First Look: Sci-Fi and Lord of the Rings-inspired cafe opens downtown

With sci-fi and fantasy shows dominating pop culture these days—look no further than Amazon’s $450 million prequel series, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, which lands this fall, or next year’s cinematic version of the long-popular game Dungeons & Dragons—what was once considered nerd culture is now decidedly mainstream.

But despite all the bleeding-edge special effects and movie magic, there’s something powerful about the nostalgic, non-digital worlds where these tales began—rolling dice to determine your character’s abilities, or reading an actual book about the adventures of a certain Hobbit. So give that Hobbit plenty of board games and a heaping plate of home-cooked meat hand pies, and you’ll start to get a sense of the concept behind downtown’s new Lord of the Rings and board game-inspired cafe, There and Back Again, which debuted in February, but just opened its full space this past weekend.

“If somebody walks in and they’re not into any of this stuff,” says Ross Rojek, co-owner of the new cafe with his wife Heidi, “There’s still somebody there saying ‘Hi, welcome in,’ and giving them an experience that they’re not going to get at Starbucks.”

With board games aplenty, and large communal tables to play at (including a custom, lacquered one made by woodworker Lauren Allen at the local maker hub, Hacker Lab) the atmosphere is lively and congenial. “We’ve all been stuck at home for the last few years,” says Heidi. “And people are just craving other humans to talk to.”

The space is nestled just steps from the entrance to the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament near the corner of 11^thand K streets in the old location for Oblivion Comics & Coffee—a pandemic casualty. With the cafe’s name taken from the pages of J.R.R Tolkien’s 1937 novel The Hobbit, the Rojeks—who also own the nearby Capital Books, next to the Crest Theatre—have stitched fantasy, sci-fi and retro-industrial touches into the decor.

The large linoleum floor that welcomes visitors at the entrance is a replica of Tolkien’s Middle Earth map—styled to look like ink and parchment—as they approach the coffee and food bar. The wall behind the bar features a hexagonal pattern as an homage to the board game Catan, and the menu board is designed using oversized Scrabble tiles (another custom project by local maker Lauren Allen) spelling out the names of coffee drinks made using coffee from Reno’s Old World Coffee Lab and teas from Sacramento’s Allspicery. The hot beverages come in a custom-made ceramic mug that might be found inside, say, any respectable Hobbit’s cupboard in the bucolic Shire they collectively call home.

Photo by Heidi Rojek

Beyond the entrance, the eclectic mix of the Rojek’s influences are on full display. A Star Wars mural—C-3PO and R2-D2 looking their most dapper in Victorian suits— stands sentry as you enter the main cafe space. Elsewhere, a framed Einstein quote hangs on the wall that reads, “You have to learn the rules of the game and then you have to play better than anyone else.” Elvish swords and vintage board games adorn the walls. And whimsical fantasy terrariums hand-crafted by Heidi herself—one with a tiny fairy reading a book—dwell beneath stylish Edison lights.

Ross, 54, is a Carmichael native who grew up playing Dungeons & Dragons and devouring fantasy and science fiction books from the local library. “I started with the A’s and worked my way—Brian Aldiss, Ben Bova, Bradbury, all the way down,” he says. Running comic book and game stores for 15 years, he sees Capital Books and the new cafe as a natural extension of his own interests.

“We’ve got kids coming here who just want to play Pokemon, six or seven years old,” Ross says. Pointing to a stack of old board games—including a rare first edition of 1977’s Lord of the Rings: War of the Ring game that was donated by a patron—Ross says, “The guy that dropped that stuff off was 65.”

Photo by Heidi Rojek

The cafe’s back room—with floor to ceiling windows and exposed brick walls—is the There and Back Again’s primary gaming area where guests will soon be able to rent board games ranging from classics like Chess and Clue, to more involved games like (Ross’ personal favorite) Catan, that donated War of the Ring set, and the notoriously pricey roleplaying board game Gloomhaven (retailing for $140, renting first seems like a good option). While game rentals aren’t available just yet, people can bring in their own games or try out one of the free titles on hand. And once rentals do start, if you love a game, most will be for sale at the sci-fi/fantasy-centric basement of Capital Books just around the corner.

Beyond that, though, the Rojeks have more plans for the cafe going forward, including a three-foot tall outdoor chess set for the front courtyard this summer, Squid Game-style Red Light/Green Light, trivia nights, watch parties and more.

But as the gaming side of the cafe is still ramping up, it’s Heidi and her team’s food that is currently racking up the high score. Each day, she and fellow in-house chef Katie Anaya conjure a new menu—often pulling from the fruit trees in their own backyards—with flaky hand pies, savory tarts, loaded toasts, and the delectable “Shirecuterie” boards. Served on a live edge wood board (with the bark intact), these feature an array of dried meats (many coming from East Sacramento’s V. Miller Meats), as well as sharp cheeses, locally-sourced quail eggs from North Highlands’ Gully Rumpus Farm, fresh pesto, melon, and even a try-it-to-believe-it mix of olives, blueberries and dried beets.

Photo by Heidi Rojek

An avid baker since childhood, when her grandmothers taught her to make both noodles and pie crust from scratch, Heidi’s rotating selection of baked goods—the tangy-sweet chicken, bell pepper and cherry barbeque hand pie was a particular standout—walk the fine line of packing rich, diverse flavors and maintaining an approachable simplicity. The daily offerings also include a collection of baked goods from Freeport Bakery.

Photo by Heidi Rojek

Heidi and Anaya are most excited by the specialty menus, though. Marking holidays and other fun occasions, the pair have a flair for the unique. Tolkien Reading Day last week featured “One Ring to Rule Them All”—glazed doughnuts from Land Park’s Marie’s Donuts that were “inscribed” with elvish writing (in white frosting) to mimic the golden ring from the books—and “Halfling Apple Green Tea,” which combined steamed almond milk, caramel and cinnamon.

And the release of the first Obi-Wan Kenobi trailer from the forthcoming Disney+ series inspired “TIE-fighter charcuterie skewers” and worm-shaped blueberry and crema pastries as homes to the gruesome Sarlacc beast from the Star Wars universe. “We’re already working on a May the 4th special menu,” Heidi teases, referencing the “May the Fourth Be With You” day each year.

Heidi, 55, didn’t grow up playing many games—though Pictionary is her favorite—or immersed in fantasy culture, but she gets the appeal, and recognizes the role that food can play. “We’re telling a story here,” she says of the complete experience—the décor, the games, the food and more.

As the cafe’s hours expand over the coming months, she hopes to start offering more dinner dishes, as well as wine and beer. “Food is love,” she explains. “I like to show somebody that I care about them by making them something. So for me, cooking for our customers, that’s a treat.”

Photo by Heidi Rojek

And customers seem to be on board with the new concept. “We had two different groups that came in separately and they all had elf ears on,” Heidi recalled from one day after they first opened last month. “I was like, ‘That’s so cool,’ so I went up to them and said, ‘Is there something [like a comic convention] going on at the convention center?’ And they said, ‘No, we’re here for you.’ I was like, ‘Oh my God, it’s working.’ ”

Regardless if the customers are pink-haired cosplayers or state workers just stopping in for a fresh-baked hand pie, the Rojek’s goal is to dish up Hobbit-worthy hospitality to all who enter. “It sounds corny, but strangers are just potentially a new friend who you haven’t met yet,” Ross says. “That’s what we’re going to get here—a lot of new friends.” Tues-Fri 7:30 a.m.-2:00 p.m. Sat 8:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. 1020 11th St. thereandbackagain.cafe