Gelato salutes Art

When one is in the presence of greatness, one is inspired. I was allowed a sneak peak into the Michelangelo Pistoletto: From One to Many, 1956–1974exhibit at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. As I slowly walked through viewing the Quadri Specchianti (you cannot imagine the impact when viewing these works in a room full of people. Trust me, it will make sense when you see it), I felt inspired. The Venus surrounded by 1000 pounds of rags provokes thought.

I received the call, prior to the viewing, with a request to create a gelato that salutes the Love Difference Gelato that Senior Pistoletto created at Cittadellarte. Cittadellarte is his creative laboratory which engages in art and issues of social responsibility. I jumped at the opportunity and I left inspired.

Sesamo Gelato – Inspired by Michelangelo’s Love Difference Ice Cream. We believe and follow Cittadellarte’s commitment to the notion of creativity, sustainability and locality. Capogiro Gelato Artisans creates artisan gelato and sorbetto made with milk from a local closed herd of grass-fed Scottish Ayrshire cows, fruit from Amish and PA farmers and is hand crafted in small batches.

Capogiro Gelato Artisans will be serving Sesamo Gelato in all of our our retail cafes for the entire Cittadellarte Exhibition at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. To be inspired as we were, please visit the exhibit. It is magnificent.

Join the procession this Saturday (10/30) @ 1pm as Senior Pistoletto rolls a giant ball of newspapers, made with the help of Spiral Q Puppet Theater through Philadelphia, beginning at the Museum’s West Entrance—rain or shine! The artist will recreate his Walking Sculpture, a seminal 'action' first performed in 1967 on the streets of Turin.

You don't even KNOW what I'ma 'bout to drop on you...

“Dog-gerel”

In praise of the dog,
An ode to MY dog,
So sweet, so squirmy, so stubborn.

Through leaves you go prancing
Like a nutty deer dancing
Tail wobbling, you’re all in a joy.

The breath’s not so fresh
But tongue love’s the best
So stinky and wet, but well-meant.

My shoes, in an hour
Conflicted, you devoured
Shows you love, but they were expensive!

I know you know better
‘Tried not to—but they’re leather!’
I paid for them though, not to mention dog food.

With spare time and more
You lounge on the floor
On back, belly up and submissive.

Your legs are a-flail
All tongue and all tail
On the carpet, your hackles are shedding.

There’s hair everywhere
On my coat! On my chair!
It’s why I don’t let you in bed.

I wish I still could
Your warmth is so good
But unappealing is a dog hair bedspread.

Ah, you love to say hi
Never ever are shy
Unfortunate for those who aren’t dog lovers.

You’ll charge them—Oh no!
‘Not vicious—I’ll show!
I really just want to give tongue love!’

But they just don’t care
Big mouth—what a scare!
They just know that you look like a Pit Bull.

It’s the Lab-half not seen
And with love you’re so free
But your reputation approaches before you.

So I’ll keep you on-leash
And shorten your reach
Though I know you just want to run nutty.

Oh Rosie, silly dog
‘I’m a dog, I’m a dog!’
I know it’s all you yell out the window.

So play with me now
And together we’ll howl
And go try to find me a girlfriend.

Returning to Planet 07862CAPPUCCINOIXXX8

See you in spring!

Love,

CapoYunk

How 13th Street Prepares For Halloween

Shrek?

Ciao! Love,

13th Street baristi

P.s. Anya makes bangin' cappuccinos.

"Are you there, Fall? It's me, Philadelphia."

Yup, although it's technically October, this weird Indian summer has us all in a sticky death grip, refusing to let us enjoy those few short weeks of autumn that we've been waiting so patiently for. Well, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em (or shoot 'em!), I always say. In that spirit, I would like to show a small salute to summer with a few photos from 20th Street...

In August, there was a bomb scare down the road (no worries, false alarm), and Philly's finest were gracious enough to let one of our chairs get in on the action. After this harrowing event, said chair went on to guest star in several prime time cop dramas. We're so proud!

Goofus and Gallant jumped right off the pages of 'Highlights' magazine and into our gelateria. One can teach you French and show you which fork to use while the other can amuse you with terrible dad jokes.

