Restaurant Review

Zolo Grill

Zolo Grill is a mainstay on the Boulder dining scene. Established in 1994 by local restaurateur Dave Query, Zolo has been serving the best Southwestern food in Boulder for almost ten years. A local favorite, Zolo was one of the first restaurants in Boulder to switch to Amante, and have been brewing it up since 2000.

John-Mark Larter, General Manager of Zolo Grill, shared his thoughts about life, espresso, and love in a recent interview:

AMANTE: Tell us your restaurant story
JML: Well, Zolo Grill is a Southwestern restaurant founded 10 years ago by the venerable Dave Query. We are locally owned and operated, and people have come to trust us for our consistency, quality, and outstanding service. Zolo is all about comfort…comfortable food in comfortable surroundings. We are very approachable: our reasonable pricing with upscale décor gives us universal appeal.

AMANTE: How did you find Amante and why did you choose our coffee?
JML: I tried Amante coffee for the first time about 5 years ago, when I was working at a small Boulder restaurant called 15 Degrees. Greg, the CEO of Amante, was, and is, a personal friend of mine, and after he went on a trip to Italy, he came back with this amazing coffee that we tasted in press pots.

AMANTE: What do you find to be the major difference between Amante and other coffees?
JML: The difference with Amante coffee when compared to most is that Amante uses blends, not roasts for their coffee. It was the first coffee I ever tasted that no element of bitterness whatsoever. The coffee didn’t sacrifice flavor and was extremely complex and robust. Another major difference is personal attention that Greg and Amante pay to each of their clients. Amante is easy to get behind because of the outstanding service.

AMANTE: What do your guests appreciate about Amante?
JML: It’s an easy coffee to sell because of the product, the story… it has a lot of romance, and people like to feel a personal connection with products, and the people behind them. The coffee literally sells itself.

AMANTE: What types of Amante Coffee does Zolo Grill use?
JML: We use the Selection A and Decaf for our drip-grind, and we use the Forte (which I use at home) and Decaf for our espresso drinks.

AMANTE: What is your favorite Amante Coffee Concoction?
JML: I call it the ‘John-Mark my Words That’s a Damn Good Latte’. It’s with a double shot of Forte Espresso. You take a pint glass, add two teaspoons of honey, a couple hearty dashes of cinnamon, pour in the espresso, and then whip up some half-n-half, Breve-style, and bam….John-Mark my Words!

AMANTE: What do you think of larger corporate coffee chains?
JML: Their coffee is like drinking a glass of Thunderbird verses a rich Cabernet Reserve. I’ll use a famous Scottish quote, “if it’s not Amante, it’s crap”. Amante is now the only coffee I ever drink. I ordered a super-fly SaecoVienna Deluxe espresso machine from Amante, and now I adamantly refuse drink any other coffee. I have a really busy schedule, and I and have gone as far as to purchase ‘to-go’ cups for my house so that I can take it with me.

AMANTE: If you could have one wish and Amante would grant it…what would your wish be?
JML: I’d have the Ghigo family come to my house and plant coffee. I’d have a splinter faction of Italian immigrants ready to serve me…freshly picked and brewed coffee every morning in my bedroom as my alarm is going off.

AMANTE: If you were a coffee blend, what would you be?
JML: It would have to be called Exquisito. Somewhat like the combo platter of beef and chicken, which is called Bicken, I’d be a blend of dark and light beans, with a medium-blond flavor. Think of me as Switzerland or the Vatican…completely in the middle…right down the center…not too light, not too dark.

Dave Query, owner of Zolo Grill, stated “The owners and staff of Amante Coffee care as much about preparing a good cup of coffee as we do. They stand firmly on both feet (and crutches) behind their product. Having that support helps us raise the bar for ourselves.”