Lileks speculates of Starbucks and Caribou coffee that “the reason people adulterate the stuff with flavors and whipped cream and milk is simply to hide the brackish taste of the original product.” But surely it’s the other way around – they make it ultra-strong and bitter because people are not drinking it straight, but rather using it as an ingredient in their Caramel Macchiatos and Mocha Lattes and Frappucinos. I’m as much a coffee snob as the next guy, but I need coffee that tastes good by itself. Your best bet: D’Amico’s, on Court Street in Brooklyn. (I mention it because you can now order on line, so it doesn’t matter if you don’t live near Court Street). Decades before it was trendy, this place was importing raw beans, and roasting them on the premises. This is a couple blocks from where I grew up, so I have memories from childhood of the wonderful aroma of that great copper roasting machine. You can’t smell anything on a web site, but the coffee is still the best. (They also have terrific Italian meats and cheeses, BTW.)