Justย a sip or two into aย Guatemalan single-origin drip at the newย Blue Bottle Coffeeย in Berkeley and Iโm already being regaled byย an elderly gentleman hunkered down next me: how he was mysteriously gifted a 200-year-old Bible in a New Mexico desert, the way his great-grandfather โreally startedโ Berkeley, the countless joys of staying in Marriott hotels. He periodically stops to catch his breath and scoop little waves of chocolate from the bottom of his mocha up to his mouth with his index finger.
โSorry, I canโt help myself,โ he says. โItโs too good!โ
Blue Bottle’s first Berkeley location, which opened in late 2016, has a unique vibe. It straddles the border betweenย one of the top university campuses in the country and a quaint, quiet neighborhood, creatingย welcome juxtapositions where thoughtful, minimal architecture meets the kind of neighborly friendliness that rivals the Midwest.
Credit for the cafe’s open atmosphereย goes to Lincoln Lighthill Architectย (Lighthill worked onย previous sites for Blue Bottle) but also to theย choice of aย Modbarโa first for Blue Bottleโwith itsย sleek, solitary taps the only elements visibleย to customers (the machine itself does its workย under the counter).
โBlue Bottle is always interested in breaking down the barriers between the barista and the customer, so the reduction in counter space is huge,โ Lighthill says. โI donโt know of another cafe with such a narrow counter that allows for such an intimate interaction.โ
Which can beย one of the most important dynamics in specialty coffeeโto stop, slow down, and enjoy a little human interaction that ends with a quality cup of coffee. Maybe you chat about the coffee’s source, maybe you talk about what youโre doing that day. Either way, there’s noย craning awkwardly to shout around a piece of equipment.
When aย barista returns to the counter where my new friend is spinningย another of his yarns and squeezes the man’sย shoulder, thenย asks him by name if heโd like another mocha, Iโm no longer surprised by the community-cafe vibe. For an hour on a Berkeley morning, Iโm just happy to enjoy a delicious cup of coffee and easy conversations with people I donโt know.
Laura Jaye Cramer is a freelance writer based in San Francisco, and has written for SF Weekly,ย GOOD, and PAPER Magazine. Read more Laura Jaye Cramer on Sprudge.
ย Photos courtesy of Alessandra Mello.
