Monday, November 30, 2009

Barista On Barista: Getting To Know 13th Street's Nelson H.


If you ever stop by Capogiro 13th street and you hear Darwin Deez playing, it's a sure bet Nelson is behind the counter.

Nelson joined our team this past spring; he is a Temple University sociology major who enjoys long walks on the beach ;)

Nelson works a variety of times during the day and is awesome at finding nooks and crannies to clean. His cheerful demeanor and upbeat personality make for a fun experience for both customers and employees. His favorite flavor gelato is Chocolate Banana!

Stop by and say hi sometime!

by Alex F.

Seriously? Cyber Monday....


I am a horrible mother when I force the kids to listen to NPR in the morning.  Yup, I do. I feel like they should listen to current events and quite honestly, morning radio, other than NPR, is painful for the most part. Too much D.J. talk intended for an R rated crowd. Tho, I’m no prude, but the constant innuendo is not something I can handle explaining to my 9 year old before I’ve have  had coffee...I am running on and on...My point is that the reports this morning about "Cyber Monday" were plentiful. It made me think; "We should let people know, while they are tooling around online instead of working, that we send out gelato!" Who wants an ole fruitcake or a stupid gift basket with mini jars of jam and weenies? Not me: I want real food.


So get your real food right here....$60 plus shipping to anywhere in the continental United States!  Yup, right to your door.


Mascarpone Cheese with Heirloom Apples
If you must, here’s your cheese basket, Italian style! Imported Italian Mascarpone Cheese blended with Heirloom apples from Lancaster County. Heirloom apples are from trees whose seeds are from the late 1700’s.


Pure King Leo Stracciatella 
A gelato with a pedigree: Royalty no less. Hot house Swiss mint from Lansdale, Pennsylvania, infused and blended to make our mint gelato.  As the gelato pours from our batch freezer we mix in dark chocolate and crushed Pure King Leo peppermints.


Cachi (Persimmon)
The Greeks refer to persimmons as “Fruit of the Gods” or “The Wheat of Zeus.” Sometimes they’re even called a “Velvet Apple”. Wait..., VELVET APPLE!!?! Persimmons are slightly spicy and definitely for an adventurous palate. Think about it; Would Zeus want socks and underwear?


Castagne (Chestnut)
Unfortunately we cannot take you to streets of Florence on a crisp winter’s day to have some roasted chestnuts from one of the ubiquitous carts; but we can take hours and hours of our own time to simmer whole chestnuts in sugar and spices. Then we fold them into chestnut  gelato for your quick getaway.


Mandarancio (Clementine)
Sweet little clementines. History tells us that the clementine was an accidental hybrid discovered by Father Clement Rodier in the garden of his orphanage in Misserghin, Algeria. Regardless of its virtuous past, this succulent fruit is more delicious if juiced moments before freezing. So that’s how we do it.


Cioccolato Scuro
Always, the bitter must tame the sweet, or vice-versa. Deep, rich, black gelato to ease all those holiday worries... or fuel the fire. You decide.


Click HERE to order.

Saturday, November 28, 2009

Make It Pretty

When we make you a coffee drink, we want it to be the best possible version of itself. Capogiro baristi pride themselves on making delicious, beautiful cappuccini and lattes. Wait, did I say beautiful? That's right: not only do we strive to pull perfect shots and foam the milk to a heavenly texture and temperature, we want it to be pretty, too.

While this may seem a bit superficial at first, think about it: if the person making your coffee has taken the care to add the lovely finishing touch of a heart or rosetta, chances are that he or she has also striven to properly put the ingredients together. Also, it shows that they care about you, our customers, and want to add a little art to your day.

No special tools or magic are needed to coax beauty out of the milk and espresso; just very uniform, smooth foam, a steady hand, and a clear vision. Don't worry - we won't make you wait for your caffeine while we draw a caricature of you in your cappuccino (though I would like to learn how to make a latte kitten). Only a few moments are necessary to produce these special shapes. Stop by one morning and behold the craftsmanship of our openers Ted and Josh (both photos featured here are the work of Sir Josh)!

