Bicerin is Turin's coffee. Not espresso, not cappuccino. Bicerin. Three layers — espresso, hot chocolate, cream — served in a small glass at a marble counter. It has been made the same way since 1763.

We drink ours at Al Bicerin, the original café on Piazza della Consolata. The room is small. The mirrors are old. The bicerin is exactly right.

Some mornings are for efficiency. Others are for sitting at a marble counter with a glass of something that hasn't changed in 260 years.

The Routine

On workdays, espresso at the bar. Standing. Thirty seconds. On Saturdays, bicerin. Sitting. Twenty minutes. This distinction matters to us more than it probably should.