There's always a debate going on in the gelato case when Irish Coffee and Turkish Coffee get together. They constantly talk politics and smoke cigars when no one is looking. At the end of the day though, they're total softies. If you listen close you can hear Irish Coffee saying, 'top o' the morning!" whenever you walk by (Turkish says, "günaydın!", but no one ever gets it).

CAPO RECIPES RISES FROM THE ASHES!!

Behold, the Capo Recipe link is back and I am off my tuckus (Yiddish spelling help!?) and back on the case. I decided that my chaotic life is no excuse for my shameless lack of care. Would I abandon a baby like the Ancient Romans? NO! OF COURSE I WOULD NOT! So why did I abandon that baby? Nothing but excuses that read like whines. Let's not bring it up, just fix it.

Click on the lovely cow head on your right. That cow's name is Cleopatra, I kid you not. Check out the occasional recipe, serving suggestion, newest food thang we feel like sharing.

If you would like to write one, let us know!!

Friday! This Friday!

Come play with us and the good Delaware folk from Dogfish Head brewery! Punkin Ale & Brownstone gelato, beer floats, rare bottles from the Dogfish vault...and it's Halloween weekend! Start it out with us.

A few weeks in photos

You know, it's Friday...sometimes even the most basic of words are too much for the brain to compute. So here's a Capo picture book, for your enjoyment. Cause we're just so damn photogenic.

Pear friend!

Ryan and Kami killin it at the Passyunk Night Market!

Night Market throngs!

Ted!

Jo hanging with the crowds at our Wandering Aengus Cider event!

Brain trust at Penn! Ted, Chris, Jo, Jay & Erica.

Have a great weekend! Come see us and maybe your sweet mug will show up one of these days...mwahaha!

The End Is Nigh!

Just as Nostradamus predicted our season here at Capoyunk is nearing completion. Even though I got here a little late in the game it has been awesome and I just wanted to take a moment to reflect on Passyunk and South Philadelphia in general.

First and foremost we would like to thank all our awesome regulars. It is incredible the amount of super fun and interesting people will stop by four to five times a week to yummy down on gelato and shoot the breeze with our small but AWESOME staff. I have had the funniest and most interesting conversations of my entire year in this last month.

Second and still foremost a round of applause needs to go to all our incredible neighbors here on Passyunk. It's not hard to be content when you're within a two block radius that contains The P.O.P.E., The Cantina, a totally rad comic store AND an awesome farmers market.

I used to live in South Philly and I feel as though I totally took it for granted. Now traveling here from a different area of the city I really see all the wonderful things this area has to offer. Everyone here at Capoyunk will miss you guys and hopes you come see us in the spring!

So stop by between now and October 31st

and get a final taste of South Philadelphia!!!!!!!

The Untold Tale of Apple, and Mascarpone

Today we have a special pairing. It does not include the bosc pear. (heh heh heh) It is the beautiful joining of apple with mascarpone. The apple and cheese have been great friends for century upon century. The apple tree was first planted in October millions of years ago on Pluto when it was still a planet. The tree was planted as part of a test for the Universe's first cat and dog, Katy and Joe. They both lived in a beautiful flannel kingdom. The only food they had to eat was Puppy Chow and 9 Lives. Along came a snake with a hidden agenda named Zachary. He told Katy and Joe of the great apple tree that was growing outside their kingdom. Katy, being a cat, grew too curious to handle and ate one of the apples from the tree. As soon as she took her first bite, she and Joe were beamed up onto a spaceship with a giant swirl on the side. Once on the ship they were welcomed by three strange creatures. A tall woman with giant metal spoons named Captain Tandy, an awkward robot overheating from doing inventory named Ryan, and a confused alien eating cheese named Caitlin. Katy was shocked and scared and scurried behind what she thought was a wall. The wall was not a wall at all, in fact it was the ships intelligence the C.O.L.E. (Capogiro Officer of Legendary Knowledge) The C.O.L.E. saw the apple and started speaking in tongues and using words with 4 and 5 syllables. This uproar caused great noise which awoke the ship's princesses Amanda and Kami. Kami saw the cheese and took it from Caitlin knocking into Katy who in turn dropped the apple. The apple rolled after Kami who tripped and landed with her face next to the apple. Being the hungriest princess in space, Kami shoved the apple and cheese in her dainty mouth and let out a holler. "This, is the best thing, I have ever tasted." Upon hearing and seeing this Amanda sauntered over and took in the situation. After 34 seconds she announced, "This apple would be best with mascarpone." Since this day, the great and elite Capogiro Gelactica has brought together the pairing of apples and mascarpone for the people of Earth to enjoy every fall.

