Leaf & Bean

Want to have a unique experience? The Leaf & Bean, located at 421 Columbia Ave. in Holland, MI reminds me of one of those cool hippy-dippy chic beatnik kind of places you would have found in the 60's. It's like stepping back in time. This shop is located 4 blocks from Hope College and 1 block from Black River School. They feature all sorts of coffee and tea drinks plus smoothies and Italian Sodas. The have humongous muffins and scones and all sorts of specialty sandwhiches and soups. I dined there this evening in the company of two charming ladies I met during my studies at Spring Arbor University, Sybil Cathey, who is also one of the owners of the Leaf & Bean, and Joyce Moore. My oldest son Tyler also joined us and we had the privilege of meeting Ron Cathey, the lucky guy who married Sybil, and one of the Cathey boys, Gray, who had been helping at a Christian camp that featured horseback riding. This cafe has WIRELESS INTERNET! Very important to us blogger types! Every Thursday night is open mike night for all you talented folks! The Leaf & Bean has an impressive selection of giftables and delectable food items, as well as coffee beans and other interesting things such as yard art, handbags, and incense. Oh, and let's not forget, ICE CREAM!! Ice Cream AND Wireless Internet...are you getting this? We visited for over two hours before Sybil had to close the place and practically throw rocks at us to get us to leave-that's how much we liked this place! I had a fantastic dinner here: Spinach Frittatas and a huge Chai Tea. Tyler had the Portobello Mushroom Panini and an Italian soda. One of those perfect summer evenings. This gets put on our list of things to do AGAIN~SOON!