Holsem Coffee

While James Coffee keeps everything in-house for control and Calabria runs a dual espresso-and-pizza operation, Holsem built its reputation on creative blends and a low-key approach to specialty drinks. The orange cinnamon latte is the kind of thing that sounds Instagram-bait but actually works — citrus cuts through the espresso without turning it into dessert, cinnamon shows up as a spice rather than a syrup. It's the drink that makes regulars out of people who claim they don't like flavored coffee.

The house-roasted beans mean the standard drinks hold up too. A plain iced latte comes balanced and clean, with none of the battery-acid bitterness that happens when roasters chase dark profiles to cover up stale beans. The cold brew lineup rotates through variations that don't all taste like liquid candy, though the hazelnut chocolate version is hit-or-miss depending on who's working the bar.

The space itself is unusually generous for a café along the University corridor — tables have actual breathing room, which matters when you're trying to host a journal club or work through a deadline without elbowing your neighbor's laptop. The baristas run a spectrum from perfectly detached to almost friendly, but they know the machines and don't rush pulls to clear the line.

Parking is standard North Park chaos, though the lot behind Morley Field sometimes has overflow if you're willing to walk two blocks. Weekday mornings move fast; weekends can mean a wait, especially if someone orders six drinks with modifications. The retail selection skews toward beans and brewing gear — it's a roastery that happens to serve food, not the other way around. Brunch gets mentioned in reviews but isn't the main event. Come for the coffee, stay because the table situation doesn't force you out after twenty minutes.