Written by C. Welge

With Halloween Just Around The Corner, Why Don't You Treat Yourself Philadelphia

Marshmallows are amazing. Period. Even more amazing though? Home-made marshmallows!

If you've never indulged in one of our Little Flower marshmallows before, with their soft and dense gooey fan-tab-u-luss-ness, than this might be the time to try 'em. It is nearly Halloween after all, and why shouldn't you treat yourself too?

So why the kids are nibbling on Tootsie Rolls and Skittles, you can enjoy home-made vanilla or cinnamon (or both!) Little Flower marshmallows!

They're $6.50 a pack and they're just waiting for you at 13th street. See you soon!

Finally: some heat up in this jawn!

Oh man. OH MAN. I've been waiting for this day. Remember me? Kinda the new guy? I'm always looking out for the flavors out of Capo's HUGE stable so I can try the ones I've heard so much about. And finally--FINALLY. IT'S HERE. Peperoncino gelato. Holla(-peno)!

Here's the thing: it's one of those flavors everyone talks about, and it's...it's so not a flavor you're going to find anywhere else. (Let's just say it ain't one of the 31 flavors, ya dig?) And I've been waiting, and waiting...then I get in this morning. Walk past the gelato case. It's here. Throw down my bag, wash my hands, sample...yeah. I get it. Now I know why everyone talks about it so much. It's really good. Almost like the Fior Di Latte's bad-ass older sister, the one who curses a lot and sees nothing wrong with beer for breakfast. Sweet milk, sweet milk, sweet milk....HEAT. Listen to me. I'm gushing. SO embarrassing. But a peperoncino-scuro frappe? BRB:spicy chocolate.

It's not that hot. It's a nice heat. Granted I used to cook in a Mexican restaurant, so my spicy and your spicy are probably divergent. My friends frequently yell at me about my guacamole being a little...vibrant. But this gelato? This gelato is just right. Maybe I should sprinkle some chile flakes on top? Nah. Gilding the lily. So come get some! We're gonna sizzle that chill right outta ya.

Oh, yeah, almost forgot: LET'S GO PHILL-IES [clap clap clapclapclap]

Haiku

Recently a fellow Barista and I were discussing Japan at some lengths. This got me thinking about the artful beauty of the Japanese poems known as Haiku's. A Haiku (in the English language format) is a three line poem that contains five syllables on the first line, seven on the second, and five on the third.

Here is an example:

Look! A chicken wing.

Flying through the sky, so high.

Cluck, Cluck. I am home.

I have decided to compile some of the best Capo-related Haiku's for your reading pleasure. Enjoy!

The steamy milk spits

Right into my hot bean drink.

I sip it slowly.

I have ice cream screams.

Look! an espresso geyser.

Yes, Living the dream.

A panna machine,

Spraying the delicious cream.

Perfect topping, bro.

Dark Chocolate melts

Thai Coconut's creamy heart.

Gooey to the taste.

A cold milky blast,

There are so many flavors...

I can not pick one.

Well, there you have it folks! The best of the best! Have a great day!

Sixpoint Brownstone Ale Gelato? OKAY!! Tonight at 7 at CapoPENN!

I heart romantic comedies

So, I dogsat for our district manager's ADORABLE bulldog this weekend. This guy was amazing, it was like chillin with a potbellied pig who eats kibble and barks at everything. I definitely fell in love with him. What I also adored was her absurdly large collection of romantic comedy DVDs. And because she specifically threatened my life if I told anyone about it, I've decided to devote my entire blog to them this week. Hooray!


