Oh, Honey! - The Beehive in Danville, Indiana.

While I travel, I frequently find places that capture my interest.  This week, I've discovered The Beehive, a gorgeous eatery and market along Main Street in Danville, Indiana.  Come look inside.

Anywhere I go, I'm looking for stories to share. This week, I'm in Danville, Indiana attending the 50th Year celebration of the Society for Creative Anachronism.

A couple of friends recommended a coffeeshop to get my caffeine on in the downtown area. Yesterday morning, I donned my mundane attire and left the Hendricks County Fairgrounds and headed into the heart of the city to visit The Beehive.

For a coffeeshop, this place is huge, with so many tables, chairs and comfortable sitting areas.  I'd caught it around 9:30 a.m. on a Monday and the place was deserted, but that gave me the opportunity to wander the eatery unobstructed.

I placed my order and looked around.  I was instantly taken by a display of teas from Our SpecialTEA, loose leaves in glass jars on the table.  It made me almost regret my ordered coffee beverage (which I will get to in just a moment).  The varieties included such possibilities as a Hoosier Blend of apple, carrot, raisin, papaya, beetroot, pumpkin, cinnamon, cardamon, cloves and chamomile; Vanilla Mint with peppermint and vanilla roobos; and Chocolate Covered Strawberry, a blend of chocolate, strawberries and black tea.  Yep, I'm gonna have to come back for that last one.

The end of the main counter, a section behind glass, included several different honey-added confections, including dog cookies (!) and honey pecan bars.  These ridiculously decadent brownies were also behind the glass.  Oh, I'm trying so hard to be good....

The other side of the main room held different cases, including a refrigerated case for locally raised beef and pork, a market area with fresh eggs and vegetables, canned vegetables and juices, locally produced wines and locally raised honey.

So... honey.  Beehive.  Okay, I needed to discover the bee connection.  Turns out The Beehive is the creation of Betsy Bassett, whose father is a beekeeper.  Her website states:

"Several years ago my dad decided to try his hand at bee keeping. As we all learned more about these amazing creatures and the honey they produce. I realized that honey was a more natural alternative to processed sugars. The Beehive uses honey as often as possible to sweeten your treats."

Okay, that's really, truly cool.

It wasn't long before my late morning nosh was ready.  I'd chosen a Nutella Latte, because why the heck wouldn't I? I had lamented upon entry that it was too hot for such a creation, but the lovely young lady behind the counter

delighted me with the news that yes, she could produce a double-shot version over ice for me.  The heady chocolate and hazelnut flavor was hot-chocolate thick yet not too sweet, and a wonderful punch in the brain to get me going for the day.

I'd chosen a Build Your Own Breakfast sandwich, which comes with a variety of choices.  You simply choose one from each category and your sandwich is constructed.  Mine was an assemblage of whole wheat bread, egg, Cheddar cheese, aioli, red bell peppers and spinach, and I was not disappointed.  The bread was lightly toasted.  The eggs were nicely seasoned, beaten and then fried to create an easy-to-manage

base on which the spinach leaves and red pepper chunks were placed.  The top was glued with Cheddar and aioli was smeared over the bottom slice of bread.

The entire concoction was delivered to table in a charming hollowed-out wooden trencher, which was just splendid.  In fact, I want to know more about these, because hey, they're cool.

I suspect I may be making a return trip to The Beehive before I return home to Arkansas.  The laid-back atmosphere, the lure of that chocolate strawberry tea and a desire to sample the lunch selections may lure me back through the doors.

When you're in Danville, Indiana, I highly suggest you do the same.

For more information, check out The Beehive's website or call (317) 718-8470.