So Long, Farewell!

Dearest of the dearest to my heart,


It is with a solidly mixed up mix of emotions that I find myself writing to you on my very last day at 13th street Capogiro.


Am I sad? Am I happy? Will I miss it? Will I miss YOU? Am I crazy? Excited? Confused? Jubilant? YES. Yes to everything. I don't know how to find the words to describe it.


Leaving this wonderful group of people (co-workers and customers alike) may very well bring me to tears when it truly hits me. Over three and a half years of my life have revolved around an amazing store; full of life, love, food, and incredible people - ones we see daily, and ones we only have the pleasure of speaking to once. So why am I leaving a store that holds such a place in my heart? The world calls, simply put. I'm set to embark on a journey that will remain a dream to me until I find that am actually within it. I am off to travel the world!


Travel is: Thrilling. Risky. Adventurous. Expensive. Amazing. Stressful. Educational. Addicting. Worth it. 


Telling someone you're leaving your job - permanently - to go travel, incites an impressive array of reactions. I expected a bit more opposition than I've ultimately encountered, which helps me reassure myself when I slip back into worrying about finances, language barriers, or understanding the proper attire and conduct for my gender and age. The general response, from friends, family, acquaintances, and flat out strangers has been purely support and encouragement, and I could not be more grateful for it.


When we first considered a long trip, it seemed spur-of-the moment, a notion that came on a whim. It felt as if we were dreaming, and figuring out the logistics of something that would never actually happen, like when you envision your dream kitchen or house, or "allot" potential Mega Millions winnings. We were in the midst of signing a lease on a beautiful house, and had reached the point where we were beginning to consider buying one. We were feeling all grown up... excited and prepared and ready to establish a home of our own in the city. 


In the middle of a very loud concert, Colleen turned to me out of the blue and said (shouted, rather) "We can't sign that lease! And we can't buy a house yet!". I didn't have a clue where it came from or how to respond, so I shouted "What?! OK.". We waited until a pause between songs, and she explained in an eagerly rushed sentence, that if we were to take any period of time to travel, it should be now or never. Now while we're in a decent financial position, free of many future obligations. Now while we're in good health and can survive jet-lags. Now while we're dreaming of it! Who's to say no? And what in the world is really stopping us other than fear? Nothing in me was saying no to the proposition, so... I agreed.


After two or three weeks of weighing pros and cons, and our options with our jobs against the projected cost of a trip, we gracefully backed out of the lease and laid out a serious trip budget. We researched hostels and guesthouses, cheapest travel times and paths with regard to our ideal list of destinations, and after a good month of rearranging our itinerary on AirTreks (the most awesome, helpful, and comprehensive travel site we've come across) we came up with a trip that was within our price range, and only sacrificed a few stops from our lengthy original wish list.


In two weeks' time, we'll be packed and headed to the airport. We will have created our blog (a link to which will be added to this post) so anyone interested can check out where we're at and what we're up to. 
And WHERE in the world will we be? We have three long stays, in Italy, India, and Indonesia, during which we'll be Wwoofing, and volunteering. On the front, tail, and in-betweens, we'll have shorter stops in the UK, Athens, Cairo, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, and Hong Kong. We'll return to the states in mid-April, to run the Big Sur Marathon. From there, we'll clear and open our minds, and see where the world takes us. We haven't really planned it, and we don't really want to just yet. Regardless of what happens, we're anticipating a wonderful journey. We don't expect it to be easy, or relaxing, but we do expect to be doing a whole lot of learning, growing, and taking chances. I am of the opinion that we spend our entire lives "growing up". There is no tangible degree of maturity or knowledge we can achieve that grants us the title of being grown. We are here to live and to love and to learn, and a great deal of that involves our very own selves and those we come to love. 


I fear I'll ruin the keyboard with salty tears if I begin to thank every single person who has touched my life here, so I'll leave you with a simple and sincere thank you, from the bottom of my heart. Capogiro 13th, I love you, and everything and everyone that is a part of you. 


Dawne

Auld Lang Syne

One of my most favorite songs of all time, as New Years is my most favorite holiday. There's nothing like celebrating the year with people you love, embarking on the new and having a completely clean slate from which to build. Just writing to say, Happy New Year to all. It's been a pretty amazing year with Capogiro, as Tandy said, but I wanted to reiterate. So here's my favorite version, and I hope you love it as much as I do.



And here's a gratuitous image of a bulldog, just to keep the theme going.

See ya next year!

Wow, it's amazing that another year is coming to a close. 2011 was a big one; Apple co-founder Steve Jobs died, as well as North Korean dictator Kim Jong-il. Supposedly we killed Osama Bin Laden, but I'd still like to see a body. Protesters Occupied err'ywhere, and were met with resistance from the police. Prince William and Kate Middleton tied the royal knot, and the Queen's corgies got to drink champagne from golden goblets. The US pulled troops out of Iraq (for now), and New Zealand beat France in the final of the Rugby World Cup.