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Sorry Michaela...




May all your birthday wishes come true, Capo-Mom! Happy 29th! May your turkey day go off without a hitch and for the love of god, stop rubbing your eyes after you cut hot peppers!


xoxoxo,
All yo' chitlins here at Capogiro

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

It's coming on...turkeys


Unfortunately, annually and about this time of year I fall into what my father affectionately refers to as the Slough of Despond, aka the Holiday Blues. I really couldn't tell you what precipitates this change in me - it may be the cold weather, which makes me balk and spit and cry and whine, or it just may be that people get so stressed out about making the season perfect that they tend to forget it's meant to be a joyous, appreciative time. With that in mind, knowing that the next few days tend to be the most frantic days for chefs and hosts of all kinds, I'm taking a minute away from my everyday cynicism to be thankful and recognize some of the things that make me smile about working on 13th Street.
First and foremost, I have to say that the regulars we have here are truly amazing. No joke. I mean yeah, some of them are completely...unique. Like butterflies. Weird ones. But what family isn't a little skewed?? You see the same people every day, and when you don't it's a distinct aberration. We get to know them by name (ok sometimes just by their coffee preference...) to the point where if a whole gaggle show up at once it tends to muck up the works for those who are only here for some coffee and gelato, and not to shoot the breeze. I got the strangest look from a newcomer yesterday because I was questioning one of our morning coffee regulars about the status of his cat, and how her broken leg was healing after an Evel Knievel style leap from a tree. This, I realized later, isn't the most common thing. I made some lopsided crack to a barista the other day as I was fixing my own coffee only to receive the "yeah nice, uh huh I'm not listening" smile and nod. Ego slightly bruised I realized that sometimes I'm not that funny, but mostly that it's a little uncommon to get to know the people you wait on as well as we do here.
So Thanksgiving. Yeah. If you happen to be like me and are feeling a little downtrodden, I can almost guarantee you that you're not alone. Those crazy, somewhat lovable people you see on a day to day basis remember you, and want you to be happy! For serious. Go home and watch A Charlie Brown Christmas, make some freakin' cranberry sauce and get to work!! After all, it only happens once a year. And you (maybe) live in Philadelphia, which means if nothing else, at least it's another excuse for a parade. Enjoy.

Friday, November 20, 2009


“I moved here from the West Coast about twenty, twenty-two years ago, man, and that was a trip because things were way different out there for sure. I used to, like, walk down the street, right, and there was the beach. And if we could get some kids together who had some money for gas, we could drive up to Mt. Baldy and there were usually a bunch of kids up there skateboarding in that big cement tube, or getting high or whatever. There were shows up there at this old ski lodge or something and it got pretty radical sometimes.
So, yeah, we would spend lots of time at the beach, surfing and screwing around. And if the surf was flat or blown-out we would skate. There were some good spots and a couple of empty pools we knew about that were, like, secret spots.

A lot of us had these stupid jobs—like mowing lawns or washing dishes or whatever--and what money was left over from getting burritos and beers or whatever during the day, we would spend on gas and go somewhere like Hollywood or somewhere stupid like that, and just cruise girls and hassle punks and be stupid. We’d get into these clubs somehow, with all these hair metal dudes and we would just…dude it was radical. Some of those guys, they had hair like Cher, or whatever, but they were tough dudes and a lot of us got pretty busted up by these prissy-looking metal dudes. And when one of us got beat by one of those guys, man the other dudes would just ride him mercilessly. But we all knew some of those dudes were tough.
The other guys that were tough were those cats from north of the county line. Ventura County, like Oxnard, or whatever? We made the mistake of going up there to surf some spots and had this attitude like we were the only thing running, you know? Well, those guys schooled us in the water, and then taught us some lessons in the parking lot after! Man, we were pretty hang-dog for a while after that, and a lot of us never really ventured up that way again, except once in a while when Rincon was really going off, or something like that. Harsh lessons, bro.
But things change, right? And guys get busted, or get a girl, or get a job and move away, and everything changes. I got into some really, really sketchy, bogus stuff that I don’t even really want to get into here, and dude, it was the lowest. So a buddy of mine who’s family was in the military or whatever, and he had to move out to New Jersey, right? Well, he says to me that he is getting a place in Philly and do I want to move there, too. I tell you what, dude: I had all kinds of people after me, no place to live, and $200 in my pocket that I owed to some crazy Samoan dude in Long Beach. Bad, bad, bad stuff, okay? So I’m like, yes I will see you there in five days, save a place on the floor for me!

