{"id":650,"date":"2023-02-20T20:58:38","date_gmt":"2023-02-20T20:58:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.principia.edu\/sites\/sustainablefood\/?p=650"},"modified":"2023-02-20T20:58:39","modified_gmt":"2023-02-20T20:58:39","slug":"maevas-coffee-a-workplace-hangout-haven","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/content.principia.edu\/sites\/sustainablefood\/2023\/02\/20\/maevas-coffee-a-workplace-hangout-haven\/","title":{"rendered":"Maeva\u2019s Coffee: A Workplace & Hangout-Haven"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Shane Witters Hicks | Program Officer
Principia Center for Sustainability | Feb 20, 2023<\/em><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n

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A selection of from-scratch goodies tempts customers in Maeva’s pastry case<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

The coffeehouse hidden within the old Milton Schoolhouse may be one of Alton\u2019s best-kept secrets. It\u2019s one of those, \u201cif you know, you know\u201d gems for students at Principia College. And once you know, you\u2019ll likely find yourself making repeat latte runs whenever the opportunity presents. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Located in downtown Alton, Maeva\u2019s Coffee can be found after following signs down a winding passageway in the historic schoolhouse. (The meandering journey helps reinforce its perception as a hidden gem.) As you near the entrance, you\u2019ll wander past increasing amounts of potted greenery and art until you emerge into a warmly lit and tastefully decorated cafe room. Maeva\u2019s instantly gives off comforting, friendly vibes. This is reinforced by grinning baristas who will quickly greet you and a well-stocked pastry case. <\/p>\n\n\n

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Verdant plant-life just outside the Maeva’s caf\u00e9 room<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

In an age of coffee chains that minimize labor and use cheap ingredients to maximize profits, Maeva\u2019s is a refreshing oasis in a veritable desert of quality cafes. Just about everything you can purchase is made from scratch or requires some loving preparation by the team. In the fall, a sign describing the pumpkin spice latte reads, \u201cNothing basic about it: real pumpkin puree, fresh grated nutmeg, China cassia cinnamon, clove, and vanilla bean. 100% handmade.\u201d This ad is indicative of the quality of all goods purchased from the team of dedicated bakers and baristas. On my latest visit, a barista sold me on the house chai after explaining that their homemade concentrate gets made in the wee hours of the morning, involving spices simmering for upwards of 5 hours. The tantalizing treats in the pastry case are freshly baked in their incubator kitchen, located below the coffeehouse. Oh, and they roast their own coffee, too. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s something for everyone on the menu as the baked goods area is stocked with an assortment of muffins, coffee cakes, hand pies, frittatas, quiches, and cheesecakes. They do a great job of providing gluten-free and vegan options, and the savory snacks always include a vegetarian option. They even serve a vegan curry chickpea salad with crackers!<\/p>\n\n\n

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Vegan chickpea salad is one example of the plant-based options at Maeva’s Coffee<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

I can personally vouch for the deliciousness of the plant-based chocolate chip banana muffins. The tender crumb and rich, buttery flavor would have fooled me if I hadn\u2019t seen \u201cvegan & gluten-free\u201d written next to it. Also, I think I raved to at least 10 people about the cinnamon roll cheesecake the day I tried it. With ribbons of cinnamon meandering through the dense, cream-cheesey base, and a generous piping of cream cheese frosting on top, it was one of the most delicious and decadent cheesecakes I\u2019ve ever had. For $3.50 per giant slice, I\u2019d choose this homemade creation over the cheesecake factory any day! <\/p>\n\n\n

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Cinnamon Roll Cheesecake from Maeva’s Coffee<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

For being hidden in a tiny room in an off-the-beaten-path schoolhouse in Alton, Illinois, few would expect the level of quality dished up at Maeva\u2019s Coffee. Such explains its cult following: once you become acquainted, it\u2019s hard not to become a loyal patron. So the next time you\u2019re in the mood for a cup of Joe or snack, give Maeva\u2019s a try. Make sure to clear your schedule though because you may find yourself still in the cozy space, hours later, wondering where the time has gone!<\/p>\n\n\n

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House Chai & Vegan\/GF chocolate chip banana muffin<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Shane Witters Hicks | Program OfficerPrincipia Center for Sustainability | Feb 20, 2023 The coffeehouse hidden within the old Milton Schoolhouse may be one of Alton\u2019s best-kept secrets. It\u2019s one of those, \u201cif you know, you know\u201d gems for students at Principia College. And once you know, you\u2019ll likely find yourself making repeat latte runs … Continue reading Maeva\u2019s Coffee: A Workplace & Hangout-Haven<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":79,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-650","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-principia-college"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/content.principia.edu\/sites\/sustainablefood\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/650","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/content.principia.edu\/sites\/sustainablefood\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/content.principia.edu\/sites\/sustainablefood\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/content.principia.edu\/sites\/sustainablefood\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/79"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/content.principia.edu\/sites\/sustainablefood\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=650"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"http:\/\/content.principia.edu\/sites\/sustainablefood\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/650\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":658,"href":"http:\/\/content.principia.edu\/sites\/sustainablefood\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/650\/revisions\/658"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/content.principia.edu\/sites\/sustainablefood\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=650"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/content.principia.edu\/sites\/sustainablefood\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=650"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/content.principia.edu\/sites\/sustainablefood\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=650"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}