The best thing for me about a romcom is that I know I will inevitably be able to shed some of the tears that have stockpiled themselves deep within my jaded, bitter facade. I will even endure Julia Roberts' equine maw and boisterous laugh if it means a happy, tearful ending. Whether it involves Hugh Grant stammering awkwardly to someone who's far out of his league, or Adam Sandler entertaining us with his boyish antics, the plot setup is always the same; starts good, gets bad, ends good (with tears and sappy piano music). And as we all well know, everything is sappier with a British accent (c'mon, Love Actually is the best romcom EVER). The characters are always in some way relatable, their plights sympathetic, and their zany supporting casts a welcome comedic and emotional relief.

So thank you, Sarah, for allowing me to hang with your pup and your collection of sappy DVD's. I will do it again in a heartbeat!

Except for Leapyear, I would rather have a rabid wombat scratch my face off than watch that again.

Two Words...

Aloha Monkey. Period.

Lots of people ask us what exactly Aloha Monkey is when they see it's golden luster winking at them from inside our famously inspired gelato case. "Is it monkey flavored?" asks many young'ins followed immediately by rumbling giggles. "No," I say, but they're too busy to hear me. Fortunately however, for the animals lovers at least, it's not made of monkeys, or any living, breathing organism, but it does have a lot of life.

Aloha Monkey is pineapple, coconut milk, and lemon paired with Sailor Jerry rum... And yes, it's scandalous! Sailor Jerry rum, if you've never had it before, has a cherry finish which just happens to pair tremendously with the other flavors.

Getting an itch to try some Aloha Monkey? Huh? Well you're just in luck because 13th street's got it today and we've got plenty of tastin' spoons for you and your whole crew. So come on and bring it. We'll be waiting for you.

Pearic awakening

From the age of 14, I have been a member of the working class. My first job was as a "utility clerk" (AKA bagboy) at Pick 'n' Save grocers in Burlington, WI. Burlington was a small town, as you might imagine, though not far from the sophisticated metropolis of Milwaukee, and as a young man, I had a fairly small view of the world. My favorite fruits were gigantic, likely-GMO navel oranges and red delicious apples, with their wax-coated skins and milquetoast flavors. I don't think I ever knew anything else, to be honest. I'll never forget the first fall season that I worked at Pick 'n' Save as the dawning of my profound appreciation of quality fruits. My friend Scott, who also later got me into punk and Magic: the Gathering, was a produce department employee and was shocked when he heard that I had never tried an Asian pear. "Seriously?!," he cried, as he gently removed the foam mesh sheath from about the golden, spherical pear, just as seductively as a silk stocking. As I took my first crisp, juicy bite of the pear, I knew my life had changed for good.

From that day, my appreciation for both exotic fruit (ever tried a durian?) as well as fruit produced by people who care about more than just blasting out crate after crate of identical "product" have both grown exponentially. I have been blessed with a brother who was a buyer for a co-op fruit market, access to farmer's markets across the years which have offered exceptional apples, pears, and peaches, and even today have friends working for companies who try to bring locally produced fruit into office environments, along with awareness thereof, as a healthy alternative to sacks full of Utz or Snickers. The array of fine fruits upon which I feasted over the years is hard to match!

The one thing, however, that can at least compare to the luscious flavor experience of that first Asian pear is our seasonal, scrumptious Asian Pear sorbetto. It captures both the clean, crisp, and subtle flavor of the Asian pear as well as the wonderful texture, inhabiting the space between the soft suppleness of a ripe D'anjou and the crisp bite of a Honeycrisp apple. C'mon in over the next few weeks and join me in the rapture of flavor, a rare transcendental fruit experience!

Night Market!

If you're like many Philadelphians than you enjoy the plethora of street markets this city has to offer. South Philly is home to the Italian Market which is a constantly bustling permanent market that floods the streets with people every day. There are great farmers markets to be found near South Street or at Clark Park. Personally as much as I enjoy these street markets I sometimes find myself growing weary of the fast paced transactions that are encountered there. Fortunately there is an alternative!!!

Based on the traditions from Asian countries (predominately Taiwan) Philadelphia is hosting its own Night Market! A Night Market is very similar to a farmers market or food festival but with as very different atmosphere. The goal of the market is to provide a wide arrange of food and treats to a large group of people in a relaxed and slower paced environment.