I hitched pretty much the whole way except where I took the bus from the middle of Texas all the way to somewhere in Tennessee. That was a trip. The South tripped me out and I did not want to get off that bus! I’d never seen anything like that and was not about to check it out then. Sure, I’ve been down there since then, and it is pretty all right, depending on where you go, I guess. It’s cool. Some weird stuff, but people are pretty much the same everywhere, I guess.
Anyways, anyways…it’s an epic journey, right? Ha, ha. Philly’s changed a lot, I’ll tell you that. Dude, it was rock ‘em sock ‘em robots here for a lot of years, just ask anybody from back then. Not that long ago, either! Yeah…”

He stood there across the counter, staring right through me, nodding to himself in complete reverie. I nodded back, uselessly grinning to communicate my solidarity, but he was far away and didn’t notice.
Awkward silence settled in, and Jenn elbowed me in the side.
“Ow! Crap!” I squealed, with Jenn giving me the “what is wrong with you let’s get out of here” look.
I cleared my throat and feebly asked if maybe the coffee was finished brewing yet. He said, “huh?” and looked at me dully for a moment before coming back to his senses. With a start, and an “aw, man!” he ran back to the coffee brewing station and ran back with a tall, white paper cup with steam billowing from the top.
“Dude, I’m so sorry. Room for cream, right?”
“Naw, sorry. All the way up.”
“Right, bro. Sorry.” He ran back to the coffee pot and then ran back with coffee sloshing over the sides of the cup.
California Man put the cup down—gingerly, but decisively—onto the counter. “Dude, this one’s on me”, he said.
“No, no, that’s okay…” I feebly replied. His eyes narrowed, and his face grew uncomfortably serious.
He looked me squarely in the eye. I noticed now how clear and blue his eyes were, how the years of sun had created dark wrinkles around his eye sockets, how golden blonde his eyebrows still were. He smiled, and his teeth were perfectly white.
“S’okay, dude. I get to give out one ‘comp’ a day, and I want to give it to you. Thanks for listening to my b.s., okay? It was cool talking to you, man.”
I think that I said, “thanks”, and I’m pretty sure J put a couple of dollars into the tip jar. Then a bunch of college girls walked in, loudly talking on their cell phones while mincing toward the counter.
Our man turned their way and said, “helloooo, ladies…” and we slipped out into the crisp, Fall air.


Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Staving off the Pterodactyl Flu

'Tis the season.. Flu season, that is.

Everyone around you is hacking up a lung due to the common cold or flu or something more obscure. (I'm predicting that the next twist is for
archaeologists to expose us all to some ancient avian pterodactyl flu.) It's time to up that antioxidant intake with something a little bit more wholesome than effervescent vitamin supplements. The answer: white tea. Tea comes from a plant called Camellia sinensis. It was first discovered over five thousand years ago by the Chinese Emperor Shen Nung circa 2700 B.C. We offer teas from Two Leaves and a Bud, who use organically grown leaves from the hills of the traditional Chinese Fujian Province.

