The Last of My Favorite Cappuccino

Today was our last day of class, and the last time I will walk past Caffé Brasiliano, right down the street. As usual, I was so hot from walking by the time I got there, but I had a few minutes to spare before class started, so I went in to get breakfast one last time. I was surprised to see a few of the locals that frequent the caffé in the morning, so I guess the heat does not deter them from having coffee regularly. Even so, it was just too hot to get a cappuccino, but I got a delicious croissant with chocolate instead.
But, when our mid-class break came, I could not resist. I went back to the caffé and got my cappuccino. It was just a delicious as usual, and I enjoyed every sip. The ritual of having a daily cappuccino is something I will really miss when I am home.

Hot Weather and Hot Coffee

Finally, after what has seemed like non-stop rain, Rome is scorching hot. I have been waiting to experience the infamous Roman summer heat, and now, it is here in full force. I will gladly take hot weather over rain any day, but the heat does come with some drawbacks when living in a city. For example, the fifteen to twenty minute walk to school at 8:30a.m. has sometimes been chilly, especially during the first few weeks. Normally, I would wear a sweatshirt or scarf. Then, particularly when it was raining, I would enjoy stepping into a bar before class to get a warm cappuccino. I love the ritual of getting a cappuccino every morning, especially at my favorite place, Caffe Basiliano. This intense heat over the past week and a half has completely disrupted my morning bar routine. I swear that the heat makes the walk to class longer, as we drag our feet and try to stay on the shady side of the street. There is not normally enough time to stop and get breakfast, even if I wanted to. The worst part is that I have no desire for hot coffee before class after I am already overheated from walking. I miss my morning cappuccino, and Caffe Brasiliano, but overheating just is not worth it. If only I could get an iced-cappuccino!

Dante's Bar

During our ten minute breaks between morning classes, Dante’s bar is a quick, easy place to get some coffee or a snack. I have been there many times, and am familiar with the men who work behind the counter and the happy older woman who is always at the cash register. Yesterday, Carley and I stopped in. We both got two packs of a gum and a lollipop, totaling 2,90 euros, and I paid first. Carley paid second and the woman charged her 1,10 euros less! Carley goes through a pack of gum a day, so I guess she is a preferred customer. This just goes to show that going to the same bar regularly has its benefits, whether its some extra chocolate on your cappucino or a free pack of gum.

Why Not Have A Glass of Wine in the Morning?

As I have mentioned, bars in Rome serve both coffee and alcoholic drinks. Either can be ordered at any time of the day, but there seems to be an unspoken rule that coffee is ordered in the morning, and wine and other alcoholic drinks are reserved for the afternoon and evening. By America’s standards, the afternoon is still sometimes a little early to casually have a drink. When I had breakfast in a bar in Venice this past weekend, these rules did not exist at all. A group of us spent about an hour in the bar, from about 10-11a.m., eating and then just relaxing, watching people come in and out. It did not take us long to notice that almost every customer that came up to the bar ordered a glass of red or white wine, quickly drank it as they stood there, paid, and left like this was something they do every day. Though Romans love wine, it would not be normal to see people drinking at the bar in the morning, but people in Venice seem to have a different attitude!

Cappucino Catastrophe

Though it is customary to order your coffee in the morning at the bar and stand there to drink it, sometimes I have to order it to-go. I know it's thirty eurocents more, but sometimes I don't feel like crowding around the bar with a bunch of other customers, trying not to spill my hot coffee everywhere. This morning, I was not in the mood and on top of it all, I was a little late for class. We stopped at a bar on the way to school which I have been to only once before. The lady who makes the coffee is a little snooty, but it's only one euro for a cappucino and a croissant. I ordered a cappucino to go (she was already getting annoyed) and got it in a plastic cup with a lid. I stirred some sugar in and when I pressed the lid back on, the bottom of the plastic cup had melted and the cup and coffee collapsed all over the counter! Hilary was nice enough to ask the woman for a new cup for me, but it was like she was asking for the biggest favor in the world. This is my second embarassing to-go cup experience, so I guess from now on I will have to drink my cappucino at the bar... or just go somewhere else.