I'm sure the major differences between a Taiwanese Night market and a Philadelphia one will be quite subtle.

I can't even tell the difference

The Market enables Philadelphians to try some Gelato, some fries, maybe even a spaghetti dinner with their friends. The market runs from 6pm till 10pm giving an optimal amount of time to soak up the Philly vibe at your own pace. I know I can't wait to get myself some of those crispy chicken tiddlers I love so much.

For all you baristi: Find the flavor!

A H G I F D P G O P V S N O P S M Y G J R U G Q I I R F U L O K E B S L L A M B I C S B U W T T I U D T W N M U C Q J M T Y C E Z N G T F L J H C J N K K C A Z S T E O S F N W Q B R Z Y K V L C O J X R T Y F I O R D I L A T T E C H A S R J G J W B G P M O J I T O H Z A A W O H B A N A N A R U M V D I L W L E M O N O P A L B A S I L B O B Z G Y F N U W H P F F L C F O G E D J H R Y E D P N N P M T B U U R C A M P A R I P Z P H H J X D B R S U G A R P L U M N I X R D J A Y P C B Z O M A S C A R P O N E C E D P I N A C O L A D A Y G B F I K B A L O I C C O N I W T T I W O V

Here's the clues, kids:

1. Favorite of dads
2. "Ar, mateys, where's me monkey?"
3. Bitter that goes great with grapefruit
4. Usually black or brown turkey
5. Safe choice for the wee ones
6. Berry Beer Week goodness
7. "But, why is it pink?"
8. Most likely to be mispronounced
9. "Is there really rum in that?"
10. Best with an affogato, period
11. "If you like makin' love at midnight."
12. Favorite of grandpas
13. A must have brand for chocolate stout
14. Cougar's pick
15. Short season, delicious sorbetto
16. It will dance in your head, for sure

Devious furballs!

Once upon a time, an orange striped kitten found his way from Amish country (land of our milk!) into the hands of a kind, and perhaps gullible girl from Philadelphia. The kitten was a wee pound and few ounces and had a pipsqueak of a meow, some sharp pointy teeth, and quite a wobbly stance.

The gullible girl shortly came to realize that due to the fast approaching date of her move across the country, she wouldn't be able to keep the kitten. Uh oh! She knew what she had to do, and it didn't involve kitten soup. She searched near and far, high and low, alllll across the land for a home suitable for what was turning into a charmer of a fluffball.

Some telegrams to friends and word of mouth, brought news of the kitten to a girl (potentially gullible as well) from Broomall, a cute curvy-laned suburb of the city. After a day of thought and a few days dedicated to gaining the support of her brother, approval from her parents, and an 'oh hell why not' meow from the current family cat, the kitten had found a new home!

The day before his arrival in Broomall, a name for the kitten had finally been decided upon. It was a long-debated topic, but well worth the debate. Charlie! An absolutely brilliant name for a kitten so fine. On his first day in the house, Charlie was immediately re-dubbed Chuck Berry by one family member, and Buster by another, but after a week or so of settling in, it was Charlie, paws down.

Mama the existing family cat didn't take to Charlie so well. The family was hoping that Mama would adopt Charlie and make use of her name. Instead, Mama communicates with Charlie using a combination of glares and hisses. On occasion, she'll let out a low meow which to us sounds threatening, but to Charlie sounds like a hearty invitation to play. Charlie respects Mama to the fullest extent possible, but like any growing boy... he is convinced he's a superhero and thus embodies a daredevil, a charmer, a star athlete, and a occasional emotional teenager. None of which impress Mama.

While Mama the cat still reigns the house, Charlie has safely made his way into the hearts of the family. He has a loving mama named Colleen (the girl), an awesome playmate named Ryan (her brother), a dedicated caregiver named Trisha (mom) and a darn good cuddle buddy in a 6'5'' man named Paul (dad).

