Rooted Coffeehouse

Coffee And Community

It’s hard to resist the drip coffee and French press coffees and the espresso drinks of every stripe. But Rooted wants to go beyond coffee drinks. It stakes out a higher purpose. The mother-daughter team who opened it in 2018 formalized their purpose thusly: “Rooted Coffeehouse is a mission-driven community that exists to cultivate authentic relationships through the art of coffee.”

Take Your Time

Yes, some people do walk in the door, get their coffee and beat it. But the experience offers so much more than a quick corporate caffeine fix. Rooted offers a comfortable place to wile away time with friends or smart phone. Sit and enjoy clean-cut vibes that infuse the bright shopping-center storefront. Time doesn’t rush here. Despite coffee’s prominence,  you feel none of the none of the buzz and hustle typical of hard-charging big-name coffee houses. The drink makers and cooks take their time, calling out orders when finally they come to the counter, ready to serve. The slow food movement owes them a prize.

The measured pace yields beautiful food to accompany expertly-crafted drinks. Everything that comes from the kitchen and coffee machines offers a pretty plated tableau. More important than beauty, the food’s flavors win devotion.

Mixology At Work

I’m not a big fan of lattes, cappuccinos, and otherwise dressed-up coffee drinks, but I am enamored of a Rooted concoction called Fat Coffee. They mix drip-brew with coconut sugar, vanilla bean ghee, and MCT oil. The formula results in a swirl of sweetnesses that complement but do not overwhelm the coffee itself. On the other hand, order simple drip coffee and you get a hearty, balanced cup. Espresso is forthright, dark and syrupy. Other available beverages include cold brew and smoothies. Beyond coffee, ff course you’ll find several fruity sweet smoothies. Give consideration also to the veggie powerhouse smoothie in which spinach and cucumber plus lime are a dominant green chord and pineapple just a whisper.

Bring Appetite

Even beyond coffee and salubrious beverages, Rooted’s foods compel a visit. Thick multi-grain toast provides the foundation for artful arrangements of good-for-you toppings, such as one called Peanut Butta. For that, they combine peanut butter, honey, sliced bananas, cacao nibs, and bee pollen. They’re all organic, of course. Avocado toast includes hemp seeds, microgreens, red pepper flakes, and Himalayan sea salt. On another one, cream cheese, honey and chia seeds accompany blueberry preserves.

In addition to breakfast sandwiches (“served all day, or until eggs run out”), Rooted’s menu offers a broad selection of hot sandwiches on a ciabatta or pretzel bun. None are ordinary. Ham and cheese (muenster) comes with slices of tart green apple, garlic spread, and fig & sweet-onion rosemary jam. Peach chili pepper spread augments turkey and brie. Even PB&J becomes AB&J, made with almond butter and strawberry preserves.

Do note that you can get what yo want here, drive-through style. As inside, service in the car line tends to happen at a leisurely pace.