That may not be proprietor Christopher Casas’ motto for his new Evanston coffeeshop, The Italian Coffee Bar, but it should be.

The cozy bar — with its burnt-orange walls, wobbly stone-topped tables, wrought-iron wall decoration and big wooden counter — will make you feel like you’re in Italy almost completely, if not for the English signage. However, it’s a local place with a local owner and a distinctly Evanston crowd: businessmen and neighborhood residents.

You don’t even have to like coffee to like the bar, although it helps if you do. The espresso macchiato was excellent, with a dark flavor, and the iced mocha with Mexican chocolate was rich and smooth without being cloyingly sweet. If you’re hungry, the filled chocolate pastries were fantastic and the gelato was as good as anyone else’s outside Europe, in a riotous outburst of color. Other customers recommended the cookies and the sorbet.

If the shop is empty, which seems uncomMonday, you can strike up a conversation with Casas, who is adamant about Evanston and coffee. His passion is infectious.

The Italian Coffee Bar is still a little sparse, with barren walls and an air conditioner that may or may not work, but don’t let that stop you: It only opened last Saturday. Other amenities are lacking, like power jacks for laptops and wireless Internet access, plus a clock… But pretend you’re in Italy and it all seems better. 

— Wes Meltzer