Heartland Cafe and The Red Line Tap are Rogers Park institutions. The combo is a mainstay of the neighborhood, catering to a forward thinking crowd that likes good coffee, good beer, and would rather eat organic. The indoor area at Heartland has various sections. As you walk in, you enter the bookstore, which is filled with books, posters, t shirts, coffee, and a great magazine rack. Art, culture, music, and a lot of lefty politics. If you're a Republican and take yourself too seriously, I wouldn't go here. There is definitely a political aspect to the place, and it adds to the overall characters of the establishment. Then there's the bar, which serves a wide variety of great beers. Goose Island's Matilda is on tap (a personal favorite), but they have something for everybody. Moving through the bar you come to the main dining room which is big, open, and has a stage in the corner, which they use for radio shows and small performances. There are also two outdoor areas which are fantastic in the summer, a great place for breakfast and a bloody mary.

The food is awesome. Lots of whole grains, organic options, buffalo instead of beef, as well as delicious enchiladas with mole - lots of great, healthier options that taste like its worth your hard-earned dollars. If you do decide to go for breakfast, get the damn breakfast burrito! This thing rivals any BB you've ever had, I promise.

Around the corner from the cafe is The Red Line Tap, who's bar actually is connected to Heartland for beer-side treats before the kitchen closes. The Red Line has Rogers Park prices and good musical acts with reasonable covers. It's a chill spot with pool tables and friendly folks, a perfect watering hole. I've been there on nights when music wasn't scheduled, and they let us plug our Ipod in. I like that.

Take the red line up to Heartland and its adjacent bar and venue, you'll enjoy yourself.