Blink and you miss it.
Tucked up on the edge of Elmwood, past the pool and just down Leavenworth, a little unassuming brick building stares across the street at Gerda's, a quaint German restaurant where you can get a little too much of just about anything you could want. On one side, a patio and black sign claim the street corner for J. Coco, a relatively upscale restaurant. Thought I've never been inside, it looks like the type of place you take your boss for lunch when you really need to pitch that big project.
Next door, a big blue board proclaims to the world the presence of my little slice of heaven: Legend Comics & Coffee .
I could tell you about how Legend has won Best of Omaha three years running. I could mention the positive Yelp reviews. I could go into detail about the excellent Urbanspoon ratings. But frankly, you could go to the BoO site, or Yelp, or Urbanspoon for those.
But what really matters is the memories I've made here.
I've been coming here for the past two years, off and on, but the past couple months have definitely seen an upswing on my attendance. And it's not just that it's a comic shop hardly a mile from my dorm room. The coffee is easily the best I've had in Omaha, and it's gotten to the point that I can walk in the door and by the time I've stepped down to the comic shop, they'll have already started pulling out my reserves.
The people here really care about what they're doing, whether they're running the counter or mixing coffee and sodas behind the bar. My tab is almost always the same: one Tony Stark Mocha (white and dark chocolate instead of the usual milk chocolate), followed by a blue raspberry phosphate. The cafe uses their own proprietary blend of coffee; I have yet to get a bad drink, no matter the baristo or barista, and it's impossible for me to come here without at least stepping down into the comic shop for a quick conversation, even if I'm not buying anything. The staff really know their stuff, and I've had my horizons expanded in so many directions thanks to timely tips from the friends I've made here. There is no such thing as a "quick trip" to Legend.
Not that you'd want to leave anyway. The atmosphere is casual and relaxed, and depending on who's in the store, the music runs the gamut from classic rock to movie scores to indie. I've even heard some Ben Nichols from time to time, which is always a treat. It's almost too easy to lose myself in the cafe, typing away on some article or paper, paying no heed to the clock. It's the perfect setup: I walk in, grab some comics, grab some coffee, grab more comics when they run out, then grab more coffee when that runs out. If it's a trap, it's one I'm happy to fall for again and again.
Legend Comics & Coffee is my home away from home, my sanctuary, my Batcave. So swing on by and get a hot cuppa Joe. Odds are, I'll be tucked away in the corner, rattling away on my laptop or flying through the pages of my latest purchase.
Just don't expect to see your old cafe again.
