Totem Coffee

Look out world. There's a great thing happening.

Our amazingly talented friends Jacob and Alisa, who are good at everything they do, recently opened their brand new coffee shop Totem Coffee. They roast their own delicious and amazing small batches of artisan coffee and offer a nice assortment of foods: toasts, tapas, salads. Everything they serve is delicious and pretty, and they are located right in the shady Fountain Plaza of downtown Placerville where I spent many an angsty afternoon on my walks home during high school when Gelato's was still there. This space was crying out for a coffeeshop again! People are eager to hang out in this plaza where the fountain flows, flowers grow, ivy climbs the old brick walls of the Cary House Hotel, and kids can run around. Totem is giving us all the perfect motivation. 

We took a sneak peek right after we got home from our trip in August.

They built the bar area out of reclaimed wood from a barn on Alisa's parents property. Even with two small children, Jacob and Alisa did most of the work themselves or with help from friends, remodeling this space, carefully choosing every detail that gives it that homey, rustic, yet polished and clean feeling. Those of us that work downtown or are close friends with them have followed the process eagerly!

There's a little lending-library box outside their door with a good selection, ever-rotating of kids' and grown up books. Always gives the girls something to do while we're there!

A couple weeks later was the official grand opening! 

Jacob and his son greeting their many, many guests, the party was off the hook. Whole plaza crowded, coffee/beer line out the door at times!

Only downside of the plaza: these dang stairs! The kids (and babies!) want to run up and down them the whole time. There's an alley up above with cars driving through, so you can't really just let them run wild. But the adults naturally seemed to rotate, taking turns supervising up there.

Toot takes a whipped-cream break with my mom's stepdaughter Moriah.

If we can get Polly away from the stairs for a minute, climbing on tabletops is the next best option.

Our good buddy Jamie is Totem's full time barista; here he is with his mom.

Needless to say, we're all pretty excited about Totem.

In fact, right now I'm getting ready for my sister's 40th birthday party to be held there, a 90's goth extravaganza. Wish me luck with my stair-climbing hooligans; Darin's working late tonight!

And look for Totem coffee in your local shops. It's so good that I wouldn't be surprised if they hit the  bigtime. Everyone needs this coffee.