(Paired reviews - so close, yet so far away (from each other) - 2 of 2) "American-style bakery and cafe" Mercato del Pane in Montesilvano, a beachside town adjacent to Pescara and where Dean Martin's ancestors came from, immediately makes a good impression upon walking in. I hope I'm not offending anyone by saying it leans American; however, I've seen these sorts of places in the States and the woodsy look solidifies that observation. Frankly, I'm not so sure I care if I'm offending someone, which is par for the course. Again, I was told of two places to go to for coffee and food that might be short of eating at a restaurant - Time Out and Mercato del Pane. I think that it's more likely for someone who might be a customer at Time Out to visit Mercato del Pane than for a Mercato del Pane regular to frequent Time Out. Mercato del Pane's hours skew earlier, toward morning and lunchtime. There is definitely a good bakery here and people are coming in to buy many different types of bread so, yes, the bread is Italian bread baked by Italians. Others are coming in for coffee and tea, with some adding desserts, slices of pizza, or other savory items. They even feature lasagna which is presented in a glass jar and the portion is decently sized. Everything I've eaten here is very tasty. The interior of Mercato del Pane is clean and inviting. There are woodsy looking tables for 2, 4, and longer tables in what is a "coworking" area, an annoying term that some Europeans have bought into. This is just where some people have laptops open, are having more business-like discussions, and there are charging ports. The service is very cordial. The atmosphere is restrained, but in a good way. The background music loop features a lot of American hit tracks from the '70s through '90s. Again, you'd hear this sort of stuff in similarly themed places in the States. Locals say it's a little on the expensive side. That might be true relative to other similar places, but, here, the quality is high. They close at about 8 p.m., plus or minus. I don't know if summer pushes out those hours. I don't think they're courting a Time Out or barfly crowd. Note that they have two other locations - one is in the center of Pescara and other is in the opposite beach town from Pescara in Francavilla al Mare. Note that these stores do not have the large cafe' concept. Only this Montesilvano location of Mercato del Pane has it, and they do it well, hence the 5 stars. read more

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