by Aaron Lawlor
aaronlawlor@gmail.com
It’s Saturday night and I just left a send-off party for a friend’s son who is deploying to Afghanistan. It was a nice event, but big crowds give me more anxiety in sobriety than they did when I was still drinking and still in politics. So, I reached for my phone and found a coffee shop on Yelp that is open late enough to get caffeinated and finish some work.
I settle on Volumes Bookcafe in Wicker Park. The weather is crummy…again…and I’m wondering if I am living in Seattle or Chicago as I find a parking spot on Milwaukee Avenue. I plug the zone number into the Chicago Parking app as I walk south and cross the street at Honore. The neighborhood is bustling with people congregating at local bars or standing single-file waiting to get into Jeni’s Ice Cream (a Sober Sommelier-approved sweet spot).
Volumes Bookcafe is an instant favorite. The name is a clear descriptor of what I find when I walk in - a bookstore and cafe. And, I always love a place that has faced and conquered adversity.
The cafe seating area is up front and filled with a smattering of friends kibitzing over coffee and a few laptop-toting creatives living their best lives.
A group of people are listening to a Q&A discussion with an author in the back of the store. The author has a mic and a small sound system is amplifying his remarks on his book’s topic - the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Having just left a gathering sending one of our nation’s sons to the longest war in American history, my ears are perked up more than usual.
The vibe is warm and engaging. Aluminum chairs and oaky wooden tables fill the seating area. The ceilings are high and painted in the same metallic color as the chairs. The walls are covered in chalkboard paint and customers have left notes on their thoughts on Volumes, their politics, or their struggle de jour. Well-organized stacks of books are being perused by a handful of customers who seem to, like me, be half-listening to the author’s schtick.
Sincere applause punctuates the book event and background music replaces the author’s voice. I’m glad because I lost respect for everything he was saying about five minutes ago when he said he had never been to Afghanistan or Iraq and that he wrote about the smell of burning hair and other wounds of battle by “watching videos on YouTube and living it from someone else’s experience.” Needless to say, I didn’t buy his book.
The coffee is solid. No complaints and no huge accolades. It was exactly what I wanted on a Saturday night.
My sweet tooth is kicking in and I’m eyeing the pastry case, but it isn’t doing much for me. It isn’t Volumes’ fault. It’s the end of the day and all that’s left are a few bagels and muffins (all of which look good).
I snag the last banana nut muffin. The super nice barista-brarian (my new word) tells me that it’s vegan and also knows what’s up with the book discussion that just wrapped up. I don’t think she was buying the author’s book or bullshit either. Regardless, the muffin was also solid. Nothing amazing, but it was tasty and moist. While I am most decidedly not vegan, I’m a huge fan of vegan pastries and donuts.
Now, it’s that point in the blog where I know what you are expecting…some commode commentary. I walk past the lingering literary enthusiasts who are still unnecessarily stroking the author’s ego. C’mon, the only experience he was embedded in was a YouTube Channel. I smirk and make my way to the back of the store to use one of the two gender-neutral single bathrooms. The bathroom was super clean AND I learned something new! The building Volumes is housed in was built in 1883, the same year Treasure Island, Mark Twain’s Life on the Mississippi and The Adventures of Pinnochio were published.
I head back to my seat and notice a few of the new titles well-merchandised on tables in the middle of the store. If you spend your nights getting angry with Sean Hannity and Laura Ingram, this is not your store. Accordingly, my Maddow madams and messieurs will likely find Volumes on point. (BTW, I try to watch as few talking heads as possible these days. Cable news, like my previous vices, rots your brain.)
Volumes is a place for both bookworms and social butterflies. I give it a Sober Sommelier B+ for its intellectual vibe, social staff, and solid fare. I will definitely be back.
Volumes Bookcafe
1474 N. Milwaukee Avenue
What others are saying...
