The Best Coffee I've Ever Had...

...in Rome...

...on a Thursday.

I left my apartment around 10:30 for my 12:15 class. I think we're out of coffee, which was good since I hoped to find a good cup in the city. I took the tram to the Largo di Torre Argentina stop, which was the site of Julius Caesar's murder in 44 B.C. I walked north a few streets to the Pantheon, hoping to have better luck than the Caesar. For some reason, the two most famous coffee shops in all of Rome are both a block from the Pantheon. I randomly chose Sant'Eustachio over Tazza d'Oro. I walked in a wood paneled, mirror lined coffee shop expecting a really good cappuccino. What I got was a cappuccino with cacao sprinkled on top (gimmicky?). I was trying to tell myself that it was really good, but I'm not easily convinced. I left out disappointed. As soon as I stepped out I immediately saw the real Sant'Eustachio right across the street. I was in an impostor. Sant'Eustachio had Best Of... stickers all over its door. This had to be the right place. I walked up to the register, ordered a cappuccino senza zucchero (without sugar), and gave the receipt to the barista. (The money is too dirty for the barista too handle, plus he is much too important to handle the business side of caffè, apparently.) The cappuccino was good. Very good. But it lacked what the "Third Wave" American coffee shops have, which is freshness. The first wave of coffee is the at home brewers that use Maxwell House and other coffees too gross to discuss on this family friendly site. The second wave is your Starbucks, Dunkin' Donuts, and other express coffee shops. The third wave is your hipster coffee shops. These places mostly source, roast, and brew their own beans. Sant'Eustachio is sort of a 2.5 wave. They definitely care, they do roast their own beans, but it's just not the same as the 3rd wavers in America. I should stop being such a coffee snob and enjoy a really good cappuccino, but I can't help it. Espresso at Intelligentsia tastes nutty and sweet. It is a dessert. I'm sure I'll find some more very good coffee places. Maybe there are even 3rd wave coffee shops in Rome, but if not Sant'Eustachio will suffice.

Hi. My name is Henry, and I am a coffee snob.