June 13, 2017
Roman Aroma Gran Café opened a year ago and has been serving some of the most authentic Italian food, pastries and coffee drinks to be found anywhere in the South Bay.
As if this charming café didn’t already have enough to offer, they’ve just announced they are now serving beer and wine!
Mamma Mia, la vita e’ bella!
To mark the occasion, they’ll be celebrating with a Grand Opening this Father’s Day weekend, Saturday June 17 and Sunday June 18, with 25% off all alcohol purchases.
Located in the same project as King Shabu Shabu and Green Street Car Wash on Catalina Avenue just south of the main Post Office, the spacious interior features clean lines with contemporary fixtures, lighting and seating, with plenty of windows offering tons of natural light. The rear doors open to the project’s central courtyard with plenty of tables, chairs, umbrellas, trellises covered in fragrant Star Jasmine and a huge flat screen TV.
Managed by mother and son team, Flavia Desideri and Francesco Martone, Roman Aroma operates as a traditional Italian café, where the clientele is encouraged to linger, instead of running out the door with a to-go cup.
The display cases are filled with a delightfully decadent array of pastries including cannoli, croissant, baba, rosette, torta della nonna, biscotti, cream puffs, tarts, and other heavenly bites.
The pastries are fabulous but it’s the coffee drinks that have people’s heads spinning. Along with an assortment of teas, iced drinks, smoothies and regular coffee, they also offer Caffe Latte, Cappuccino, Granita Di Caffe and several types of Espresso – Espresso, Espresso Lungo, Espresso Macchiato, Espresso Marocchino and Epresso Affogato.
Roman Aroma also offers savory menu items including salads (caprese, smoked salmon, heirloom tomato), sandwiches (prosciutto, egg & tomato, salmon, tramezzini), lasagna, arancini, charcuterie and daily specials. The local Italian community concurs – this is genuine Roman fare. One thing to keep in mind, the food is prepared off premises and brought in each morning, so it’s not unusual for items to sell out.
They now offer a generous selection of Italian wines – sparkling, whites, reds and rose – and several Italian beers I don’t think you can get anywhere else locally.
In addition to wine and beer, they’ve fashioned several creative, wine based ‘cocktails’ including a Strawberry Lemon Drop, Lava Flow, Tropical Mimosa, Margarita and more.
I arranged a tasting for a few friends on a lazy Sunday afternoon and we settled around a couple of tables inside, as alcoholic beverages cannot be served on the patio until a perimeter railing is installed.
Our table overflowed with a striking assortment of colorful cocktails – other patrons stopped to stare – and a variety of luscious pastries.
The cocktails are light and flavorful and offer unique, refreshing alternatives to the standard Mimosa.
Roman Aroma also sells hard to find Italian products including pasta, olive oils, panettone, and other traditional holiday items, in addition to a delectable selection of gelato.
Roman Aroma is a terrific addition to the neighborhood and a lovely, casual, dining destination. Whether you’re in search of the perfect morning beverage, have need of an afternoon pick-me-up, would like a satisfying meal but don’t have the time or inclination to cook , or just want to indulge your sweet tooth, Roman Aroma has you covered!
The staff is incredibly friendly and knowledgeable – all those coffee drinks can be confusing – so just ask and they’ll point you in the right direction.
For additional information, visit the website at https://www.romanaroma.com/.
Hours are Mon – Thu 7 am to 9:30 pm, Fri – Sat 7 am to 10:30 pm, Sun 8 am to 9:30 pm.
Roman Aroma Gran Café is located at 901 North Catalina Avenue, Redondo Beach, CA 90277.
Photos courtesy of the fabulous Gloria Plascencia!