what's your favorite bean?

[Tanuki]

2. The half-runner is the go-to bean for this purpose in my home region,

but I suppose it depends on where you live. Here is a little bit about the half-runner:
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/39686/

You can definitely plant it "three sisters" style. My uncle used to plant it along with a field corn that he had milled into corn meal, and let the half runners trail up the cornstalks while they were both growing. My grandmother and aunt would "can" the beans in glass jars and we ate them all winter. I have nice memories of summer evenings on my granny's porch, helping to snap and de-string the beans.