This Week’s Intelligence: The Latest in Food and Drinks, TV and Movies, Books, and Podcasts
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Intelligentsia Coffee
When I’d just started working for the Federal Reserve Board in 2014, I was sent to work with the Federal Reserve Bank in Chicago. I was excited to see the city and one recommendation I got was to try Intelligentsia Coffee; luckily there’s a location a few blocks from the Bank.
The first morning, I was up early so I could get to the café before heading to the Bank. I took in the busy café: baristas dressed in Trotsky-esque clothing (one man even had a period mustache) greeted people who were clearly regulars, merch was available along the line for me to ogle, the marketing reminded me of Cold War Soviet style, fresh flower arrangements were strategically arranged, and I immediately felt at home. I hated to leave and arrived earlier the rest of the week so I could stay in this unique environment longer than the first morning.
Not only did the Cold War, communal vibe win me over, the coffee was delicious and I was disappointed to find out that there were no Intelligentsia locations in the D.C. area. I bought some bags of coffee (and some merch) to bring home and then started ordering Intelligentsia online.
I’ve also been happily surprised when I find a restaurant, hotel, or café that uses Intelligentsia as their house coffee. Last year when I was working as a freelance florist for a wedding at the Washington, D.C., Waldorf Astoria a few of us went to get coffee during a break. The only location in the hotel where you could get coffee to go was at the bar.
When I opened the drink menu, I smiled broadly, excitedly telling the others that the coffee was Intelligentsia. It turns out not everyone is as choosy about their coffee and they didn’t know the brand.
