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Cafe Offerings

"When I get a little money, I will buy books , and if any is left,

then I buy food."  -- Erasmus

ESPRESSO AND CAPPUCCINO 

Our staff can create magic on the Astoria espresso machine, using the finest espresso beans, potent in naturally regular high octane or full-bodied in Swiss water-process decaffeinated.  Have a straight Espresso Italian-style or enjoy the wonderful espresso taste blended with boiling hot water Café Americano style.  We can whip up a Cappuccino (espresso with frothed milk) or a Latte (espresso with steamed and frothed milk) in seconds, straight, with a whiff of cinnamon, nutmeg or cocoa on top or flavored with a shot of over two dozen Torani syrup selections. 
 

RICHEST HOT CHOCOLATE IN THE MIDWEST

Master Barista Larry Dunphy makes the best hot chocolate east of the Mississippi (and 
long-time Assistant Brenda Spratt and apprentices Antoinette Brown and Bri Boyer are not so bad themselves), with Torani Chocolate or White Chocolate syrups and hot steamed milk. We can also make special-ordered drinks like hot chocolate with Torani Crème de Menthe, Torani Raspberry, Torani Caramel, or any of the other Torani selections we have.

Don't care for chocolate?  Try a Flavoured Frothy, requesting any of our Torani flavored syrups.  So, you can have a Hot Zabbione (Italian Eggnog), a Hot Irish Crème or a Hot French Vanilla!

 

A SHOT OF TORANI

You can enjoy all these drinks with a shot of Torani. We have at least two dozen Torani specialty syrups from San Francisco available at any given time, from time-honored favorites like Irish Crème, Raspberry and English Toffee to more newfangled Almond Roca or Ginger Spice and seasonal Italian Eggnog or Pumpkin Spice. Sweet, packed with taste, and containing

no alcohol.

Sugar-free Torani syrups made with Splenda also available.

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ICED COFFEE

Isn't Iced Coffee just coffee with ice? Not at Books on First. Here, we start with one pound of our House Viennese Roast coffee and steep it in 9 cups of cold water for 14 hours (yes, that's longer than overnight!) to yield one quart of concentrate. Our iced coffee is strong enough to stand up to any ice cube and any thirst! Try this out in our warmer months!

 

FRESH-BREWED COFFEE ALL THE DAY LONG

Books on First serves Viennese Roast as our House brew.  The mildest of the dark roasts, rich in flavor without the burnt aftertaste that some roasts may have. You can enjoy a cup, larger or smaller, early in the a.m., through the lunch hour, as an afternoon pick-me-up, or a treat before facing the homefront after a long day’s work. 

Our House Decaffe is a French-Italian Roast, still flavourful after being naturally decaffeinated through a Swiss water process.  Everyday, we offer a different flavoured coffee and a different special roast.  Favorites like Streudel, Hazelnut, Chocolate Mint, and Coconut (we also offer Chocolate Cherry, Amaretto, Vanilla, Cinnamon, and many more). Fair Trade Certified Organic specialties from around the world like Mexico, Peru, Guatemala, and as well as a New Orleans blend with chicory to complement our House coffees roasted fresh by the Chicago Coffee and Tea Exchange, and are available in larger (16 oz) and smaller (12 oz) sized helpings.

Our House, Special, Flavored, and Decaffe coffees are available at retail by the pound.

Buy whole beans, or have us grind it for you. (Flavored Coffee already has deep, rich flavor roasted & ground into it.)

We also offer our fresh-brewed coffee with steamed milk.  Ask for our popular Café au Lait in the larger or smaller size.

TEA

We have many choices for steaming hot tea, both regular and decaffeinated, as well as herbal brews like Chamomile and Mint.

"Chai" is a traditional Himalayan drink of brewed tea, chock-full of exotic spices and brimming with mystique. We serve "Oregon Chai" out of Portland and full of good things like honey, ginger and vanilla. Don't be fooled by chai's transcendental taste. It is packed to the rim with caffeine. For a pick-me-up or a calm-me-down, enjoy a Chai Latte with us today.

Summertime..., and the iced tea is freshly made Black Current flavored.

 

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ITALIAN SODA

Torani is the basis for the refreshing Italian soda:  three shots of Torani over ice and soda water. Like an old-fashioned "phosphate", choose Strawberry or Cherry or Lime, or concoct your own signature soda like Cherry Vanilla, Cinnamon Orange or Crème de Menthe. Ask for it "creamed" (topped with half & half) for something "better than liquid sherbet." 

 

TORANI FLAVORS

We offer a variety of Torani flavors, such as: Almond (Orgeat), Amaretto, Apple, Blood Orange, Butter Rum, Butterscotch, Caramel, Cherry, Chocolate, Chocolate Biscotti, Cinnamon, Coconut, Cranberry, Crème de Banana, Crème de Menthe, English Toffee, Ginger Spice, Grape, Hazelnut, Italian Eggnog (Zabbione), Irish Crème, Kiwi, Lemon, Lime, Mandarin Orange, Mango, Melon, Maple, Passion Fruit, Peach, Peppermint, Raspberry, Strawberry, French Vanilla, Vanilla, Watermelon & White Chocolate

Sugar Free Flavors: Caramel, Hazelnut, Raspberry, Strawberry, and Vanilla

 

DESSERTS

Enjoy a cookie or a brownie with that cup of coffee.  We feature coffee cakes from Swedish Bakery and baked goods from Middle Eastern Bakery, both establishments in Chicago's Andersonville neighborhood.  We also have fine Italian pastries as well as biscotti from D’Amato’s on Chicago’s Grand Avenue, and other goodies such as cookies from Trader Joe's. 

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