searching for THAT cappuccino

So it has been Lent for 3 weeks now.  Amongst other things that I have given up, or added on (like going to 6am mass on Fridays - I don't get up early well), I cut back on my coffee.  Substantially.  I feel it every day.  It 'burns" as our Priest says. 

I am amazed at how often I get up from my desk to make coffee, only to realise that I can't .... because I try and save that cup for a good time in the day.  If I know I have a meeting ... I save it for a decent coffee shop.  If I know that I am going to a restaurant that serves decent cappuccino .... it waits till then. 

Decent cappuccino.  I always battle with this concept.  I have a Nespresso machine.  I can make double shot capp with a ton of foam which is so spectacular it looks like white meringue.  So it completely eludes me as to why this cannot be done at coffee bars, or restaurants with fancy coffee machines ..... 

Cappuccino with foam means WITH FOAM.  Foam is the really whipped frothy stuff on top.  Very often you can sip your coffee through it right to the bottom and then literally eat the last of it with your teaspoon.  Why then do so many coffee shops and restaurants serve cappuccinos with something that resembles flat white bubbles on top, or so little froth that when you stir it is dissipates???  Why is cappuccino always lukewarm to sort of hot.  I say hot and strong, hot and strong ...... 90 % of the time it arrives sort of hot and really milky like a "latte". 

Abreu's, as I have said before ..... a single shop, not multi-franchised, not huge, but a coffee specialist, have it spot on.  In the past 18 months I have only sent one cup back.  It is hot, it is strong, it is piled with foam, it has a stunning pic on top.  Added to it are great, great staff. 

That is the other thing.  Went to a very fancy franchised coffee shop the other day.  The top of the foam had nothing, no artwork, no cinnamon or choc nothing ... just a tiny layer of white blah!

I sent it back.  They were horrified.  Not horrified in a "wow we are sorry" kind of way, just in a more like "why the hell are you sending it back" kind of way. 

So I remain on the prowl for the elusive capp with foam ....

Top of the Pops for sure is Abreu's ..... possibly with only Vovo Telo as the number 2 and Cafe' 41 as the number 3. 

Scraping the bottom is definately Fournos, Isabellas Montana, Caffenio, Cappuccinos WBoom and Stephanies.  Blah. 

The search shall continue

till soon

c'est la vie xxx