White teas are like the little sister of green teas. White teas come from processing the leaves of this plant to allow them to wilt slightly, losing that sharp taste that green teas have, leaving the drinker with a light and smooth taste. White teas have more anti-viral and anti-bacterial qualitites than green tea
Tea is powerful stuff: It contains cancer-fighting ingredients known as polyphenols. Tea can help protect cells from free radical damage. Also, teas can help prevent the blood from clotting and also can stimulate the immune system.
White tea is perfect even if you're already sick: it contains small amounts of caffeine to give you a boost. Since white tea comes from young leaves and buds, it also more of the amino acid theanine than other varieties of tea. Theanine is a relaxant and mood enhancer.

Summary, white tea staves off flus, viruses, cancer, and aging while making you more relaxed, aware, and happy. (Polyphenols also fight off bad breath!) Could it get any better?! Oh yeah, they are delicious!
We proudly serve two varieties of Two Leaves and a Bud white tea: Acai White Tea and White Peony Tea.
Acai berries come from Amazonian palm trees and are
high in anti-oxidants, amino acids and essential fatty acids. The acai tea is creamy and smooth with a fruity finish. The White Peony Tea actually contains no peonies. The name comes from the Chinese name "Bai Mu Dan" literally meaning white peony blossom. This tea is harvested only during a short period in the spring, while the buds are unopened. With added rose petals, this tea has a soft floral taste.

All T
wo Leaves and a Bud teas come in adorable pyramidal sachets. The shape makes it easier for the tea to circulate while it steeps. These are made of bioegradable cornstarch based nylon. They are good for the environment and good for you! (Many tea bags are coated with petroleum or carcinogenic epichlorohydrin.)

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

The International Coffee Break


Have you ever wandered into an espresso bar and innocently ordered a single espresso to go, only to be met with a mildly repressed scowl by your barista? Granted, your willing server is only looking out for you - please do not take their reaction (it's uncontrollable, I assure you) personally. The thing is, they probably just want you to appreciate the ritual. Take a break. Relax.
Have you ever wondered what exactly those bar stools we have set up along our counter are for? Aside from unwitting late comers on a Friday or Saturday night who can't manage to find a table? It's for YOU, dear single espresso drinkers! Shocking, I realize, but we want you to pull up a chair, have a chat, or just do the ever popular "stand and lean" move against the bar as you enjoy your mid day coffee.
The thing is, the first time I went to Europe it was to Italy - just like every other American. I'd been to Ireland and Asia previously, but Italy was my first foray into the wilds of Traditional Coffee Culture. I'd flown overnight into Milan and landed at approximately 9 am their time - aka "Sarah's way overdue for a coffee" time. I bolted to the nearest cafe and was absolutely astounded at the number of people hanging out at the bar, just drinking their coffees, reading papers...hanging out with absolutely no semblance of needing or wanting to go anywhere else. Where were the throngs of people on their way to work?? Where were the giant lattes and cappuccinos I'd become so versed in pouring back home??
Then, I realized...Europe was different.
I'm fairly convinced that we, Americans, are the only culture obsessed with cramming as much as we possibly can into a work day. My Italian culture shock was firmly in place by the time everything (and I mean EVERYTHING) shut down for a few hours in the middle of the day. My frustration at sleeping in on vacation only to wake up realizing I'd slept right through cafes being open for morning business never abated, and I found myself hauling out of bed as soon as I hit consciousness just so I could be in time for the best breads, pastries, and espresso.
It's just a different world. And, now that I've returned (to Spain, this time) and realized they have the exact same mentality, just with more booze, I came home desperately clinging to the hope that we too can participate in the beauty of what it truly means to take a coffee break.
So may I offer a suggestion? It's way cheaper to swing by a coffee shop and cozy up to the bar with your coffee than booking a flight on Alitalia. We have demitasse for a reason! Enjoy it! I swear, your day will be a little better if you take a whopping ten minutes and clear your head of the abrasive glow from your computer screen. This way, when you do get to take that vacation, you'll be able to stroll into espresso bar of your choice and revel in the notion that you too, know how to kick back like the Italians.

Friday, November 13, 2009

Eliot Ness: The Man. The Beer.


