One of my favorite authors, Deborah Harkness, writes in her All Souls trilogy about a character whose third eye opens when she encounters someone or something that speaks to a place deeper within her. Ok, granted, the character is a witch whose 3rd eye awareness is fairly advanced, but if it’s possible for a mere mortal like me to experience something similar, it happens at Comma Coffee in downtown Carson City.
I walk in and my senses just seem to blossom open. Live music, fresh coffee and juices, homemade soup, murmured conversations, clacking of chess pieces, laughter, and books – books everywhere you look! Mismatched tables, chairs (wooden ones in vibrant colors and also the comfy overstuffed kind you find in your favorite room at home) and couches, funky hand-painted signs with motivational sentiments. Uplifting messages everywhere you look, with a bowl of “Free love notes – take one” at the register. You don’t get a number when you order. They take your name, and when your order’s up, they will try to find you or call out your name if they can’t. When you become more of a regular, they learn your favorite tables and find you pretty easily. I speak from experience.
The people who work there are part of the overall charm, helping create an atmosphere that welcomes me like a big tight hug that says, “It’s ok. It’s safe to be ‘you’ here.” I often begin my lunch hour at a table, and, when I’m done eating, finish it in one of those soft comfy chairs with my feet up, reading my book until I have to go back to reality. I’m pretty sure all are welcome in this place. People read, spend time with friends, have meetings, play games, listen to music, work on their laptops, visit with strangers. I’ve seen many people come in just to take pictures of the place and then leave. Last week I saw a couple young girls come in, shoot a bunch of selfies at one of the tables in the back, and then leave. Hopefully, most people also place an order while they’re visiting.
Their philosophy (taken from their website) states, “If life were a sentence Comma Coffee would be the comma … the pause … the breath … the break between two thoughts.” With all apologies to those of my friends who own or manage restaurants in Carson City, I do not feel as “at home” at any other establishment as I do at Comma Coffee. When I need to truly extract myself from my day, unplug (I never connect to their wi-fi – I kind of like being disconnected for a while) and put my feet up, nothing beats this wonderful, quirky, smorgasbord for the senses.
There’s such a warmth to this charming place. I’ve shared photos of it before, but single standard photos don’t do it justice. So one day I left a note with one of the young ladies who works there, asking the owner (whom I’ve never met) if I could take some 360º photos inside. She left me a voice mail last week letting me know it was fine with her, so today, while I was in there for lunch, I did just that. I have a feeling once you see some of these photos, you might just fall in love with Comma Coffee, too!
You can take a virtual tour (please view at full screen for best results), or look at each room individually (with more of my witty repartee) on Facebook. Enjoy one of my most favorite places in Carson City, Nevada.
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