El Camino Blog

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Friday, October 27, 2006

Indianapolis Coffee Houses: Strange Brew

Greenwood(south Indianapolis) 8:15pm, Friday, October 27, 2006, The Strange Brew - I’m perched on the bumpy edge of a doctor’s office-gray couch (right next to a lovely orange-with-burgundy-leaf velour sofa, with “door knockers” on the arms). I am listening to the final set of the Shirtless Biddles, an acoustic guitar trio that tends to play drinking-type songs, but mostly decent originals. As I start to type, my ears are assaulted by the noise of several 15 and 16 year-old nymphettes, who are getting a bit too flirty with an elfish 14-year-old boy. Please, is there any propriety left?! Try something more modest than loudly exclaiming 'I gotta pee’ within earshot of me, lil' Britney Pink Simpson! The interior of the Strange Brew is comfy: one big square space, bordered on the back right by a low, broad coffee bar, and secluded on the back left by a 200 gallon tropical tank (with 3 couches, a small fountain, and a funky quad ostrich lamp). Every wall is a different color (mustard, mahogany, taupe); one of them features a big sun lettered The Strange Brew. The Brew's walls are heavy with real artwork (mostly by the wife of one of the Biddles players). Some murals and prints feature in the art mix; my eye is caught by a Hello Kitty head perched at the top of a lime-colored tropical drink. Currently, Strange Brew is letting local artists take turns to show their artwork for the month. Because of strong interest, the Brew's owner is considering reducing the showing terms to 2-3 weeks, allowing for more artists to be accommodated. Photographs are for sale, mostly with subjects of children, old people, poverty, hope. The friendly crowd in attendance on this particular evening hangs around after the Biddles show, and engages in much chatter; it is a much friendlier and more neighborly place than the Abbey. The kiddies are mostly up front, old-timers more toward the back. I must note that the coffee itself is very tasty; I ordered a Black Forest Mocha (which features dark chocolate and cherry flavoring), and the barrister brought it to my table in a hearty stone mug. Some of the Brew's coffee menu includes: Kenyan, Jamaican, pumpkin white mocha, and peanut butter mocha (all the mochas are served hot or cold). Two of the Brew's sandwich favorites include the turkey and the muffuletta sandwiches. And for muffin lovers (I know I'm one), there are lots of moist, tasty muffins. Very informal, some of the help and ownership are mixed in conversing with the patrons; somebody even brings a dog in. I get to talking a bit with some strangers at a nearby table, which is saying something for me. An added location, in the Fountain Square area, is supposed to open soon. In all, Strange Brew is a very pleasant, easy trip, and I'd have to say I like it better than the Abbey. 5 stars.

Thursday, October 19, 2006

Indianapolis Coffee Houses: The Abbey

Thursday, October 19, 2006, 8:05pm, The Abbey, 825 N. Pennsylvania St., Indianapolis, map for The Abbey - Thursday night at the Abbey, and a solid 15 customers are present on a cold October nite, yet fairly quiet. But not too quiet. Massive Attack, a European ‘trip-hop’ group, drones at a low level in the background. I’m not a big fan of indie music, but my ears tell me that this selection fits the Abbey to a T. The blue Christmas ‘ice’ lights are already hung over the front awning, twinkling through the frosty glass. I am cozily ensconced in a grease-stained, corduroy-covered Empire chair, in the ‘Back 20’ of the place: The layout of the Abbey is an L-shaped saucepan, with a narrow, pan-like corridor going to the rear. I love the Back 20: It’s a perfect perch for a wary loner like me to sit and stare in judgment of the Unwashed Masses congregated up front. Forlorn curtains are inexplicably hung between the two main parts of the store, preventing an easy view of the Back 20 from the entrance. At first sip of the mocha latte, I am welcomed back with a biting taste that reminds me I’m not in a ‘safe’ Starbucks type affair, like I normally would be. I had not come around since the unseasonably warm mid-September, and now seems like the first time yet again to visit the old Abbey. A lot of machine humming goes on in the 20, furnaces and fans and the back walk-in freezer. Abbey is half-café, half-chaos. A blue early-20th century molded-tin ceiling is painted in sky blue with fluffy clouds. Sky blue walls wrestle with cop-blue window framing and baseboards. Most of the lighting comes from a half-dozen ceiling globes, augmented by a few errant lamps in the corners. About 3 varieties of wooden café tables and chairs, but also several ‘Church pew’ benches. Lots of stuff taped and pinned up on corkboards, making proclamations about bands and community activism and "go vegan" and all that bit. Solos and small combo music acts play here on the weekends. The baristas in this dive are actually quite adept at baking up some tasty cakes. The coffee itself seems to be pretty good, but what do I know? It’s mostly about the ambience to me, and this place has plenty of that. Somehow, the hums and gothic-ness of the place just keep me soothed and a bit entranced, and I would hate to ever leave in a rush; tonight will be the first time I ever do so, so I can get back by 9 to relieve the babysitter. The place relocated about a year ago to 825 N. Pennsylvania St. Here, it gets a cocktail mix of UI-PUI students (especially chicks, boom-boom-cheeka-cheeka!) and alternatives and quasi-goths, piled high on top with over-the-hill freaks and activism wanna-be's. The immediate neighborhood consists mostly of ancient apartment flats, though the new Central Library is being constructed right across the street. That might result in greater percentages of safe, respectable types like myself wandering in for a cappuccino. Such a sad thing to ponder, eh? Drop by and enjoy the pure, unadulterated Abbey while it lasts. 4 stars.

