Chicagoans are the most adventurous coffee lovers in the country, according to Italian coffeemaker Lavazza's inaugural U.S. Coffee Consumption Survey. They are more likely to sip coffee cocktails, slather their half-smokes with espresso barbecue sauce, or slurp a caffeinated chowder than coffee drinkers in New York, L.A., Dallas, and Boston.

"Coffee, as crazy as it sounds, is a very versatile ingredient," said the chef Fabio Viviani. He has been using Lavazza coffee at his Chicago-area restaurants since "literally the day we opened." Viviani, a "Top Chef" all star, has partnered with Lavazza to craft coffee-inspired recipes like an espresso-infused old fashioned cocktail. It's simple, he said, but the combination packs a ton of flavor and the Lavazza reminds Viviani of his childhood in Florence, Italy.