Eliot Ness was an essential figure in the bringing down of many illegal stills and breweries in the Chicago area during the Prohibition (1933). There was Al Capone, a few attempts on his life, and a successful career in public service (cleaning out police corruption, hunting for serial killers and directing a battle to fight prostitution). He even wrote a book about his life, The Untouchables, which was then turned into a pretty good movie written David Mamet and starring Kevin Costner.

The Great Lakes Brewing Company has a beer named after this pioneer for making life good for the citizens of the good ole U S of A. But this is what makes me chuckle: according to legend, Ness, when he was a safety director for the city of Cleveland, was a frequenter of the Brewpub's bar and is responsible for bullet holes at the bar which can still be seen to this day. He tenure at the bar, 1935-1941, just 2 years after his fight against illegal breweries and stills.

Whatever. At CapoPenn, we honor Mr. Ness by carrying his namesake beer for your enjoyment. Since 1995, this amber lager with rich, fragrant malt flavors balanced by crisp, noble hops has won 10 Gold and Silver medals at the World Beer Championships. Plus, it tops at 6.2% ABV. Nice.

So come on in to the bar at CapoPenn whether it's during Happy Hour from 5-7 or later on at night and raise a pint to Mr. Ness. Just leave your gun at home.

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Elixir: A Tale


The morning was all wrong; it came in through the window uninvited and drunk with a kazoo in its mouth: "What are you doing here!?" It didn't know. My next thought was to hit snooze - punctuality be damned. It was a case of the dreaded close/open, and I was the very rascal who had scheduled it . When I hit the button that magically grants wishes in 5 minute increments to sleepy people everywhere, I became aware of something: a thirst. Why does whiskey, a liquid, make me soooo thirsty, I thought? No natural spring, hot or cold would do the trick. Then I had a vision; as clear as those people get a week off of work and pay hundreds of dollars to have on some 'quest.' Gears turning blades cutting and fruit exploding; a single word exits my mouth without any goodbyes or introductions: JUICE!

I have always loved orange juice. It's in my native soil. It's in my blood. If my hometown drops below an exact and evil temperature, the entire nation hears about it in the news and the grocery stores. Extra! Extra! California cold! Stockpile fruit!

Here at the Rittenhouse Capogiro, we have this great juicer that makes me feel like a little kid every time someone orders a fresh-squeezed OJ. Reminiscent of one of those kooky gumball machines, the fruit makes a dramatic journey through a labyrinth of slowly rotating circles. Round fruit passes through circles until it evolves and becomes aware - aware that I want to DRINK YOU! Yeah

Shell out a little extra coin than you would in a grocery store and get some. Any thing in a carton has been preserved pasteurized and all kinds of ized. It is dead drink. Our juice is alive! And as I'd earlier alluded to, it has the power to get your ass out of bed.

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

A Brief History of Time: Nutella


So there are good bedfellows, and there are bad ones. Sometimes it's easy to pick out good ones - lemon and lime, coconut and chocolate...sometimes it's not so easy, like salt and caramel. The bad ones often present themselves boldly, declaring "THIS WAS A MISTAAAAKKKEE" as they go down, occasionally in flames (sic: orange juice and mint, copious amounts of whiskey followed by rootbeer floats...you get the idea).
Really good bedfellows, however, sometimes present themselves in the most unlikely of situations. Like wars, for instance. When chocolate is scarce, people have been known to improvise.
And thus, the birth of Nutella. Once upon a time, in the 1940s, Mr. Pietro Ferrero had to come up for a quick fix to his cocoa shortage - being located in Piedmont, it must have seemed only logical to turn to hazelnuts. Nutella's first incarnation was a block of hazelnut and chocolately goodness that was meant to be sliced for sandwiches (oh my dear Lord...) but evolved over time and eventually settled into its spreadable jar we all know and love today.
Not only do we have a Nutella gelato, we also offer it spread on toast...! I mean really, what more do you need in life, people!? Crunchy breakfast treats with hazelnut flavored chocolate?? We must have it pretty good.
By the way, celebrate World Nutella Day on February 5! How random. But pretty great. Not nearly as great as Talk Like a Pirate Day (September 19), but then that's a whole other story, for a whole other day...

