[Photograph: Joe Roy]

A friend turned my wife onto The Goddess and Grocer, and I'm so glad she did. The location is convenient for our commute, and at a buck-seventy-five for a small Intelligentsia drip coffee, the prices make it worth dropping in. Though now that I've discovered the Commuter Special on a Croissant ($6.25), I might be dropping in more than I planned.

A croissant is layered with a fried egg, cheddar, and turkey sausage before a stint between the panini press. The sandwich is paired with a medium coffee. The egg is still runny, the cheddar is melted perfectly (not past the greasy, separated, point of no return), and the turkey sausage is a lighter—but still flavorful—change of pace from pork. The original Commuter Special defaults on an English muffin for a dollar less, which means you could still enjoy that familiar McFlavor, but without the side of guilt that usually comes with it.

The Goddess and Grocer

2222 N Elston Avenue Chicago, IL 60614 (map)
773-292-7117
www.goddessandgrocer.com