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Literary Libations In Downtown Orlando

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By KAREN HAYMON LONG, The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 16, 2007

ORLANDO - A friend's son used to tease that someday he would open a bait and book shop. He loved to fish and read, so that, he thought, would be the perfect combination.

I found something close to perfection downtown: a bar-bookstore that serves beer, organic wine, soups, salads, vegetarian wraps and desserts alongside a diverse collection of books.

Urban Think is a book lover's bookstore, with rows of literature and contemporary fiction, a section by Florida authors and cases full of books about travel, urban planning, pets, art, philosophy and poetry.

Among the libations and books are photos and paintings, candles, wood puzzles and greeting cards for sale - all top quality. Jazz plays softly in the background. Not new, soft jazz. Real jazz.

There's even a colorful children's section with miniature chairs, a graphic rug and dozens of books kids love.

Lawyers Bruce and Medea Harris bought majority interest in the store four years ago after shopping there regularly for two years.

"I'm a book nut," Bruce Harris says, "and we used to go to Urban Think on date night. It has a hip, urban feel."

People are amazed that they can buy a glass of wine or a beer and peruse the books, drink in hand, he says.

Christina Cowherd owns Infusion Tea, the drink-food part of the establishment. It includes 25 varieties of organic tea and all sorts of beer, from Kirin to Samuel Adams.

This is Infusion Tea's second location. The other, in Orlando's College Park area, was so popular, Harris asked Cowherd to partner with him.

Customers can sit at the sleek, modern bar, at tables or outside under umbrellas.

On her first visit, Carly Crosier of Orlando says she was amazed to find such a great combination with a good selection of books.

She grew up in Gainesville and wished it had something similar.

"I love bookstores - ones that aren't chains," she says, shopping among the fiction. "This is great. It has a great selection. I see myself hanging out here a lot."

The store fits right into the Thornton Park area, a historical district within an easy walk of a lake, park and the trendy City Fish restaurant.

A mural of the old Orlando skyline is painted on Urban Think's back wall. A table with Wi-Fi access is open to people with laptops. Velvet-covered stools, a comfy couch and benches invite book lovers, and wine and beer drinkers, to sit and read or chat with others.

The store also hosts writer talks and book signings 10 times a month, and not just for local authors. Poets Billy Collins (a past poet laureate of the United States) and Nikki Giovanni recently appeared there.

Harris says his store can't compete with the deep discounts that big-box and dot-com stores offer. But it appeals to people who think of it as "their bookstore."

Cowherd, who served in the Peace Corps in Guatemala for three years before opening Infusion Tea, says she used to visit the store on weekends with her husband, Brad.

"I love to read," she says, "so when I had spare time, I would come here a lot."

Now, she'll be there a lot more.

Urban Think, 625 E. Central Blvd., is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday and Monday. The bar-food part of the store has longer hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.

For information, call (407) 650-8004 or go online to www .urbanthinkorlando.com.

Karen Haymon Long is the Tribune's book editor.

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