Monica LaSalle, Gilpin County.  Breezy as it was, a chill set over me as I made my way down into the town of Black Hawk. In search of warm liquid and a tasty breakfast treat, I kept my eyes open for a little café I had recently been made privy to called Buffawhale Café. “What the heck is a buffawhale?” That’s what I was wondering, and does it taste good?

I see it on the right as I first pull into town, there by the post office. Sitting on the corner of the building, its entrance boasted plenty of warm sunlight, judging by the patrons snuggling up in the window with a steaming cup. We go in, by this time positively parched for warmth and hot liquid, sugar and spice. I hush my grumbling belly as I am greeted by two cherub faced teenagers eager to attend to our needs. With that wandering look over the menu that only comes with the hangry state, I am quickly guided in the right direction and soon have a steaming cup of my own to hover over as I share an apple butter braid with my compadre. We race to the end, enraptured by heated pastry laced with sugar and cinnamon, each eager to get the last bite as my attention is diverted and he stabs it with a fork.

I watch as a gentleman approaches the counter to order, and I find myself eager to see what it is that I may be missing out on to bring me back to the counter for a second round. He orders coffee made fresh from in-house roasted coffee beans and settles in at one of the tables for what appears to be a business meeting in the making. Not to be dismayed by his small order, a couple with a baby swoop in behind him to place an order as well. This time there’s an order for breakfast tacos in addition to coffee, as described in the taco-centric menu. Looking forward to seeing the end result, I bring my attention to the shelves alongside the counter to notice the local artistry on display for sale. I see tastefully designed jewelry, pottery, photography, tea blends and Geno’s books, all on display for purchase. So engrossed was I in this beautiful display, I failed to see the tacos get served and realize that those new parents are either starving from lack of sleep or those tacos were really good. They disappeared in a flash.

Formerly the Mountain Mocha Café, Buffawhale Coffee and Tea is the recent acquisition of partners Matt and Gina Jones with Dane Vokel. Matt and Dane have known each other since their school days growing up in the Littleton area, so when Matt told Dane that he and Gina had started looking for a location to open a coffee shop, he knew he wanted to be a part of the venture. Dane’s brother had long held a dream of running his own small coffee shop and roaster, so he decided to live the dream for him. After looking in several communities both in the mountains and in the city, Matt and Gina had come across the Black Hawk location and in June 2018, they jumped on it.

They found a roaster in mid-Gilpin County and a bean distributor in South Carolina that purchases fair trade organic beans from all over the world.

They made renovations to their new spot with a nod to the mining history of the area. They hired artists to design their logo with this theme in mind and introduced their mascot, the Buffawhale. Not to be consumed as food after all, the Buffawhale is intended to tickle your funny bone and inspire conversation. Regrettable for those of us who enjoy a good surf and turf.
Then came Hurricane Florence, and suddenly there were no more beans. All shipments of coffee beans stopped, and it had never been clearer just how small of a world we had become. Six degrees of separation is when a storm in the Atlantic Ocean can stop the coffee pouring industry in the Rocky Mountains. Buffawhale Coffee was down to their last bean when their shipment finally arrived to save the day.

Dane described the science and artistry of roasting coffee beans to me in one concise sentence: “you can’t make good coffee from bad beans, but you can make bad coffee from good beans.” If one can maintain a delicate balance of ambient temperature, thorough and consistent heating and a constant adjustment as conditions change, one can produce quite a delicious cup of coffee. And through careful and persistent study, Dane has done it. As I sip on a Costa Rican bean coffee (black, of course), I am able to take note of a subtle bouquet that keeps my mouth yearning for the edge of my cup. Folgers be damned, all my efforts at frugality go out the window as I request to purchase the beans that have been highly sought after by coffee fans, Kenyan beans. I cannot control myself, I just must have it. I find out that they are hoping to begin selling their beans in Taggerts in addition to their café. Thank goodness, I think, for these beans must be available everywhere and to everyone.

Taking a second glance at the counter, I note they are offering two tacos for $5 daily in addition to a sandwich chips special. The girls behind the counter giggle and joke with each other as they perform their barista duties, the woman in the window continues to sip and read the paper, and the business meeting is well on its way into what appears to be a cohesive collaboration judging by the smiles on their faces. Glancing at my son, I get a smug look of satisfaction and I realize yes, I will be bringing him back to Buffawhale for more sometime very soon.

Located at 135 Clear Creek Street in Black Hawk and open 7am - 6pm Monday through Friday, 8am – 4pm on Saturdays and Sundays, and at https://buffawhale.com on the web. Or give a call at 303-582-2011. And keep your eyes open, because Buffawhale intends to open a second location in the very near future.

(Originally published in the January 24, 2019, print edition of The Mountain-Ear.)