Yelp
Foursquare
Aaron Lawlor is a freelance writer, talented public speaker, and public relations expert. Aaron is in recovery from addiction and shares his reviews of Chicago's best spots for coffee.
aaronlawlor@gmail.com
It’s Saturday night and I just left a send-off party for a friend’s son who is deploying to Afghanistan. It was a nice event, but big crowds give me more anxiety in sobriety than they did when I was still drinking and still in politics. So, I reached for my phone and found a coffee shop on Yelp that is open late enough to get caffeinated and finish some work. I settle on Volumes Bookcafe in Wicker Park. The weather is crummy…again…and I’m wondering if I am living in Seattle or Chicago as I find a parking spot on Milwaukee Avenue. I plug the zone number into the Chicago Parking app as I walk south and cross the street at Honore. The neighborhood is bustling with people congregating at local bars or standing single-file waiting to get into Jeni’s Ice Cream (a Sober Sommelier-approved sweet spot).
Volumes Bookcafe is an instant favorite. The name is a clear descriptor of what I find when I walk in - a bookstore and cafe. And, I always love a place that has faced and conquered adversity.
The cafe seating area is up front and filled with a smattering of friends kibitzing over coffee and a few laptop-toting creatives living their best lives.
A group of people are listening to a Q&A discussion with an author in the back of the store. The author has a mic and a small sound system is amplifying his remarks on his book’s topic - the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Having just left a gathering sending one of our nation’s sons to the longest war in American history, my ears are perked up more than usual.
The vibe is warm and engaging. Aluminum chairs and oaky wooden tables fill the seating area. The ceilings are high and painted in the same metallic color as the chairs. The walls are covered in chalkboard paint and customers have left notes on their thoughts on Volumes, their politics, or their struggle de jour. Well-organized stacks of books are being perused by a handful of customers who seem to, like me, be half-listening to the author’s schtick.Sincere applause punctuates the book event and background music replaces the author’s voice. I’m glad because I lost respect for everything he was saying about five minutes ago when he said he had never been to Afghanistan or Iraq and that he wrote about the smell of burning hair and other wounds of battle by “watching videos on YouTube and living it from someone else’s experience.” Needless to say, I didn’t buy his book.
The coffee is solid. No complaints and no huge accolades. It was exactly what I wanted on a Saturday night.
My sweet tooth is kicking in and I’m eyeing the pastry case, but it isn’t doing much for me. It isn’t Volumes’ fault. It’s the end of the day and all that’s left are a few bagels and muffins (all of which look good).
I snag the last banana nut muffin. The super nice barista-brarian (my new word) tells me that it’s vegan and also knows what’s up with the book discussion that just wrapped up. I don’t think she was buying the author’s book or bullshit either. Regardless, the muffin was also solid. Nothing amazing, but it was tasty and moist. While I am most decidedly not vegan, I’m a huge fan of vegan pastries and donuts.
Now, it’s that point in the blog where I know what you are expecting…some commode commentary. I walk past the lingering literary enthusiasts who are still unnecessarily stroking the author’s ego. C’mon, the only experience he was embedded in was a YouTube Channel. I smirk and make my way to the back of the store to use one of the two gender-neutral single bathrooms. The bathroom was super clean AND I learned something new! The building Volumes is housed in was built in 1883, the same year Treasure Island, Mark Twain’s Life on the Mississippi and The Adventures of Pinnochio were published.
I head back to my seat and notice a few of the new titles well-merchandised on tables in the middle of the store. If you spend your nights getting angry with Sean Hannity and Laura Ingram, this is not your store. Accordingly, my Maddow madams and messieurs will likely find Volumes on point. (BTW, I try to watch as few talking heads as possible these days. Cable news, like my previous vices, rots your brain.)
Volumes is a place for both bookworms and social butterflies. I give it a Sober Sommelier B+ for its intellectual vibe, social staff, and solid fare. I will definitely be back.
Volumes Bookcafe
1474 N. Milwaukee Avenue
What others are saying...
Yelp
Foursquare
Aaron Lawlor is a freelance writer, talented public speaker, and public relations expert. Aaron is in recovery from addiction and shares his reviews of Chicago's best spots for coffee.
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