Intelligentsia

Chicago-based Intelligentsia ushered in a new wave of gourmet coffee shops, the kind where responsibly sourced and expertly roasted coffee is prepared using methods that, though time-consuming, result in a pretty perfect cup. As a rule, all outposts are aesthetically unique (five others are scattered in the Loop, Lakeview, Millennium Park, Logan Square, and Wicker Park), offer free Wifi, and loads of seating options. Plus, you kind of have to love the theme-dressed baristas.