Cafe Express
Speaking of coffee houses, Café Express is another of my favorite coffee houses. The one I like the best is the one cattycornered from the Dempster Street el station in Evanston. There is also another Café Express located at the corner of Hinman and Main Streets, east of the Main Street el in Evanston but it is not quite as cool as the one near the Dempster Street el, although I do enjoy going in there upon occasion. Anyway, I have been going to the one near the Dempster el since about 1985 when my friend Bernard and I used to hang out there on Sunday mornings. Bernard was 35 years older than I, and once someone asked him if he was my father, and he said “No!” to which I responded “He’s always denying me!”
Bernard has passed away now but I still like the atmosphere of the coffee house– particularly on Sunday mornings. The coffee is good, and the hang-out has it regulars. I read in an online review that there weren’t any panhandlers near the Dempster Street el but there are a few. They’re just shy, that’s all. There is one guy that sits across the street from the coffee shop and holds an harmonica in his hands, and hesitantly glances at you. If you say anything to him, he holds out his hand for money. I don’t think he knows how to play the harmonica.