Where Mozzarella di Bufala Roma

“… Rome, it should be said, has not bothered to join the race for (civic) status. Rome doesn’t compete. Rome just watches all the fussing and striving, completely unfazed. I am inspired by the regal self-assurance of this city, so grounded and rounded, so amused and monumental, knowing she is held securely in the palm of history.”
—Elizabeth Gilbert, Author

Sciascia Caffe, in Rome’s blossoming Prati district, the “quieter” bank of the Tiber, highlights our enjoyment of returning to Italy. 

Our daily routine immerses us in this temple of Roman caffeinated culture – a respected institution “dal 1919”. 

Sciascia brings together everything we cherish in the Eternal City. Allow me to set the frame… 

Let’s start with product. Fragrant espresso, cappuccino, cafe latte, pressed “molto caldo” from chrome spigots by cheerful, energetic baristas, crisp in white shirts, black vests and ties. 

Sciascia’s signature touch is optional (required, really) melted, 85% chocolate, drizzled in the cup. Just enough to arouse rich coffee notes and creamy texture.

The worn counters and furnishings are aged oak; opaque mirrors reflect decades of use. Patrons stand at the bar downing shots of energy, passionately greeting neighbors, trading hourly-refreshed gossip.

The bustling service salon hums with discharging steam, hearty laughter, and distinctive C sharp clanging of porcelain cups arriving on saucers aligned on the counter.

Almost everywhere on bar tops, narrow glass panels hold enticing pastries, Cornetta (Italian croissants), biscotti, and bite-sized snacks.

Here’s the drill: Arrive with gusto, buy your coffee ticket, consume your demi-tasse, and off you go! Repeat every 2-3 hours!

At the entrance near the cashier’s birdcage, those choosing a more leisurely cadence can, for a surcharge, linger over conversation at tiny tables that now spill onto the sidewalk thanks to epidemic space planning. 

The queue for ordering and payment is surrounded by pastel-themed Pasqua (Easter) boxed cakes, cigarettes, and seductive wrapped candies. 

What truly defines Sciascia is the clientele – each cast in classic roles of life in the Prati: 

-Silver, stooped gentlemen bundled in camel overcoats, carrying themselves with quiet dignity. 

-Trade workers with fashionable uniforms, utility belts, and brimmed caps.

-Businessmen sporting impeccably tailored suits, colorful hosiery, and bench-crafted leather shoes.

-Stately ladies carefully dressed, scanning one another’s never-out-of-style cashmeres with printed silks, while cradling miniature Schnauzers. 

-Proud Carabinieri posing in black uniforms, silver handguns, and red braiding.

And … a couple of travel-quenched, appreciative Californian wanderers …taking it all in. 

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All images captured and edited on IPhone 13 Pro Max.
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