Concerning the milk drinks, did you specify what milk you like at these various places? I recently experimented with a bunch of different milks. I was using 2%, but now use whole. The type of milk makes a huge difference. When we lived in NZ I suddenly had a lot of trouble getting decent foam. Upon checking with the barista at my favourite coffee shop, I was told they never use that brand...can't get consistent results. Go figure! Also, the way the milk is foamed makes a difference. Using the same jug of milk I sometimes hit it just right and get an incredibly good mouth feel, even with 2%...other times I miss a bit. I do find that the chance of error is greater with the 2% than with the whole milk. Also, I use a thermometer every time. I tried to judge it by hand, but when I measured the temperature of the foamed milk with my thermometer a bunch of times I found that I was sometimes way off. I do find that pulling to the desired volume before reaching 80-degrees F makes for the best result. The rest of the time is spent just heating the milk and breaking up the bubbles into microfoam. I always stop by 140 F...any hotter and the milk breaks down resulting in a thin cup.

As for espresso, I've experienced big variations both in cafes and at home. I find that temperature is a major factor. I use an EricS thermometer in my Magister and shoot for something in the puck between 85 C and 90 C. Any hotter and it tends to be bitter and thin.

That's my 2-cents worth.