Drink Tue Mar 06 2007

Loop Muffins and Tea

Plenty of places serve vegan food in the Loop, but muffins are another story. Luckily, locally owned Argo Tea carries vegan and trans-fat free muffins from Chicago Diner. Hints of apple, ginger and cinnamon come with the carrot raisin walnut variety. It'd be even more delicious if the nuts were candied, but my moderately successful attempts at swishing up an evading layer of chocolate syrup at the bottom of my soy mocha took care my quest for additional sweetness. On a previous visit, a barista pulled an incredibly smooth espresso into a very cute demitasse.

As you might suspect from Argo Tea's name, an incredible tea selection is also available - and served in curvy glass mugs (so long as you make sure to order it "for here"): black teas from masala chai and Assam to English Breakfast, greens like lemon green and gunpowder, herbals like Armenian mint and chamomile blossoms, and "Rare" teas like melon and persimmon white teas and jasmine pearls. Argo's Loop location (six locations in all) sits aside the Oriental Theatre behind what resembles the old facade from when Ronny's Steakhouse's was here, before the new Borders and Art Institute dorm building came.

I've been a fan of Argo since before they participated in and donated to last year's Veggie Bike and Cook (as a matter of disclosure, I am one of the organizers) because their cafes are so nicely built out; plus it's fun to see Argo's brewing room through a large window on the back wall of the Loop location.

— Chris Brunn / Comments (2)