Coffee, Collectibles and Cover Tunes

At first glance, Coffee Junction looks like a country store, with large wooden shelves holding a variety of flavored coffee and tea, cups and saucers, mugs, kettles and coffeepots for sale. Yet once you settle in and look around, it becomes apparent that there is much more to this coffeehouse than coffee.

THE SCENE: “This place is a reflection of me,” said Sharon Benson, the owner of Coffee Junction, whose eclectic coffeehouse could be mistaken for an oversized booth at Venice Beach. In addition to a menu of various coffees, teas, sandwiches and desserts, Coffee Junction has an extensive collection of handmade ceramics, incense, candles, natural body oils, soaps, lotions and various scented potions, not to mention shampoo, honey, syrups, jellies, dipping cookies--and yes, pan flutes.

“When I bought this place, it looked like the housewares section in the Broadway,” said Benson. “I’m a very spiritual person, and I wanted to make this place an extension of my home. We’re very goddess-oriented here. We import various art from New Mexico, Arizona, Oregon and San Francisco, made mostly by females.”

THE CROWD: Families, dates and loners, from 7 to 72, came largely for the entertainment. Others were content to kick back at the espresso bar (behind the performance area) or read the newspaper.

THE MUSIC: This particular Saturday night featured vocalist Kathy Crown, accompanied by pianist Debbie Lawrence. A captive audience listened to Crown’s repertoire, which included a dead-on impression of Billie Holiday, pop cover tunes ranging from Sheryl Crow to Chaka Khan and friendly banter in between songs, a la “The Sweeney Sisters” from “Saturday Night Live.”

THE GOOD: Name another coffeehouse where you can drink coffee and buy a pan flute.

THE BAD: The 27 in attendance filled every seat. Arrive early to snag a table.

THE WORD: “My daughter met her husband here,” said Sy Streifer, 72, of Canoga Park. “This is a perfect place if you just want to relax for a while. For an old guy like me, it’s nice to be around nice, young people.”

Coffee Junction, 19221 Ventura Blvd., Tarzana. Open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday to Thursday, 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday, 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Live entertainment starts at 5 p.m. Thursday, 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Open mike starts at 3 p.m. Sunday. No cover. Information: (818) 342-3405.