Holy Good Coffee, Batman!

I just realized that I have not yet publicly proclaimed how much I heart my new Chemex Coffee Maker, which may well warrant the title of Best. Christmas present. Ever. (that I've received, at least).

Upon first seeing it, I fancied that it looked rather like a cross between a martini glass and a beaker.

How simple, I thought. That's all there is to it?

Along with a special type of oxygen cleansed filters (which I also got), yes, that's it.

If you check out the reviews, you'll see that they're rave ("Best coffee ever..." "Unquestionably the best..." "For those who really enjoy good coffee..." "I've not found a way to make better coffee...")

And I can assure you: they're all true. As Agent Cooper would say, it makes "damn good coffee".

I can't recommend the Chemex highly enough.

For an explanation of how and why it's so great, watch this:

Hark! The Ark!

After I dropped off an old computer monitor and other various and sundry items at the Goose Island recycling facility (and got some free compact fluorescent light bulbs!) this morning, I had breakfast at the nearby Ark Cafe, which rightly styles itself as a "unique, quaint, and charming Christian based cafe".

The Ark was recommended by some friends, and it's also been advertising in the St. John Cantius bulletin — with a coupon for a free cup of coffee, no less!

It was "damn good coffee", as Agent Cooper would say, and the spinach quiche was yummy.

If you're local, check thou it out. It's open from 7am - 10pm Monday through Saturday, and their website indicates that they will soon be open on Sundays too.