In Capo news, 2011 was also a big year. We were given the esteemed title of "Best Ice Cream in the World" by National Geographic. That was awesome! We also introduced new sandwiches and teamed up with some really rad new vendors for candy and baked goods. At 20th Street, we hired Andy this year, which is probably the best thing ever (see previous post), and I managed to still not kill Zach. WooHoo!!

Here's hoping that 2012 will be a winner. Love all you guys!

Every party is better with a pint of gelato.

Hi everyone! Out and about today? Finishing up some last minute shopping downtown? Strolling around West Philly? Doing whatever it is people do on Passyunk Ave that doesn't involve cheesesteaks or dive bars? We're here for you! Grab a pint, gas up with a quick cappuccino, pick up some last minute Love Bars for that inevitable chocomergency...or just come in and say hi! All the Capogiros are open until 5:00 or so tonight, though obviously closed tomorrow.

Anyway. Happy ChristmaKwanzaKah or however you're celebrating the season, from your Capogiro Crews. Be warm, be safe, be merry.

Christmas movies that aren't really about Christmas

More dogs in Santa hats!! More!

Christmas movies are typically centered around themes such as family, togetherness, the joy of giving, and selflessness. However, some movies are about things that don't suck, like monsters and shipwrecks! Just because the Christmas holiday makes an appearance in certain films, doesn't mean the movie is all about Christmas. Here's a list of...

Tandy's Top 10 Christmas Movies That Have Very Little To Do With Christmas!

Gremlins (1984). Billy gets a mogwai for Christmas. Billy doesn't listen to the rules, gets it wet, and feeds the spawn after midnight. Melee ensues. Also, as I've blogged before, Phoebe Cates delivers the most gruesome and amazing Christmas monologue ever.

Home Alone (1990). With a forgotten child, Wet Bandits, and an ever adorable aftershave scene, who can forget this timeless classic? And why did Macaulay Culkin have to grow up to be such a pasty, gangly trouty-mouth?

Grumpy Old Men (1993) This is a classic winter tale staring the always cheeky Walter Mathau and Jack Lemmon. True story, when I was a kid my father and I went to the video store to rent this movie, and my dad asked the teenaged clerk if they had "Dirty Old Men" in stock. The clerk got really red and told my father that they "didn't carry those kinds of films, sir". My father never went there again.

Better Off Dead (1985). Fraunch fries? Fraunch toast? This classic Cusack movie tells the tale of a teen dealing with breakups, a new exchange student, a homicidal paper boy, and a ski competition against a total tool. I want my two dollars!

Die Hard (1988). Terrorists try to seize control of an office building during the Christmas holiday. Oddly enough, for Die Hard 2, terrorists try to seize control of an airport during the Christmas holiday. Apparently terrorists reeeeally like Christmas.

While You Were Sleeping (1995). This movie is about a stalker. Sandra Bullock plays an insane woman who falls in love with a guy in a coma. In. A. Coma. Like totally unconscious. Really, it's creepy.

The Holiday (2006). I actually watched this romantic comedy whilst dog sitting for Sarah. Her bulldog and I wept giant squishy tears over the charming plot. This movie will actually make you not hate Cameron Diaz. As much.

Cast Away (2000). One fateful Christmas Eve, Tom Hanks' FedEx plane crash lands on a deserted island. Somehow, there is still dialogue in this film, thanks to the inclusion of a bloody volleyball. Who else cried when Wilson floated away?

Mean Girls (2004). Although this movie has very little to do with Christmas, who can forget the tender rendition of "Jingle Bell Rock" that the girls perform? BTW, congrats on the recent Playboy spread, Lindsay, those pictures looked absolutely nothing like you!

Love Actually (2003). THIS IS THE SINGLE GREATEST MOVIE EVER MADE!!!!! It's funny, it's tear jerking, it's Chrismas-y, it's British! If you do not adore Love Actually, then you have no soul or are just a scumbag.

Letter to Santa

Deeeeeeeeear Santa,
Here is our wish list! We here at 13th street have been very very nice this year. The only naughty incidents were a few months when Sarah bumped a tray of cones and they fall down the stairs... and then a few weeks later Dawne did the same exact thing. But Rudolph forgave them, so they're good to go.

We don't have too many wishes, but we know you're busy, so whatever you can handle would be great.

Thank you!
Looooooooooooooooove,
Capo13th <3

1. Endless pints of Strawberry gelato and sorbetto
2. A new puppy.
3. Enough of that delicious Capo bacon for at least 1 serving (aka 6 pieces) a day for a whole year.
4. Cool new bike helmets for everyone.
5. A hammock for napping in.
6. Candied Chestnuts on the daily.
7. Teleportation capabilities.
8. A doggie spa visit for Toro the Dog
9. Some snow so we can have a snowball fight please!

Various dispatches from the West Side.