Cheers! Go eat Nutella on toast and drink lots of espresso and read A Brief History of Time! Cause it's fall and really, what else is there to do but read quantum physics and ponder the coming winter months? Nutella will make it easier to cope, I promise.

"I have noticed even people who claim everything is predestined look before they cross the road". Just a little Stephen Hawking, to brighten up your day.

Monday, November 9, 2009

Escapist. . .


I HOPE you're not reading this. I pray to the gods of mercy and light that you, sick to death of your dreary cubicle, opted out of the office today. I hope you faked a seizure and miraculously sprang back to 100% when the paramedics arrived. I hope your boss sent you home early just to be sure you're okay (and to avoid a lawsuit). I hope the SEPTA strike reacquainted you with your bike and the cardio has served you well. I hope you rode it to work today, thusly making the last leg of your great cubicle escape faster than the craziest cabby in Philly. I assume you're now sitting under a tree in Rittenhouse square, sipping a Capogiro latte and giggling at the people who put sweaters on their dogs and all the newest hipster fashion faux pas. I am confident that your coworkers are concerned for your well-being (figuring out who makes the best pumpkin loaf or cookies to leave at your desk [fyi, it's Bonnie]).
I know that your boss is convinced that the extra work load she/he has strapped to your back lately is the source of your ailment and will undoubtedly be giving you a healthy raise next quarter. When you show up bright and early tomorrow, you'll be the hero. A real trooper! Well played day, friend. YOU deserve a pint.


I suggest you take time out on this glorious, freakishly beautiful day for a casual stroll, a call to a friend, a wink at a stranger, a sip of the sauce, a song and a dance... something that makes your spirit feel all warm and fuzzy like it used to be. This day is a gift and a reminder to us that the sun, no matter how long her slumber, will always come back to us. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go find a tongue depressant.


Salute!!!

Friday, November 6, 2009

What does a Genie have to do with Breakfast?


A few years ago while walking the beautiful beaches of Costa Rica early one morning, I ran into this fellow that was selling coconut milk. He had this large container full of coconuts and an even larger knife. I was game so I called on him for a bit of his tasty nectar. He grabbed a coconut, threw it up in to the sky and with a swift chop of the knife through the air, sliced the coconut in half. Sweet presentation. So I'm walking down the beach enjoying my breakfast treat when I suddenly found myself face first in the sand staring at a old, dingy bottle.

It was mentioned in an earlier blog entry that I have this "genie in a bottle." Well, it's true. And every now and then I turn to the genie for advice or wisdom or what the winning lottery numbers might be (still working on that one). On a recent Genie session, these two words kept coming up, break and fast.

"Breakfast." Turns out, this genie in the bottle really likes breakfast. In fact, he's the clever segue I'm using to talk about the amazing breakfast at CapoPenn. Oh, sure the other Capo's have breakfast fare, but we at CapoPenn, have Ted. Sure, sure you all know about Ted, but man, he sure does serve up a mighty fine cup of La Colombe coffee and an even better latte. You must experience his velvety foam first hand.

Sure, the other stores have sweet and savory pastries from Au Fournil (I highly recommend the Almond croissant), but it gets even better when you take one of the delicate croissants and add Lancaster double smoked bacon, fontina cheese and a hard boiled egg. Warm that up on the grill and you're set till dinner.

Oh, yes, thank you, Genie. Now our steel cut oatmeal is really hearty and satisfying, but let's say you want something a bit lighter, a bit fruitier, well then, may I introduce to you: the Granola Coppa Bar. Yep, we have two bars here at CapoPenn. A drinking bar at night (or the afternoon if that's your fancy) and breakfast bar in the morning. A wonderful cup of our house made granola with Pequea Farm yogurt (that organic yogurt, friends, is made from grass fed cows) topped with seasonal fresh fruit cut daily just for you.

