Hope Valley chef cooks her pies to order

Alpine County's own version of Julia Child cooks at a little cafe in Hope Valley. Her name is Leesa Lopazanski, and her cafe is the popular Hope Valley Cafe. 

The cafe opens early, so a few fishermen came in for coffee and homemade pastries. One man from Folsom said that his buddies tease him about stopping at the little cafe.

From the outside, the cafe looks like a small mom-and-pop convenience store and coffee shop. Stepping inside, one finds a creative dynamo with tousled black hair, proudly displaying cases of homemade pies and a counter laden with monster cookies and cakes. The fisherman hasn't told his friends why he like to stop at the cafe: he just told them "It's a secret." The secret is out.

Breakfast, lunch, gourmet coffee, as well as camping supplies and gift items by local artists are all additional draws to the cafe.   

Last week, she made several kinds of peach pies and peach cakes.

"The librarian, Rita Lovell, brought in bags of peaches from her trees, so I made peach desserts from these local peaches," Lopazanski explained.

With the change in weather, there will be homemade soup daily.

She appreciates the local folk as well as the people who come to see the beauty of the Sierra. "People are asking for a place to have dinner," she said, "maybe something simple, but good."  Knowing that she cannot possibly open a restaurant for three meals every day, she is starting with some evening events to see how they go.

Other requests have challenged Lopazanski to do more baking. 

"Since people want pies for Thanksgiving, I am taking orders by telephone for the whole month of November," she said. "I will make  traditional pies or any kind the person requests."

One can order by calling (530) 694-2323. Pick up dates are Nov. 22, 23, and 24.

Joyce DeVore is a Markleeville resident.