Café Rosetta in Calumet offers good healthy food, great coffee, more ...

By Michele Bourdieu

Virginia Secor of Calumet, left, chats with Café Rosetta co-owners (from left behind counter) Carley Williams and Patrick Wright, who now have the help of Tim Wright, Patrick's brother. The Café Rosetta, at 104 Fifth Street in Calumet, is open every day from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. (later on First Friday evening), offering a variety of breakfast and lunch menus as well as great coffee and other treats. (Photos by Keweenaw Now)

CALUMET -- A recent addition to Calumet's historic Fifth Street is the Café Rosetta, just across the street from the Ed Gray Gallery.

"I have my coffee there every morning," says Gray.

He adds that he loves the warm, friendly atmosphere created by co-owners Patrick Wright and his wife, Carley Williams. The family business also includes Patrick's brother, Tim Wright, who helps the energetic young couple with their demanding seven-day week schedule -- serving a variety of breakfast and lunch menus in addition to both French-press and espresso coffee selections -- plus yummy desserts!

The lunch menu at Café Rosetta offers several healthy choices of good, home-cooked food, including some gluten-free items. Breakfast is served from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. as well. Click on photo for larger version.

Calumet resident Susan Rokicki also comments on the warm, welcoming atmosphere of the café.

"Patrick, Carley, and now Patrick's younger brother, Timothy, are such amazingly congenial people," Rokicki notes. "They take time with their customers, get to know them and make them feel as if they are visiting a friend's home."

Patrick and Carley opened the café last August after purchasing it from Babette Jokela, former owner of the Conglomerate Café in the same location. Jokela seemed happy to be moving on to new endeavors. So far the new owners haven't advertised Babette's famous povatica; but, as Rokicki puts it, they offer a "really good menu -- somewhat different from the usual fare."

One example is a triple-berry scone that is gluten-free! Vegetarians will feel welcome with items like black bean and quinoa soup or focaccia with avocado, tomato and sprouts.

"Their food is about as natural as one can get and very tasty and reasonably priced," Rokicki adds.

Patrick Wright prepares an espresso coffee drink with his authentic espresso machine. The café also serves French-press as their regular coffee and hot chocolate made with milk and dark chocolate.

In case you're wondering about the meaning of "Rosetta," it's the design on the surface of a cup of coffee -- and on the Cafe's logo and tee-shirt.

According to Carley, "It's an art form for making coffee. Baristas have Rosetta competitions."

The Café Rosetta serves this espresso as well as French-press coffee.

On the walls of the café this month are landscape paintings by the late Carol Gorgas, also known as Carol Taipale, who as a young girl lived on Farmer's Block Road in Ahmeek.

Paintings by the late Carol Gorgas are the current exhibit for November at the Café Rosetta.

In a biographical sketch about the artist, Eva Papineau - Anderson writes, "She explored the U.P. with her sister and her sketchbook, picked berries, swam in the lake, ate pasties, and came to call Keweenaw home."

These paintings will be exhibited here through November. Patrick and Carley plan to change exhibits monthly.

The Café Rosetta, at 104 Fifth Street, is open every day from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. It will be open later in the evening this First Friday, Nov. 4, so stop in during your tour of the art gallery openings.

Click here to visit the Café Rosetta Web site for detailed menus, great photos and blog entries welcoming your comments.