Indianapolis Award Winning Coffee

A good fall drink warms your soul. Think of the spices that give the holiday season its spicy smells and tastes: Cinnamon, ginger, vanilla. These are all spotlights of our latest and greatest concoction, the new vanilla spice latte. Come in and taste its creamy, savory goodness, topped with fluffy foam. Come get one from your favorite Indianapolis coffee shop this weekend!

And why does the Crème de Pomme have SOY instead of COW milk? That's a question that comes up a lot.

Our answer: Because that’s how its creator originally ordered it: Caramel, cider and a touch of soy. We thought the soy was so good in it, we never swapped ingredients. And why would we? Soy milk has much less fat than regular, and many say it helps reduce cholesterol. But we just think its creamy, nutty flavor goes quite well with the sweet apple bite. 

Of course, you can order the drink with regular milk, and our baristas will be happy to oblige your wishes. But just for us, try it the other way first: We have the best Indianapolis coffee, so we must be doing drinks right!

Who is that dashing diminutive man who sits tight-lipped and nose-picked on Willy's shoulder? It's sweet little Sammy, a coffee shop regular. The boys bring you tidings of the weekend's weather: rain, rain, rain until Sunday. Watch for more. And don't forget to stop by our Indianapolis coffee shop to get a pumpkin chocolate chip confection, or perhaps a creme de pomme.

The current weather report from the Monon Trail: Weather Willy says it's going to be sunny during the day and cool at night for most days this week. Watch the video for more. And don't forget to stop by for some of Indianapolis's award-winning coffee, or our new creme de pomme--caramel cider with a touch of soy. Mmmmm (delicious pics soon).

Here's your Weather Willy Wednesday prediction from your favorite Broad Ripple cafe! Don't fret about today's showers, as they've already dissipated. And Weather Willy reminds you not to miss out on the last few days of the State Fair, chock-a-block full of MC Hammer and chocolate-covered bacon--two must-try acquired tastes. Run back to your favorite Indianapolis coffee shop (that's us) to make it better afterward.

You put a lot of beans into your favorite coffee shop. You come here each morning to not only fill your cup with our smooth blends, you also enjoy the counterculture: the quirky regulars, the ever-changing artwork, the friendly baristas, and the self-employed laptop set, with whom you might have even made important business connections (and if you haven't, you should!)

Stand up for your favorite coffee shop. Vote for us as the best coffee shop for The Indy Channel's "A List." We couldn't get the badge thingy to work, so CLICK THE PICTURE to go to the voting page. Thanks! 

Hey all you weather-beaten Hoosiers:
Willy has the weather scoop for you. You can expect at least one day of sunshine in the next few days, but the rest will be muggy and warm--perfect for a Sunshine Smoothie with mango, payapya, pineapple, peach, ginger and carrot. Lots of fresh updates are coming to this favorite Indianapolis coffee shop, including cool new mosaic tables (stay tuned for those).

And did you know that Nuvo rated Monon the favorite Broad Ripple cafe? Thanks to reader votes, it's true. Thanks to everyone who weighed in!

In case you've never ordered one before, our Broad Ripple cafe also serves up some of the  freshest squeezed juices along the Monon trail besides Indianapolis best coffee. If you love real ripe orange juice, you can enjoy some here. If you want something more exotic, try the vitamin-heavy V-Ate, with tomatoes, cucumber, garlic, carrot, celery, parsley and beets. If you like something a bit more tart, our Pucker Up with green apple, lemon and ginger will have you smiling through its sweet sourness (some customers like to add carrot to even things out a bit). No dice yet? Try the House juice with carrot, apple and ginger or the CAP with carrot, apple and pear. Can you imagine what a treat these real fruit and vegetable juices are for your health?

(If you're wondering about that juggernaut Willy is holding, her name is "Ruby" and she'll be juicing your apples today.)

It's Weather Willy Wednesday: Willy gives you the low-down on our chilly summer. Plus, the scoop on parking at the best Indianapolis coffee shop. Don't forget to not leave your car here overnight! You can park behind the MCC or in the lot by the side of Bungalow (those "reserved" signs are for us), but after 5 p.m., only directly behind our building. Weather Willy explains it all.

Above our case with the tasty sandwiches and flakey croissants, under our popular salt and pepper kettle chips, lie our bagels. But not just any bagels. Bagel Fair bagels—the best in Indy.

Bagel Fair ‘gels hail from a small shop on 86th street. No, it doesn’t have all the “schmears” and hoopla of Einstein Bros., but then, those guys can’t hold a candle to the texture of these center-less bread circles. They’re crisp on the outside, chewy and soft in the middle, and have just enough bounce in between.

