A display unit of matcha croissants right next to the counter, and more than one fridge brimming with all kind of sweets. Meringue pies with chantilly, single-portion bavarian cakes and an abundance of tubs filled with artisan gelato. Although the place is quite small, two rooms connected with a short and narrow corridor, lots of people keep going in and out full speed. Some laugh and joke with the baristas, while others look too busy to say just one more word than what’s needed to get through the day.
Most seem to know well where they’re at – probably regular customers – and when the time of ordering is up, they deliver their line with straight confidence. “An espresso macchiato with a lady’s kiss” or even “Two vegan brioches and a coffee for later” and then there’s the bold ones who go with “One Aperol spritz”, even if it’s right after lunch time. As the sign before the entrance recalls, this is “Rovida”, a family run bakery carried on by three generations of women, which opened in 1956.
THE CURRENT OWNERS: CATERINA AND MARIA GRAZIA
«When I was little, in the ‘80, this was the local bakery and we often stopped here on Sundays with my family to buy some pastries. Back then, it was managed by this lady named Palmira» remembers Maria Grazia, who’s now the owner of the store with her sister Caterina. «I had the desire to open my own shop and Caterina has always had a passion for pastry making. In 2006, when we heard it was for sale we thought “Why not?”» continues. «And that’s how we acquired the activity over 18 years ago».
Caterina takes care of the patisserie, where she deals «with all of the sweet and savoury production». While Maria Grazia, as her sister explains: «runs the store because she loves being in touch with the public and all the customers». Alongside the two sisters there’s Grazia, their mom, who’s a permanent fixture at Rovida and has a warming and visibly energetic soul.
THE NEW LIFE OF THE BAKERY
The goal, for both of the two sisters, is to give a new life to a historical business, while maintaining the tradition of it. Starting right from the original recipe book that Maria Grazia and Caterina jealously guard. «We have continued the tradition with recipes that we have inherited but we have also developed it a lot» points out Caterina. They try to preserve the taste of semplicity, but also be attentive to the suggestions of a city constantly evolving. «We try to meet the demands of our clients and, in addition to the taste, we also care about the healthiness of our products».
Despite the continuous research for new recipes, Caterina and Maria Grazia seem to already have picked their favourite creation. It’s called “Single Biscuit”, and it’s a square shape biscuit made with a peanut-based shortcrust pastry, stuffed with salted caramel and dipped in chocolate. «We can say that we invented it, thanks to our laboratory chefs» clarifies Maria Grazia.
The recipe, explains Caterina, was originally designed for Singles’ Day: «We thought of it as a both sweet and salty biscuit, perfect for a person who’s self-sufficient».
CUSTOMERS AND OWNERS: AN INTIMATE RELATION
But one thing that makes this whole girls’ team proud of their work is definitely the customers’ reaction. «We get a lot of compliments» says Maria Grazia, blushing a little. «Other than say “it’s all good”, “it’s all beautiful”, the best thing for us is when people come back to our shop. People who come from other cities or even from abroad, like Rome or the United States. They pass by Milan and they remember to visit us. This is not something that’s expressly said, but it’s really really rewarding».
The feeling of intimacy and sympathy between customers and owners is quite tangible at Rovida. And there are a few interactions amongst them that make it pretty clear. Maria Grazia, in the process of making an ice cream for a regular, finds herself laughing and chatting with him. In the blink of an eye, she’s there, seated at the table, taking a lil’ break. With a cup of gelato in her hand and some bar chatter ahead. Then she goes back to work, but she throws a quick sentence to her frequent flier: «It’s your bad, you really made me want some chocolate!»
