When I’m not manning the kitchen, I’m looking for a spot to drink coffee, grab a bite, and write. In its Log On series, miLam will tell you where to find such places, with free Wi-Fi, in Chicago.
Free Wi-Fi in Fulton River District:
Bring a knife! And a gun!
(…and – thank you Illinios – feel free to conceal the gun.)
Starbucks West Loop – Lake & Jefferson
(4 / 5)
Northwest Cutlery is a five-minute walk from here, but the short jaunt crosses a neighborhood boundary, so look miLam’s review of Northwest Cutlery in our West Town[1] Wi-Fi post. Northwestern will sharpen your beautiful knives professionally and at a very reasonable price.
Wear Your Kevlar
Can you work or study at the West Loop – Lake & Jefferson Starbucks?[1] Yes. Of course you can. This place has more seating than you might think. Plugs: Adequate. Bathrooms: Fine.
Coffee: Good, as usual.
Why Choose this Place?
Because it has a back room! No, you don’t’ have be shirtless, wearing leather, or sporting a VIP pass. Your name doesn’t have to be on a list. There’s a communal table back there and a few lounge seats. The crowd is post-undergrad, entry-level position white collar workers, and a few old guys. Because there’s a chocolate factory just a couple blocks north of this Starbucks. One of Chicago’s last large candy-making businesses (Frango Mints, Fannie May, Brach’s, and Wrigly gum have all gone or at least taken production elsewhere), Blommer once sponsored a free screening of Willy Wonka at which they passed out thousands of chocolate bars, some of which contained gold tickets. But none of the winners were allowed to tour the chocolate rivers, giant edible mushrooms, and lickable wallpaper. None of them received lifetime supplies of chocolate. But oh well. Gold tickets!
Chocolate Bloomers
3/18/201412:15 – 3:00 PM
Man-Eating Chocolate
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Notes:
Hungry? See This:
Other Places to Log On:
Other places to log on: Archer Heights, Boystown, Edgewater Beach, Gold Coast, Lincoln Park, Pilsen, Ravenswood, Rogers Park, West Loop, Wicker Park, West Town, Uptown
Join us! If you would like to suggest a free wi-fi cafe for review, or if you’d like to contribute a review of your own, miLam would love to hear from you.
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