So remember what your mom always told you, that breakfast really is the most important meal of the day. And no matter which Capo store you get your morning fare from, it's going to be the beginning of so many great choices for that day. The Genie says so.

Thursday, November 5, 2009

Maybe Next Year...

So I'd write a big 'ol stink about how upset I am that the Phillies lost, but I'd be making most of it up. It's not a like versus dislike situation though, it's more there's something missing in me: the missing part is the part that gets it.

Food, on the other hand, is something I do get - more and more everyday, and it's always rewarding. I mean, how could eating things not be rewarding, right? And when seasonal ingredients for a new flavor arrive in the shop, I get all giddy like a first crush. Enter: pomegranates.

They swoop in this time of year to the Capolands and gracefully replace the void left by the summer's bounty of berries, and usually manage to stick around until winter's juicy blood oranges from Sicily arrive. They're packed full of all sorts of good flu fighting things and each of those crazy little kernels, or arils, contains the tasty juice we use to craft our sorbetto. As their season develops, so does that deep red color, and the intensity of its taste.

Is your mouth watering yet?


Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Phillies!!!


It has been an exhausting few weeks with the Phillies being in the World Series. As a fan, you get all nervous, stay up late watching the game, and if they win you are too hyped up to go to sleep! So, now we are going back to the Bronx to deal with their fans, who leave during the 8th inning and are pretty quiet (my brother is a Yankees fan, so I won't get too mean). Philly has heart! We love our players and we love our team!
GO PHILS!

My fellow Phillies fan friend sent me these pictures this morning, not sure where they are from, but... let us know if you know where they are from so we can give you props.


Update! The cupcake in question DOES belong to the Phabulous folks at The Flying Monkey Patisserie.
Thanks for letting us use the pic*

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

We've Got High Hopes...


So I'm sure all of you know about Philadelphia. If you're not from here, once you've spent a few consecutive days in town you start to realize that life here is a little...left of center. There's that crazy Mummers cult you keep hearing about, what the hell is up with the Phanatic?? People are obsessed with cheese steaks, and most of all...their sports teams. As you may have heard, we've landed in the World Series for the THIRD time in thirty years!! Philly, despite all of her wonderful - albeit quirky - perks, isn't exactly known for winning (our public transportation crew did after all go on strike in the midst of one of the worst recessions this country has known...but that for a later discussion). The one thing you simply do not do is insult a Philly team to a Philly townie. I'm from Delaware and have grown up listening to the dulcet tones of Harry Kalas and I swear near cried when they showed his jersey in the dugout. We've never won much, but we do it with soul, and we always go down fighting.

So what does this have to do with Capogiro?? Aside from the fact that yes, we too are a little left of center (have you met any of our managers...?!), we also wear our Philadelphia pride on our sleeve. To that end, come hang out with us tomorrow night and cheer on the Phils!! We'll be listening to the game and doling out our usual charm and gelato to those of you who want to support the team as they were always meant to be heard: if not at the game, then listening to the crowds and announcers pull for them on AM radio.

We're in it til the end, kids and we haven't lost yet.

PS - did I mention that Brad Lidge came in for a visit a few weeks back?? No? WHAT a cutie.

Monday, November 2, 2009

Someone is upset about missing Eddie at the Spectrum...



From the acidic bogs of New Jersey come, CRANBERRIES!!!!
(Crowd cheering/jeering/tearing off their tapas…)

Silent kin to the Huckleberry, Cranberries are chalked full of Beta Carotene AND Potassium! We’re not talking 'bout that generic, jiggly, canned crap you shove under your napkin at Thanksgiving; we’re talkin’ sweet, tart, GRADE A (for Artisanal…) Cranberry Sorbetto with special, seasonal guest: HEIRLOOM APPLE!!!
They’re only here for a short performance folks so, get your hands on ‘em while they’re fresh… (Unlike this 90’s reference). Check your local flavor listings for show times.