Try the cinnamon raisin flavor slathered with peanut butter, a personal favorite of William. Or the everything bagel with cream cheese.

PS--Did you know that bagels are vegan? Yep. They're made with all dry ingredients. So come and get 'em, animal lovers!

While scouring the universe of Broad Ripple for bits of weather, Weather Willy, owner of Indianapolis's best coffee shop and weatherman extraordinaire, came across a new and wondrous store: Addendum. Not to be confused with its predecessor, Ginko, Addendum has usable art for the home from artists across America. Owner Shane says that when the cast of Wicked was in town, they each picked up a candle from his store.

Speaking of candles, they're getting some new ones in from the oldest candlemakers in the world. that decked out the palace of Versailles. And to prove it, they have a candle that smells like its wooden floors. You won't find that piece of history anywhere else in Indiana.

Duncan Alney’s “In Person” series of black and white photos captures archetypes of the creative class. From Indy’s resident Cajun cool cat, Yats proprietor and nicest-guy-you-met Joe Vuskovich, to punk-rock sweetie Lindsay Manfredi, Alney’s mostly musical shakers jump off their black and white backings with loads of character.

Alney is president of Firebelly Marketing in Broad Ripple, which offers creative online and offline marketing solutions to Indianapolis clients and beyond. He came to the United States with a few dollars in his pocket, and worked hard to carve out his creative niche. He’s succeeded. And this work in particular reflects the American dream in which he and his subjects partake.

Wondering if you'll be shakin' in your skivvies this Broad Ripple Art Fair weekend? Fear not. The best coffee shop in the 'Village has the scoop on when it will rain or shine--and it certainly will shine.

Deborah Winchester is a fine art and nature photographer based in Indianapolis. Her work has appeared in everything from Cowboys & Indians magazine to the Indianapolis Star.  Her current works on display in Indianapolis coffee shop Monon Coffee company, however, take an urban turn, depicting graffiti culture in South America. 

Winchester recently visited Valparaiso, Chile. The photographer was taken aback by the locals’ acceptance of their proficient graffiti culture. “People actually pay people to decorate garage doors with this stuff,” she says. “It’s a whole different approach.”

Her explosively colorful pictures capture it: One depicts a building clad with a giant, expertly rendered hand throwing paper planes. In another picture, a grinning blonde lady in a Stetson breathes what looks like a poker to the neck of the Asian lady who sits in front of her, exhaling a swirling motif that beautifies a wall’s caged window.

Come by the coffee shop to see Winchester's nine photographs from the Valparaiso trip. They are all matted and framed (16 by 20), and go for around $250. The artist will negotiate on other sizes or frames requested.

Broad Ripple is teeming with great Indianapolis music acts, food, and artists, and we do our best to represent that.  Here's a list of the young, up-and-coming Midwestern and Indianapolis artists that will pass through our Indianapolis coffee shop this summer:   

May 8th
Pons

June 27th
Joel Teeple
Teeple is a babyfaced Midwestern musician who has been described as “soul-warming” and “rocking out for Jesus.” Touring coffee shops around the Midwest!

July 12th
Ellen (acoustic)

Favorite, friendly Indianapolis coffee barista Carly Cooke enlightens us on "Jimmies," Jerseyese for "sprinkles." Ex: "All the jimmies on my cupcake fell off!" We think you'll recognize the rest.

Travel season came early to this Indianapolis coffee shop. In fact, our surrounding Monon Trail is known for its interesting people and renowned bikers,  hitchhikers and world travelers. Our own barista Carly Cooke is in fact from a far-flung land called Joysey (Jersey). She shares some of her native tongue with us here.

Monon Coffee has some of the best coffee drinks, fresh juices and locally made baked goods around. But did you know about our stellar tea selection?

Matt Shoal, a Monon Coffee Company regular, knows tea. The world-traveling wilderness training expert says MCC has the best tea selection of any Monon Trail cafe, and even in the states. Here he talks about some of his favorite blends, and demystifies the white tea buzz.

If spinach made Popeye what he is, could tea make you beefy like Matt? It's worth a a try!

Our first Weather Willy Wednesday forecast! Okay, it's actually for Tuesday, but we'll let you know tomorrow how close Willy was with his predictions for today. If he's wrong more times than not in the course of a month, we'll let you know when you can get a free drip coffee. Of course, if he's always RIGHT, you'll finally have a trusty place to predict your weather--an Indianapolis coffee shop! At least on Tuesdays.