There's a little something for coffee geeks to get excited about in Tacoma.

The Slayer!

Paesan Kitchen and Bar has gained a following with its wood-fired pizzas and compelling cocktail concoctions, yet its espresso hasn't gained much buzz. Manager - and as co-owner Philip Panagos puts it "Coffee Queen" - Natasha Weiss tells me the goal was to be THE coffee stop for denizens of neighboring Esplanade and Thea's Landing complexes. Unfortunately, Paesan's unreliable espresso machine was a buzz kill.

Enter the Slayer, a powerful, slick industrial-quality espresso machine built out of a warehouse in Seattle's Georgetown neighborhood.

Weiss, once a member of the Slayer team, is ecstatic to pull shots from the beautiful beast of a machine.

"The main difference with the Slayer is that rather than manipulate the pressure, it controls the flow and has brew temp stability, which allows a hand selected temp based on type of beverage being built from an Americano, straight shot or latte and that will guarantee a more consistent and quality product especially compared to the old machine," she explains.

Weiss told me how the Slayer team uses parts from Seattle resources. As she told me the machine's history, she rubbed its ergonomic structure and aesthetically pleasing Peruvian walnut handles. "It just feels nice to work with," she says with a smile.

Paesan will pair Tacoma roasters Bluebeard Coffee's beans with the Seattle device. "It's all about supporting local," adds Weiss.

Aside from pulling velvety, caramel colored shots of espresso that are true to its flavor profile, Paesan is now home to only the fifth Slayer machine in Washington state. In fact, Paesan house's on the only machine south of Seattle.

Christmas comes early for lovers of coffee aching to try a Slayer pull. Panagos tells me folks may welcome the machine with 12-ounce "you call it latte" for $2.50 or $2 Americanos until Christmas Eve.

PAESAN KITCHEN AND BAR, 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 6 a.m. to midnight Friday, 8 a.m. to midnight Saturday, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday, 1701 Dock St., Tacoma, 253.301.2396

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Paesan's lamb meatball and semolina gnocchi