Originally Posted by
bigguyinpasadena
...Unfortunately when traveling the only place to get a good quality brewed coffee (Cafe Filtre) is often either Starbucks or McD's...
When I lived in the States (late 70s to mid 80s) the coffee one found in the US, both in private homes and in restaurants and cafes, were just black water with no taste what so ever. This was due both to the roasting procedure used and the brewing method (percolators). Then, a little later, Starbucks started its massive invasion. Compared to what one used to get before, it was wonderful, it even smelled like coffee. But compared to what one gets in Europe (with the exception of the British isles) I can't call it good coffee. It's drinkable, though, and much better than most other places in the US.
Mind you, other than in the UK, I never go to one od their shops, and I will certainly never go to one in Italy.