It’s 3 p.m. in the afternoon and I’m sitting at Lola’s, a hip cafe on Dodge Street that is nestled in Dundee right next to the equally hip Film Streams theater. Upon walking in, I notice that the two businesses are actually connected on the inside. There’s a concession stand for Film Streams right across from the front counter of Lola’s, so in case you ever feel like catching a quick bite before watching a film, this is the place to be.

There’s slow swinging jazz music playing overhead, which adds to the artsy French vibe created by the clean white walls decorated with green vines and potted plants. There’s a coffee machine, which is probably where they make their lattes and cappuccinos as advertised on the board on the wall. They serve a wide array of coffee and iced and hot tea.

In here, time passes by easily without realizing. For me, there’s enough noise to keep me grounded without being too noisy and distracting from my work at hand.

The food on the menu is admittedly pricey, and I’m intrigued by the breakfast selection. Fresh scrambled eggs served with prosciutto topped with Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, a cheese and spinach quiche and an egg breakfast sandwich with sourdough brioche bun.

Unfortunately, I arrived too late for breakfast, so I decided to get the sweet potato cake and sea salt chocolate chip cookie.

The sweet potato cake is thick and earthy. It’s spiced and has a cinnamon tang to it. The white cream complements it well. At first, it was a bit dry, but as I continued eating, it got moister near the middle. As for the chocolate chip cookie — one bite and I’m already certain it’s the better of the two. It’s baked perfectly; it’s got a baked crunch at the bottom, but it’s still soft. It’s a nice blend of sweet and salty — salty from the sea salt sprinkled on top and sweet from the pockets of chocolate chips that melt in your mouth.

At the end of the day, Lola’s is a nice spot to go to study or chat with friends with a friendly staff. It’s a little way away from Creighton, but the quaint atmosphere will be worth the ride.