Caffe Brasiliano

The snack bar down the street from school, Caffe Brasiliano, is one of our favorite places to go for lunch. Almost every day, people from our program stop in to get a panini, a snack, or some coffee to pick us up betwen class. The first few times I went here were for lunch (I suggest the prosciutto and mozzerella sandwich), but the other morning I stopped in for coffee for the first time. The atmosphere was different than the lunch rush. Instead of a bunch of Penn State students having sandwiches, a number of men came in for breakfast, two with kids in tow. They must have either worked there, or been members of the family who owns the bar because they said hello to the man behind the register, walked behind the counter, and helped themselves to croissants. The same man is always at the register, but these people seemed to be just as comfortable as him. The next day I noticed a few family photos behind the counter and a baby bottle on one of the shelves (right in with the liquor bottles!). I like this bar even more now that I am starting to recognize who owns it and comes in regularly.

Giolitti's

I finally made it to Giolitti's to taste the best gelato in Rome. I don't know how I have been here for 10 days and have not gone! As expected, it was the best gelato, but the actual place was not what I expected. Other gelato places I have been to or seen are small and many serve only gelato. Giolitti's looks like an enormous bar with coffee, drinks and sandwiches to the right, a case of sweets to the left, the gelato counter toward the back, and a beautiful room of tables beyond that.

Hilary told me that you have to order and pay first at the register, then show your receipt to get gelato. No one working speaks English, and I would have had no idea about the ordering system if she hadn't told me. There were more gelato flavors than I have ever seen, and the cones were stacked on the counter all the way up to the ceiling. Apparently, you are not allowed to sit down in the fancy room...maybe you have to order a whole meal to do that... so we sat outside at a table. Not only was this the best gelato, but it was also the nicest bar, or caffe, I have been to.

The Closest Thing to Maggiano's

Just as there are different types of places at home to grab a drink and something for lunch, the bars around the city also vary in price and selection. The smaller, table-less bars are ideal for quickly getting a coffee on the way to class or work. When you're in the mood to sit and have lunch in the middle of the day while you are out walking, a larger establishment can give you the perfect lunchtime atmosphere. Sit-down bars line the roads, sometimes fice in a row, and the host stands outside and beckons people (especially American tourists) to come in and have "pizza, soda, or cappucino." The more tourist-geared bars have English speaking hosts to draw you in. Today I noticed the "Bar Pantheon" directly across the piazza from the Pantheon, which looks more like a restuarant with its large awning and sign. It is directly directly at tourists, visiting the Pantheon and looking for a place to eat. Logically, the Bar Pantheon would be the best place to go. It is like the Maggiano's of bars - fancier, bigger, and more expensive than some others of its kind, bringing in groups of people looking for a good, convenient meal. The first time I visited the Pantheon, we had lunch at the Di Rienzo caffe, directly down the street to the right. It was the most delicious pasta I have had yet in Rome. There were much fewer tourists dining there and it was much less expensive than the Bar Pantheon, and had a view of the Pantheon to the left. If I were Rick Steves, this would be the spot I would pick to have lunch after visiting the Pantheon.

Coffee or Wine?

I went to a few bars over the course of the week and still have not found one that is my favorite. Every coffee I drink is better than the last, and I am still exploring different spots.

Standing is a must when you are just stopping in to get coffee or breakfast because you will be charged extra for sitting. In the mornings it is usually too busy to sit anyway. People on their way to work simply stop in, order at the counter, and stand and sip their coffee. Some drink quickly and leave, while others chat with their neighbor.
In the afternoon, sitting outside at a bar and having a flass of wine is well worth the extra time and money. I love the atmosphere of a bar, especially in the afternoon. I know I am in the right place when I can choose to have either coffee or wine at almost any time of day.

Three espresso to go

I absolutely love coffee and have been looking forward to tasting Roman coffee and familiarizing myself with the routine of going to a bar, or Roman cafe. After my first experience going into a bar, I decided it would be a good choice for a theme. Bars serve coffee, food, wine, and other drinks. I first went to a bar on the way to orientation on Monday. I was exhausted and jet lagged and thought it would be a good idea to order "three espresso to go". Picturing a grande Starbucks espresso, I was not expecting to be handed three, tiny styrofoam cups of espresso shots. I had to drink one quickly and carry the other two, managing to spill everywhere. Now I know to only order one espresso, no matter how tired I am!