sand and green space extending from the far south to the city’s juncture with suburban Evanston up north.
Try golfing on the public course at Waveland, jumping into the midst of a pickup volleyball game further down towards the North Avenue end of things, or sunning with the gorgeous ones at Oak Street Beach.
Come nightfall, stretch out in an overstuffed chair at any one of the city’s superb coffeehouses – Chicago has many of these simple hangouts that serve as an entirely acceptable extension to your own living room.
At the top of my list is Don’s Coffee Club, way up north in Rogers Park. Don, sporting one of his many Hawaiian shirts, serves up his own well-blended Casablanca roast in mismatched china.
Smoking is strongly encouraged, as is interaction with the resident cats. Ella Fitzgerald and Glenn Miller records play late into the night – the vibe, ever so sexy, but all very old-fashioned.
* For locations and more info on what’s going on around town, visit http://www.metromix.com. Chicago Tourism, (800) 226-6632, (312) 744-2400 or http://www.chicago.il.org