The Paw Print

By Maya Spencer, Victoire Berton

Cal’s Corner is a new cafe that recently opened in Old Town. It’s located next to the Aldi at 1200 N Wells St. It sells a variety of healthy, protein-packed items. This includes acai bowls, all-day breakfasts, coffee, ice cream, and more. They have a large vegetarian selection but still offer bacon, ham, and salmon for those who prefer meaty options.

Despite being open for a short time, they already have a website, an app, and 5 stars on Google. Some reviews include a customer commenting “Wonderful coffee options. A very smooth-tasting latte. The salmon toast was also delicious.”

The website is easy to navigate and aesthetically pleasing. It perfectly captures the feel of the cafe. The staff is great and Cal’s Corner offers pickup and delivery. The prices may drive some customers away but It is about the same price as the Starbucks further down the block.

We went to the store to try their food and look around the place. The decor was cozy and aesthetic, with couches, tables with unique designs on them, and plants that tied everything together.

We ordered the Iced Pumpkin Spice Latte, Grilled Cheese, and Açai Smoothie 

Our friends ordered the Açai Bowl and the Peanut Shake.

The overall favorites were the smoothie and the grilled cheese. The smoothie was very smooth, sweet, and fruity, which left us wanting more. The grilled cheese was warm and had a satisfactory cheese pull. The Açai bowl was quite thick and fruity, but it did have some frozen bits inside. The shake was sweet and thick, with a perfect peanut buttery taste. The iced pumpkin spice latte was less sweet than the Starbucks one, but if you enjoy a rich coffee then it is perfect for your taste. The coffee sold here is locally roasted and rich in flavor. It’s a perfect way to start your day or act as a pick-me-up after an exam.

Keep in mind some of their products are not available at this location including their pizza, but they still offer a wide variety of options. 

“I think [the grilled cheese] is really delicious. I mean, wouldn’t you rather support a small business, rather than Starbucks down the street? […] Yeah, you should come here and get açai bowl and grilled cheese and smoothie. Trust.”

 -Alexandra Park, freshman at Payton  

“I don’t like coffee, so I personally did not enjoy this drink [iced pumpkin spice latte], but all the other stuff looks really good.”

-Ruby Pfetcher, freshman at Payton 

Cal’s Corner is a hidden gem that you must check out if you are looking for a spot to check out after school!