On my quest to find amazing dishes + drinks around the world, this guest post by Nichole Manna takes us to Rome, where coffee is a way of life.—Tracey

When I went to Italy last summer to study, I knew I would taste great wine. But I honestly didn’t think I’d also have great coffee. We landed in Rome on May 14, picked our hotel rooms, mingled with classmates and then immediately hit the nearest coffee spot: Tazza D’Oro. Just a short walk from Hotel Navona, just past the historic Pantheon, Tazza D’Oro would soon become our morning stop before seeing the sights for the next five days—and mid-day stops, pre-dinner stops and occasionally “just for the heck of it.”

On the first day my American mind was still spinning its red, white and blue wheels. I immediately thought the coffee would cost as much as it does at Starbucks, would be made like a Starbucks coffee and would have to be ordered the way one does at Starbucks. Fortunately, I was wrong. Ordering un caffè in Rome is a unique experience.

Tazza D’Oro sits on the left side of a corner facing the Pantheon. There are two doors. Through the first one you see a bar and a couple of tables. Through the second door, you see a cashier and a few gifts to take home. I stepped through the second door and stared at the menu until the woman behind the counter looked anxious.

I walked up to the counter and nervously mumbled, “Un caffè per favore.” She gave me a kind smile, a nod and asked for 1 euro. My mouth almost dropped. That’s only $1.50 for an actual cup of coffee, unheard of where I live.

I handed her my euro and she handed me a slip of white paper on which my order was written. I walked to the bar and handed the slip to the barista. He quickly whipped up my caffè and slid it across the table with some natural sugar.

I poured just a bit of sugar in the caffè and looked around for the creamer. I panicked for a second, reminding myself that I wasn’t in a coffee shop back home, and took the first of many amazing sips of coffee.

It was smooth. It was warm. It gave me a rush of energy. Unlike the burnt and scolding hot coffee we often pay way far too much for—this coffee was perfect.

Nichole Manna is a Journalism student at Middle Tennessee State University who will be graduating in December 2012. In 2011 she studied in Italy. Nichole is currently interning at www.travelated.com.

Want to create your own travel memories—and write about them? Sign up for Fly Away Travel Writing Class, which starts the week of April 23rd.

The latte at La Colombe Torrefaction

I’m standing in line at La Colombe Torrefaction in Tribeca. The baristas act blasé, as if you’re interrupting their coffee break. They haven’t taken on the “overly sweet because of the economy” attitude I’ve experienced elsewhere. No, they just assume people will love their coffee, and indeed they do, as proven by the long line at 2pm. I order a latte (and a pear tart), both of which are perfect, and find a seat next to a friendly woman who smiles at my daughter S. Being a mom and running a business, I need my daily caffeine fix and lattes are my drug of choice. La Colombe Torrefaction and the following are my favorites.

At the cozy Joe The Art of Coffee in the West Village, you may find yourself sitting across from an Oscar winner like Philip Seymour Hoffman or Jessica Lange (as I have), but the real lure here is the coffee. It’s rich, creamy and consistent. A large latte gives me exactly the buzz I crave. Although it can be hard to find a seat, there are two benches outside. Either way, you might end up seeing the hilarious Amy Sedaris (sister to David) who used to drop off her cupcakes here.

Roasting Plant became my go-to coffee shop when Baby S was a newborn and I was living on little sleep, which means the coffee here is potent. Choose from a variety of beans, and then for a dose of science fiction, watch them shoot through a tube on the ceiling, after which the beans are ground to order—i.e. the freshest cup in town. (You can also see and smell the beans being roasted in the Roasting Plant Javabot at the Greenwich Ave location.) With only 4 seats, you’ll probably have to get your cup to go. But if you’re get there at the right time, and you happen to have your laptop, each seat has an outlet—and there’s wireless. And if you buy a pound to take home, they’ll give you a free cup of coffee. I’m addicted to their Block Party Blend which, sadly, isn’t always available.

When you feel like you can’t make it through the day, or when you need to be up all night working, writing, whatever it is that inspires you, stop by Abraço (which means embrace on Portuguese) for a fix. The creamy lattes at this minuscule coffee shop, whipped up by co-owner/barista Jamie, are all the fuel you’ll need to stay alert for many hours. If you’re hungry, try two standouts: homemade olive oil cake or the custard fritatta. Since there aren’t a lot of seats, this is another place where you may need to drink your coffee on the go. But trust me, you won’t want to relax after drinking Abraço’s strong brew.

La Colombe Torrefaction
319 Church St at Lispenard/212-343-1515
270 Lafayette St between Prince & Houston

Roasting Plant
81 Orchard St between Broome and Grand/212-775-7755
75 Greenwich Ave near 7th Ave

Joe The Art of Coffee
141 Waverly Place (west of Sixth Avenue)/212-924-6750 (other locations, too)

Abraço
86 East 7th St (west of 1st Avenue)/212-388-9731

I can’t recall when I first became a coffee addict because I’ve always been a tea drinker (and still am), but it was definitely solidified when my daughter was an infant. Too many nights with too little sleep at the very beginning of her life made me crave coffee as soon as I awoke. Now granted I’d have only one cup a day, but that one cup became an addiction because it was something I absolutely had to have, or the day would not feel like it began properly. And I got into it, buying French presses and bags of coffee at my nearby coffee shop, The Roasting Plant, and some shops that are a bit farther, like La Colombe Torrefaction or Abraco. I’d try various beans and decided on a standby from The Roasting Plant: the Ethiopian Harrar, which has hints of blueberry. And while my real love affair with coffee began in the spring of 2008, I never realized how much there is to know about coffee. Which is why it was a treat to encounter John Moore, VP, Sales & Marketing, Dallis Coffee. This man is a true coffee expert, and I’d love for you to read my Q & A with him in Haute Living.

You may have been like me: stuck on getting a caffeine buzz and not caring much about what’s behind the bean. But I can assure you there’s so much more to know, and if anyone knows all about coffee, it’s most definitely John Moore. And, Dallis Coffee, where he’s the VP, sells their beans to many NYC coffee shops.

Here are two gorgeous photos of John Moore’s recent coffee expedition to Rwanda:

And in case you’re in NYC, or coming to NYC, please check out my go-to coffee spot:
The Roasting Plant/81 Orchard St below Broome St/212-775-7755

If you’re a latte enthusiast like me, someone who craves a daily caffeine buzz, you may want to check out this Latte Art Throwdown at the Dean & DeLuca in Midtown, in the New York Times Building. The baristas from Dean & DeLuca stores around the country will be turning milk foam into works of art in hopes of winning prizes. It’s next week. Hope to see you there!

The Slayer Espresso Machine at RBC: only $18,000

RBC NYC/71 Worth St at Church St/212-226-1111