Cappuccinos aren’t my favorite way to drink coffee. Although I must confess when I lived in Australia, I did drink a fair few.  These days, however, I prefer black coffee and only partake in cappuccinos every great once in awhile.

Unless I’m in Italy.  And then, well, I’m partaking in them every.single.day.

Hands down the best cappuccino we had was on our last day in Rome. We were heading east to Montappone, but wanted to make a quick stop at a little market that was recommended to us so that we could stock up on snacks for the road trip—you know like salami, pecorino, and probably some of the most succulent tomatoes I’ve ever had in my life.

Conveniently located in the car park near the market was a tiny little cafe and the cappuccinos were, in a word, blissful.

The foam was so thick and creamy it clung to the spoon. The espresso smooth and not overpowering. It paired heavenly with a cream filled croissant. It was the perfect spot to say goodbye to Rome, while making us a bit sad to leave this little treasure of a place.

Thankfully we were on a tight schedule, otherwise we might have been tempted by these cappuccinos to extend our visit indefinitely.

Unfortunately, the cafe name I wrote down was not found on Google maps near the market we visited—so I will sacrifice myself to go back to Italy to get that name for you.  That is how dedicated I am to bringing you the best coffee in the world 😉

In addition to reminiscing about my recent trip to Italy and one of the best cappuccinos I have ever had, I wanted share with you the format that I plan to use in my tastings.

For Espresso Drinks, I am ultimately discussing whether or not I recommend the cafe by taking you through the flavor & smoothness of the espresso, the creaminess & consistency of the milk (if applicable) and any food pairings (see example above).

For Brewed Coffee, my tastings will be a lot more in-depth.  I will be exploring the country of origin of the beans, roasting level, brew method, flavor and tastes of the coffee, and food items that would compliment the coffee.

I know this sounds a bit excessive, especially in comparison to my tasting notes on espresso drinks.  However, bean origins, roasting level, and brew method all have a huge impact on extracting certain flavors from a cup of coffee.  Changing any of these can yield a completely different cup of coffee, as I will be discussing several in several posts later with side by side comparisons of brew methods.

There is a lot to know about coffee and it’s easy to overlook something.  If you feel this is the case and I’m missing something, please let me know in the comments below.

Ciao for now!