Monday, October 16, 2006

Indianapolis Coffee Houses: The Abbey (to be reviewed)

I've spent several evenings at The Abbey coffeehouse, on 825 N. Pennsylvania downtown, but have not done a proper review of the place. Just letting everyone know, I will be getting around to it soon. I'll say this much for now: I like the place. Here's a map to it.

Wednesday, October 04, 2006

Bloomington Coffee Houses, The Copper Cup

The Copper Cup, 3:50pm, September 3, 2006, 8th and College, Bloomington - This was actually my first coffee house visit in Bloomington, and I held out a lot of hope for it. But to be honest, I dreaded the whole experience. The décor: passable. Mostly retro-mod, with butterscotch wood- and chrome chairs and table-ettes. Interesting hyperbolic purple and green velour loveseat-chair ensemble in one corner. The ceiling was very high, the floor a glazed concrete; in other words, a predominance of post-modern touches. But the retail coffee-tea sale display (and serving bar) looked quite antique and felt out of place. It took me a while to notice that there is a narrow seating corridor off to the left behind the service counter. Kind of impersonal, but the place looks mostly business, anyway. A well-wired, quiet nook for studious co-eds.
Therein lay a problem. I asked the server-gal if they had wi-fi, already knowing that the Student Union brochure listed Copper Cup as wi-fi equipped. “Well, yeah, but it’s been on and off. They’ve been working on it, but it’s just been on and off”, with the faintly hostile hint of “no, I’m not going to help you get online today, you’re not doing any of that today.”
The server babe really didn’t want to be there, apparently. “What do you want?” No thank-you’s. She was lethargically slow, treating each customer as an isolated case, as if the next person in line didn’t exist and would never be served. There was a big window display about all kinds of great panini sandwiches and such, as if this place is equipped to handle full-time food business. When I asked about the grub, the reply was, “Whatever is in the case is what we have.” A total of two prefab-looking pastrami sandwiches, ready-to-go in clear plastic containers. No pesto, or any other of the more exotic paninis displayed prominently on the service counter menu. The sandwich took a normal amount of time to grill, but the coffee was interminably slow to come to gestation, and after trying to kill time locating a seat, plugging in the laptop, and picking pieces of lint off my laptop bag, I went back up in front of the service counter and waited awkwardly. The server-in-training, after the sandwich was toasted, that condiments and jalapeno chips (no other chip varieties, apparently) were available. Sort of. The question was sort of thrown at me, apparently to make me feel even more awkward. “You want mustard or jalapenos?” That’s what the question sounded like, at least. It took a further 45 seconds or so to get the final order details straightened out. Then, after she tossed the foodservice mustard packets, she asked me AGAIN if I wanted chips. With quite an air of impatience, too, not of any ounce of concern that I could tell. With a vague sense of loathing and defeat (which I paid $10.38 for, which I’ll finally get to laugh about the next time I’m at Panera), I sat down and ate a bit (the sandwich was passable; but at least I got top-quality Heinz Foodservice mustard packets!!). Treated with slow-burning contempt by this wench at every turn, I sat down and composed a draft of this review quietly at my seat. Interestingly, the server-ette seemed to sense that something was up; she threw obnoxiously baleful, hostile, and/or panicked glances and head-nods in my direction. I thought the one unwritten rule of ‘merely poor service’ was that the server STOPPED torturing a customer, once you were done having to communicate with them. At least the coffee itself (I had the White Chocolate Mocha) was decent. Honestly, this was my first review, on my weekend off in Bloomington, and I wanted a happy experience. I wasn’t going to publish this review, being as negative as it is, but then I figured: If your establishment is merely a humble snack bar, don’t advertise it as something more enticing. This place is about as ready to be a 'Copper Cup' as La Choy Chow Mein is to be 'Fine Mandarin Cuisine'. Hell, "Wild Bean Cafe" would be a better place to visit. Confucius would probably agree with that much. I hope that chick gets a really bad rash. 1 ½ stars.

Monday, October 02, 2006

Indianapolis Coffee Houses: Lazy Daze Coffee House

12:21 PM, Sunday, October 1, 2006, Lazy Daze Coffee House - I finally was able to visit, albeit briefly, Lazy Daze Cofeehouse on the east side of Indianapolis, in the increasingly hip Irvington area. The setting of the Lazy Daze property: an old brick buildings, tucked into a narrow street, itself tucked improbably into the trees just adjacent to busy, speedy Washington Street. A bit claustrophobic, but in a charming European way. The inside, with tan couches, is snug, homey, a little dank, with the low ceiling and little standing room. The petite blonde barista was friendly, very fast. Good coffee. A lot of postings and flyers telling the patrons about artistic, cultural, and musical events and groups. In short, Lazy Daze appears to be quite involved in its neighborhood. The windows are hung with artistic glasswork (much of it being tagged for sale). Outside, there is a spacious deck to lounge on, with wicker chairs and faux stone-and-tile tables. I saw a lot of 30 and 40-somethings, some dogs and kids in tow; patrons were generally engaged in neighbors-at-the-fence type chat. I was in too much of a hurry to do thorough review of the establishment; perhaps a full review will come soon. An interesting plus if you stop by here: There is a used bookstore, called Book Mama's, right across the street (meaning it's practically in your face, since the street is about 8 feet wide). Also, Lazy Daze has free WiFi. Short of giving a rating, I'd say it was a quite promising and intriguing visit. I'll give Lazy Daze, and the Irvington village, a more full and fair review in the weeks ahead.

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