Photo via Fairgrounds Coffee
There are coffee shops abound in our amazing Windy City, so it can be tough to hit them all. But when one of them partners with renowned brands like Rishi Tea and Vosges Chocolate to provide the best, and most unique, lattes around…it’s certainly worth a special trip! Located in Wicker Park {1620 North Milwaukee Avenue, Chicago; 773.770.3444} and inside the Chicago Athletic Association Hotel {12 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago; 312.448.9015}, Fairgrounds Coffee & Tea is doling out innovative cups that all coffee-lovers can enjoy. Michael Schultz, Co-Founder and CEO of Coffee & Tea Bar Holdings, attributes this to their attention to detail, as well as unique offerings like their Sticky Chai Tea Latte.
As self-proclaimed “latte experts,” we at DiningOut had to give this perfect fall pick-me-up a try. We went behind the scenes with Schultz and his team of caffeine experts to see the magic behind the Sticky Chai…
DiningOut: What led you to partner with Rishi Teas?
Michael Schultz: Rishi Tea is one of the country’s leading organizations that is sourcing and distributing phenomenal, quality teas. Founder and owner of Rishi Tea, Joshua Kaiser, is incredibly knowledgeable when it comes to teas and has created a team whose passion and commitment to quality is unmatched, which ultimately led to the partnership between Fairgrounds and Rishi Tea.
How does their tea elevate the chai latte?
Rishi has a very long-standing reputation for having the finest quality teas. Like everything we do at Fairgrounds, we pride ourselves on getting the best products and showcasing their natural qualities without changing or masking the flavors.
For the Sticky Chai Tea Latte, we use Rishi’s fresh chai, which is one of Fairgrounds’ key differentiators from other cafes. Fresh chai is not filled with sugars and other additives as the more commonly used liquid chai mix, and provides a freshness to the drink that customers won’t get elsewhere. Additionally, since the fresh chai is cooked to order, it fills the cafe with the warmest scent of fall that our customers love.
What are the steps that go into making the Sticky Chai Latte?
- Soak the fresh chai in buckwheat honey
- Mix the fresh chai with water in a pot and bring to a boil
- Remove from heat and strain the chai
- Steam milk and add to strained chai mixture
- Enjoy!
Why focus on the chai specifically?
When our team was thinking about updating the menu to incorporate fall flavors, we knew we wanted to do something different than the traditional Pumpkin Spice Latte. Chai has become very popular across the country and in our cafe, and as we do in all parts of our business, we wanted to take the drink from good to great. So, the Sticky Chai Latte was created because we knew we could do better. We are always touting that tea is as equally important as coffee, and we thought this was a great opportunity to showcase that commitment.
What food items pair well with it for breakfast and lunch?
The slight spiciness of the chai pairs really well with a wide range of dishes, both sweet and savory. Any of the dishes that have our spicy homemade salsas such as the breakfast tacos and the breakfast sandwich as well as our sweet bakery items would make for a really great combination. The chai really stands alone and has a strong flavor, but there is nothing on the menu that it wouldn’t pair well with.
What are your other favorite lattes on the menu?
The new Matcha Latte, which is offered on tap, is absolutely delicious. What’s unique about this particular Matcha Latte is that it doesn’t use any dairy—instead, we use a plant-based dairy substitute—so it’s extremely creamy and smooth but doesn’t have lactose. We are finding more and more people are moving towards dairy-free or dairy alternatives and we want to make sure we are accommodating all of our customers. We are one of the first cafes in the Midwest to offer cashew milk and oat milk, providing customers with dairy alternative options other than just soy. And truly, when you drink this latte, you can’t taste the difference.
Another one of my favorite drinks is the Vosges Coconut Charcoal Elixir (below). The elixir stemmed out of a great partnership we have with Vosges Haut-Chocolat. The drink is made with super-powered ingredients such as coconut charcoal ash, fermented cocoa, and coconut purée, so it is loaded with health benefits that detoxifies and provides long-lasting energy. It is such a unique, tasty drink that is becoming a quick favorite among our customers (and myself).
You have so many unique drinks! How do you conceive the flavors and recipes?
It is extremely important to us that every flavor and drink we put on the menu maintains our vision of authenticity. When we conceptualize new drinks, we always want to ensure that we are bringing out the natural quality of each ingredient and that the flavors we put forward are ones that guests fall in love with and will want to come back for again and again. For example, as we were creating our new fall menu, we were also thinking about everything that is great about fall in Chicago—the smells, the vibrant colors—so we could emulate it within our menu. This approach brings our customers more than just a cup of coffee or tea, it allows for a more emotional connection to be made with the product they are consuming.
What sets Fairgrounds apart from other coffee shops in the city?
Fairgrounds as a whole prides itself on providing customer choice for all. By offering guests more choices than ever, Fairgrounds taps into the country’s booming artisan coffee culture to offer a robust portfolio of curated brews including a mix of national and local roasters. In addition to our unique coffee program, Fairgrounds puts equal emphasis on our inventive tea program, offering sparkling teas on tap, specialty beverages and elixirs, in addition to kombuchas and a variety of hot teas. I think, even more notably, is the special attention and emphasis we put on hospitality. In taking the time to train and educate staff, Fairgrounds cultivates experts in the coffee and tea industry who are passionate about their craft and even more importantly, are welcoming and attentive to each and every customer.
By Kaleigh Glaza | Online Editor
The post Behind the Cup: Fairgounds Coffee & Tea’s Sticky Chai Latte appeared first on DiningOut Chicago.