115024 Mon Feb 09 11:00:57 -0800 2004 5 7 Chicago Area 0 626752 In an (uncharacteristically) wooded and rolling Chicago neighborhood, at a pocket-sized commercial corner next to the Metra Station, Cafe Luna gets points for its existence alone. Tin-ceilinged, spacious, commodious, this is the kind of independent, community-based coffee shop that was supposed to be extinct by now. (There are precious few Starbucks south of Madison.) It looks like it does a lot of commuter business. They brew Coffee & Tea Exchange coffee (an underrated product) and sell grilled sandwiches, pastries and other standards. My son and I played a quiet game of chess while we lunched. I had a stocky black bean soup and some peppery cornbread. (Big Shoulders Bakery -- ever heard of them?) Not perfect (I wish they hadn't nuked the cornbread and we were harassed by fruit flies), but a nice place to take a load off if you're in the neighborhood. This part of town is rich with early 20th century architecture. As you head out, check out the Robert W. Evans House two blocks away (9914 S. Longwood, an early-ish Frank Lloyd Wright property) and the gymnasium reliefs at the Vanderpoel Humanities Academy on 95th St. Cafe Luna 1742 W. 99th St. Chicago, IL 60643 773-239-8990 Mon Feb 09 11:00:57 -0800 2004 0 Paul Mollica 1 626761 Paul-- I visited Cafe Luna several years ago after attending a funeral in nearby Evergreen Park. I don't remember in detail what I thought of the food although I think the sandwiches were perfectly good: fresh and generously portioned. Mostly I remember how comfortable the place seemed, with, as I recall, a couple of fluffly easy chairs at the perimeter, and plenty of board games. I'm sure this would be a regular haunt if I lived over that way. Mon Feb 09 11:43:39 -0800 2004 626752 0 Maple Leaf 1 626784 Thanks Paul. Beverly does deserve more attention and is a beautiful neighborhood, though the chow options are limited. I went to IIT and dated Beverly girls through most of college, so I have spent some time there. But what I discovered on the first bbq outing last month was how there is this entire world of much better chow just across the highway. BBQ tips at I57 bbq are very good (114th and Ashland). Donuts at Old Fashioned (114th and Michigan, more or less) are wonderful. And then there are all the Hoagie places to explore. All just a few minutes away(I57 in particular is just down the road). So consider the trek into the parallel dimension that Beverly never mentioned in my day next time you are down there. You will probably be delighted with the food, though it sounds like Cafe Luna was a lot more comfortable. d Mon Feb 09 13:25:40 -0800 2004 626752 0 dickson d 2 626796 I happened upon Cafe Luna by accident (I was literally rounding a turn to get back to Ashland and 95th when I spotted it). You're right about Old Fashioned Donuts, which I posted on last fall, though driving around Roseland I have yet to uncover other promising spots. I am open to suggestions. Beverly is not often cited on the board, and usually the only places cited are the two war horses: Top-Notch Beefburgers on 95th and Rainbow Cone on Western. Our family likes these places, but I'm surprised by the apparent dearth of (or lack of interest in) Beverly chow opportunities. (There is also an outlet of the Original Pancake House on Western, but no particular improvement on their northern counterparts.) Mon Feb 09 13:57:21 -0800 2004 626784 0 Paul Mollica 3 626815 Thank you for telling us what you discovered off the narrow but beaten path in Beverly. Your discovery, plus the recent thread about Oak Lawn eats, plus Sinner bringing his knowledge of the Heights to the board, on top of the steadfast work by veteran 'hounds in Roseland and I-57, bodes well for us Sox fans who like to eat well. (Please forgive the partisanship.) Mon Feb 09 15:42:36 -0800 2004 626796 0 Mugs 3 626838 Thanks for your patience, Paul. After making that posting, I looked at a couple more of your recent postings and realized you are a south side afficionado, not a passerby, and I am trying to tell an expert what to do. Considered retracting my post, but decided to wait. Given recent exchanges, I really appreciate that you did not take offense. Do not remember the names of the Hoagie places, would need ReneG to weigh in here... d Mon Feb 09 17:24:45 -0800 2004 626796 0 dickson d