Hula Bean Coffee and Ice Cream- Greenwood, IN

We're suckers for cute signage so the pin-up on the front of Hula Bean Coffee & Ice Cream drew us in as we passed by. We assume it is a chain (although the company's main page only mentions the Hawaii location) but we decided to give it a try anyway. There are lots more cute, retro Hawaiian images inside along with quite a bit of merchandise in case you completely fall in love with "Hula Belle". We aren't in Greenwood very much so we don't know what kind of coffee and ice cream options residents have but this place is adorable. The barista was a little startled when we ordered a plain iced coffee and an espresso (she actually said no one she'd ever waited on had ordered a plain espresso before). Are we the only ones who like the simple coffee drinks that actually taste like coffee?

click photos for larger images

3016 Olive Branch Rd.

Greenwood, IN 46143

317-893-2652

Lazy Daze Coffee House

Lazy Daze Coffeehouse is one of those places that we've been meaning to visit for eons. Just because it isn't in our neighborhood is no excuse. We finally got there and loved the place. Irvington has this great bohemian vibe and that carries over into this coffeehouse. There are comfy couches and chairs, regular tables in case you want to bring your laptop, local art on the walls, and tons of outdoor seating. We enjoyed an iced coffee and an iced tea. They have a pretty expansive tea selection and can make them all either hot or iced. They have weekly poetry readings and live music. Plus, Lazy Daze gets extra cool points for being in the Irving Theatre building. Geez, now we are kind of wishing that this was our neighborhood.

Eagle Creek Coffee Company- Ft. Harrison

First of all, we are so glad that this "interurban station" (as our old postcard calls it) is not only still standing but actually in use. It has gone through several owners but is now part of the Eagle Creek Coffee family. Luckily for the workers at the Fort Harrison Finance Center, and others along this stretch of 56th Street, there is a lot more here than coffee. There is a big banner out front promoting that they have "Judge's BBQ" so we decided to give that a try. If it looks a bit messy in the picture, it is because you get to apply your own BBQ sauce. We were given our sandwich and directed to the bottles of BBQ at the condiment station. There was a spicy sauce and a sweet sauce. We went with sweet on our sandwich but got a little container of spicy just to see how it tasted. The spicy one had a nice kick and the sweet one was delicious on our extremely tender chicken. The employee kindly asked how our sandwich was and, when we told him how good both sauces were, he said that he mixes the two on his which seems like a pretty good idea. Our iced teas were great and obviously freshly brewed. As for the coffee, we drink it black so we can't comment on the many fancy coffee drinks that you can get. We can say that if you find that the Starbucks style of coffee is too strong for you, you might like the coffee here better. On the wipe-off board that was promoting the day's specials there was written "sweet potato pie" but alas, when we asked about it we were told that they were out until later in the week. We'll be back to try that in the future.

Mo'Joe Coffeehouse

Oh we loved Mo'Joe Coffeehouse! We just basked in the ambiance of an independent coffeehouse. Here is why it became an instant classic in our minds:

1. It is sprawling! You feel like you have lots of room to spread out and linger.

2. Good music- on Sunday morning the blues was hitting the spot.

3. Darn good coffee- the blend of the day for regular and decaf was Sumatra and it was good and strong for both versions.

4. There are games around for you to play and a nice little art kit with a big book of blank pages. Even if you don't feel like doodling, it is fascinating to see what others have drawn and written.

It is on W. Michigan St. so it is a very handy caffeine source for hardworking IUPUI students. But, even if you don't live or work near here, Mo'Joe Coffeehouse is on of those destination joints. You will feel a little bit cooler just for being there.

Jerry Musich Used & Fine Books

We adore a used bookstore. We also adore an establishment with the name of the proprietor right in the name of the store. It takes us back to a simpler time (such as the time of Floyd's Barber Shop). So, this past weekend, we eagerly headed to Jerry Musich Used & Fine Books for the first time. This is a quaint little shop in the shopping center with Ace Hardware at W. 86th & Ditch (1319 W. 86th St). It doesn't have the size of a Half Price books (which is right across Ditch) but it has a lot of heart. Along with a varied selection of books, the store has old newspapers, maps, and a few posters. Also, if you are a fan of old illustrations, they have a really nice selection of those and they are beautifully matted. Many of them said "chromolithograph" on their tags and many were botanical type pictures, beautiful in their simplicity. While we were there, another customer came in inquiring about a specific author. The owner showed her what he had but, when none of those met her need, made sure that she knew where Half Price Books was. We thought that it was very cool that he was concerned that she found what she wanted and directed her to a competitor (kind of like in "Miracle on 34th Street" when Macy's starts sending customers to Gimbel's when they can't help them). We didn't find the particular book that we were looking for but we found another one worth purchasing and experienced another quaint touch- the hand-written receipt. So, drop by this bookstore and make a little afternoon of it on the corner of 86th and Ditch. Take your newly purchased book to Lulu's Electric Cafe across 86th St. to patronize a local coffeehouse that makes great drinks and punctuates its walls with local art that you can purchase. Afterwards, there's always good browsing at Global Gifts and New Age People, both in the same shopping center as Lulu's.