If you wish to be so fortunate as to meet Charlie some day, or perhaps join him for a game of chase or a meal of kibble, you are more than welcome to do so. You may also join his family for Capogiro night! It's their favorite weekly dessert. Until those dates are arranged, you can keep his picture (he's ready to pounce on a target on the kitchen floor) with you. Charlie is a growing boy, so while you can certainly expect a dashing physique when you meet him, don't expect the kitten version of it. During Charlie's most recent visit to the vet, he weighed in at 4 pounds 7 ounces. Wow is right! He's a kitten for now, but he's swiftly growing into tiger at heart ;)

Homerific in the Fall: An Ode to October, by Jay S.

So, October. Seriously, how can it not be everyone’s favorite month? We’re well and truly into cooler temperatures, baseball gets serious, football is getting up to speed (If you’re wondering, yes I’m Capo’s resident sports nerd. My fantasy football team is ROCKING it)…BUT! It’s a great time at CapoPenn, too.

Now, it’s a great time at ALL the Capogiros. We’ve still got some summer flavors lingering, thanks to what must have been a monster Lancaster County watermelon crop, and all the autumnal flavors are starting to come in as well. There are at least two you have to jump on: Our local pear with Wild Turkey Bourbon sorbetto is totally in our sweet spot, with stellar fruit conversating with that sour mash note we all love. And have you tried our gelato with Dogfish Head Punkin Ale? I think it’s the “longest” gelato I’ve had. A big beer wallop at the start mellows into that classic, sweet Capogiro milk flavor, and then the pumpkin low note comes on at the finish to make you think about trick-or-treating and the promise of Thanksgiving. I can think of people I know who don’t have kind of depth, never mind food. Admittedly I didn’t know that gelato could have that kind of complexity of flavor. Then again, I’m sort of the new guy.

Now here’s the best part—we’ve got the Dogfish Head crew coming to hang out at our store later this month. Being a native Delawarean, I actually got choked up one seriously homesick day in Seattle when I stumbled across a bar pouring 60 Minute IPA. The upside of Seattle, though: a few months later, I got to have pretty much all the Life & Limb I wanted while all my East Coast friends were tearing their hair out trying to find it anywhere at any price. (Okay, me: new guy, sports fan, beer nerd). The Slower Lower DFH Crew—and I get to call them that because I’m from Hockessin—stops by to play on Friday October 29^th, and of course we’re already hearing rumors that they’ll be bringing “something special.” DON'T TEASE ME.

Fall means cider, in a couple of ways! Given that we’re the boozy Penn crew, we’re really excited to be serving Wandering Aengus Ciderworks out of Salem, Oregon. You must have forgotten to stop by the store the other night when the brewers were here, but we’ll be serving two of their awesome ciders through the fall, including Wanderlust in a 22 ounce bomber—perfect for sharing! The biggest thing I learned from meeting the cider guys: the best ciders are always made from a blend of fruit, not from a single variety like Granny Smith apples or Bartlett pear, not unlike coffee beans.

Six Point Brewing! Details are still firming up a little on this one, but everyone loves it when we’ve got the Sweet Action on draft. “Sweet Action.” C’mon, you even like just saying it in your mind. Six Point comes down from Brooklyn (nobody's perfect) on Thursday, October 14^th.

Now for the HARD STUFF! We’re really proud to partner with Philadelphia Distilling, given that they’re also local people using local ingredients doing something with a serious Philadelphia flavor. We paired their Bluecoat Gin with our own blueberry sorbetto late this spring and early summer, and it was better than we’d hoped and everything we love doing: unique, seriously fresh, TOTALLY delicious (you ask me, I’ll tell you it was the best sorbetto we made all summer) and as local as we can make it. And we’re pointedly focusing on using Bluecoat Gin, Penn1681 Vodka, and Vieux Carre Absinthe on our latest cocktail menu. Have you seen our new menu? We’ve come up with a grip of new gelato cocktails that we’re a little bit in love with, and we’re bringing a little class with some time-honored aperitifs and digestifs. We’re kinda excited about it.

So Philadelphia Distilling is here next Friday, October 8^th to talk about their spirits, making it a particularly good night to come see us. Then again, we always look forward to seeing you. Stop by for Happy Hour sometime and ask Jo our new bar guru to prepare you a traditional Vieux Carre Absinthe. And given how often we’re all going to be screaming “GO PHILLIES!” over the next few weeks, we should probably all stock up on gelato pints.