The real question is whether I even deserve coffee given that all I do is sit around the house on my laptop during quarantine. Verdicts still out.
This lovely shot is from a seaside caffe located on the heel of the boot. We were one hour south of Lecce overlooking a bay on the Adriatic Sea. The pastries are filled with a thick custard and the coating is toasted just enough to give it a little crunch on the edges. They are called Pasticciotti. Between the pastries and the scenery, I felt like I was on a movie set or something.
I've started using this type of coffee I brought back from my exchange that tastes gross because it's supposed to be for espressos, but I don't have an espresso machine, so now it's just weirdly diluted. Reminds me of when my mom got mad after I first came back from my exchange because I took one sip of American coffee and spit it out, claiming that it tasted like dirty water.
Honey latte from Common Cup in Ann Arbor! Proof that coffee can be good in America too if you spend five buck and don't order an espresso shot.
America
So many options ranging from super sweet things that barely qualify as coffee to strong, bitter options
Doesn't do solo espresso shots well, lates are fantastic thoughÂ
Many coffee shops offer milk alternative for those of us who don't like traditional milk
Each coffee shop has it's own aesthetic, including various types of decor and seasonal drinks that they feature (coffee shops are meant to be somewhere for people to hang out and do work)
Expensive (basically going to be $5 no matter where you go now)
If it's summer and you're feeling an iced coffee option, Italy does have some options. Here's a fancier one I enjoyed at a bar (yes, it's just coffee). Although I will say that people rarely drink coffee beverages besides cappuccinos and espresso shots.
Italy
Espresso shots after both lunch and dinner to cleanse the palate
Everyone owns an espresso machine and moka pots. They usually have a milk frothier too for their morning cappuccinos
I feel like the entire population drinks coffee, or at least a much bigger percentage than in America
If you are getting coffee outside the house it's supposed to be a quick ordeal. In fact, anything besides your breakfast cappuccino is usually an espresso shot taken while standing at the bar
When it's warm you can try Caffe freddo (it kind of tastes like a mini Starbucks frappuccino but thicker)
A good example of what grabbing breakfast at a bar or pasticceria looks like, and it usually cost me like 3 euros. My favorite breakfast pastry was a croissant filled with orange marmalade. (cornetti con marmellata di arance).
Freshman year of college my friend group made a pact
For most people, the most exciting parts of college revolve around football games and getting drunk on week nights. In my friend group we go crazy about the coffee. Every weekend pretty much we'd make the trek to a different spot on campus and camp out all day with a good cup of joe. We even started a google doc where we rated each shop by atmosphere, service, taste and god knows what else. We felt like established food critics or something.