THE best Salt Lake coffee spot

Today started well. Met up with my friends Brandon and Erin and we headed down to my hands-down favorite coffee shop in Salt Lake City, caffe d'bolla. Having a cup of anything there is an experience worth paying for.

The modern, professional-looking menus and tea displays, coupled with well-cared for equipment, may make you think the owners focus more on appearance than quality. Nothing could be further from the truth. I myself have succumbed to the notion that homespun, colored-chalk-on-blackboard, funky old couch coffee spots hold an intrinsic value over corporate Starbucks chain stores. But owners John and Yiching Piquet have convinced me otherwise. I daydream about their espresso when in line anywhere else, and no comfy couch, folk singer and lineup of cute, hip coffee drinkers can really substitute for the real deal.

They refer to themselves as "Salt Lake City's first artisan micro-roaster and siphon bar," and that sounds about right. What's a siphon bar you ask? Here's a pic. John and Yiching are in the background. The siphon is a cool piece of equipment that makes the best $4.95 cup you've ever tasted. Believe me, it's worth the premium price. And if you don't believe me, then believe John. I believe pretty much anything that comes out of his mouth because he conveys the qualities of each micro-roast they offer in such detail that it shows just how passionate and authentic he is as a barista.

Brandon had the Brazil Carmo de Minas - Fazenda do Serrado from the siphon. John, with his savant-like speech fluctuating between shyness and exuberance, describes it's chocolate notes, dryness, and hint of orange. He fires up the siphon--an intense halogen light quickly heats water in the bulbous bottom portion. As it boils, it travels up the glass tube, through the filter and into the ground coffee that has been poured into the top part. John meticulously stirs the grounds and the water with a wooden combination of a spoon and a knife (like a really nice, thick wooden shim). Anyway, John works his magic, noting smell, timing, texture and then shuts off the light and lets the cooling coffee travel back down the glass tube, resulting in a flask of gently brewed coffee free of any grit. The whole process takes less than three minutes. It hasn't seen any mechanical parts, plastic dispensing nozzles or extended storage in stainless vessels. Combined with the freshness and quality of the roast, this is as fabulous of a cup as you can get anywhere in the nation.

John tells Brandon to wait three or four minutes to let it cool so he can best appreciate the aromas and tastes that emerge. Yiching chimes in from the other end of the shop, explaining that many say the optimal temperature for enjoying beverages is just above body temperature. I sit back and enjoy listening to people who know their shit.

Actually, I sit and listen because I had just enjoyed another scrumptuous espresso with perfect crema and enough body to line my mouth for five minutes after I'd finished. They give you a shot glass of sparkling water to effervesce your mouth in between sips, but personally I think that viscosity is as much of the espresso experience as the strong aroma and the powerful taste. Plus, I avoid bubbles unless they're accompanied by some alcohol, but that's another story altogether.

A few days before this, I sat down in the same seat at the bar one morning and John explained that the espresso of the day had dense plum, dried fig, and chocolate overtones and a nice dry cherry finish. He's really not kidding. The espresso in caffe d'bolla literally explodes with flavor. I like espresso in general, but after caffe d'bolla's, so many others seem like they're coming from a tin can.

Today we sat next to a guy from Sitka, Alaska who was in SLC for one day and he told John, "Of course I wouldn't miss coming here." They talked about the US Barista Championships, how John helped Billy Wilson set up his new Barista cafe in Portland, OR with siphon coffee, and how the perfect cup has little to do with the speed of the barista and much more to do with the attention to the cup. After all, if a grain of coffee slightly clogs the machine and a 22-second pour turns into a 40-second one, then who's to say that's less good of a pour if the barista paid lots of attention to it? I just sat and enjoyed the conversation.

But it does bring me to a point (who knew?) Caffe d'bolla has been around for five years now, and I'm amazed that it's not a mob scene for how good it is. Here's a guy from Sitka who knows about coffee and is seeking out caffe d'bolla while the rest of us wander around slightly oblivious to the gem we have. Well, I for one am thankful we have such a treasure in Salt Lake City--let's all go make sure John and Yiching feel well-loved. True artisans here.