Hi! Is anyone going to St. Albans, West Virginia soon? Could you take a couple of things for me? Shockingly behind on my holiday shopping and starting to worry that my gifts may not make the last reindeer out of town. Anyone? St. Albans? Charleston, even?

So Sarah's been on this enormous old-fashioned hand crafted candy kick lately, and gratifyingly a lot of you seem to be on her wavelength (we love when that sort of thing happens). The latest goodies in are from Brooklyn Hard Candy, and they're predictably amazing. Just look at 'em:

Candy with a cork: srs bznz.

Give 'em to people you like. Or stash a jar in your desk drawer to sneak into when the boss is gone for the afternoon and you're noodling around the internet reading various blogs.

Everyone got the memo that we're staying open through the holidays at this year at CapoPenn, yeah? Super excited. Because we want to be here for you! You need espresso and gelato, and at the risk of sounding a little smug, sometimes we feel like we're one of the few outposts of genuine good taste in West Philly. Not that West Philly isn't up and coming in a lot of ways! But for now, consider us your refuge for real, good food. Come on by! Soup and candy and gelato and booze and jalapeno chips and...

OH YEAH THE JALAPENO CHIPS! These are new, too! Deano's Jalapenos from my old stomping grounds in Vermont. Tasty! They are just little bite-sized noms of jalapeno and they go really well with a beer. And seriously, Stowe's a great little town! Lamoille County generally, but I'm maybe getting a little nostalgic now. I always start missing it this time of year because it's one of those places where you can place a pretty solid bet on a white Christmas.

Speaking of white Christmas and the lack thereof... seriously, if a symptom of global climate change is going to be that I have to adjust to 60 and humid on Christmas, I dunno what I'm going to do. It's just...WEIRD. Y'know? Like...what's Christmas Eve without snowballs? Sleigh bells jingling? Do you even WANT an open fire over which to roast chestnuts when it's...muggy?

Blatant appropriation of someone else's awkward family holiday portrait. I don't think they posed for it, do you? It looks totally spontaneous. (Dad's trying to hide that he's panting from running back to the shot after setting the self-timer on the camera.)

Yeah. We've all got those embarrassing hand-made Christmas tree ornaments that Mom (erm...Grandmom, more like.) won't let anyone get rid of because she remembers when your sister made that Elmer's Glue and glitter...thing...in third grade Sunday school. Christmas. Family and memories. And shopping. Seriously...anyone going to Huntington, West Virginia? I could make that work. HAVE to get to the post office tomorrow...



This song will never fail to make me happy. Happy Holidays everyone! Come see us soon!

Capogiro World Domination.... Phase Z

Our pants are SOOOOOO friggin' fancy.

Thanks, Zagat!

xoxo,

Capogiro

Its HERE its HERE its HERE!!! We're as excited as a kid that can't take their eyes off the window waiting for Santa on Christmas Eve. And YOU'RE about to be that excited to see your delivery driver! We've put together a package of our classic Holiday offerings to get you in the seasonal spirit! These holiday flavors come but once a year! Order six perfectly packed pints to share with your family over the holidays.

CLASSIC HOLIDAY PACKAGE

______________________________________

PURE KING LEO STRACCIATELLA - Local mint gelato with crushed candy canes and bitter sweet chocolate!

HEIRLOOM APPLE MASCARPONE - Made from Lancaster County Heirloom Apples and the richest creamiest Mascarpone cheese.

CLEMENTINE - Tiny fruit with a BIG citrus taste!

POMEGRANATE - We painstakingly separate about a bazillion fresh pomegranate seeds so you can enjoy this seasonal sorbetto!

CHESTNUT - In case you don't have an open fire to roast them on, we've got ya' covered.

NEW ORLEANS NOG - What holiday package would be complete without it? Spiked with Southern Comfort!

Click HERE to order!

Meet Andy Phillips

This is Andy. He is, to put it simply, perfect. Andy is the most well meaning, hard-working, kindhearted people I've ever had the pleasure of knowing. He makes everyone else look bad by how awesome he is. I wish I could clone him and put one of him at every Capo, just so all of the other managers could experience what an absolute joy he is to have on shift.

Andy is from Effort, PA, which I'm fairly sure is a quaint Christmas village located in the Poconos. His parents are magic elves, and he was brought to them on the wings of a golden stork. Andy has been with the same girl all of his adult life, and spends all of his time trying to think of ways to make her happy. Andy rides a unicorn to work and he bleeds liquid silver. Andy is straight-edge, which we all agree will probably only last until his 21st birthday. His favorite drink is milk and he can frequently be found enjoying a tall cold glass with a chocolate chip cookie. If you all get a chance to meet this gem of a man at the Holiday Party, please go up and awkwardly gaze upon him, for you should all use him as an example of how to be a decent human being.

HAPPY HOLIDAY TIME YAHOO!!!!!!!!!!!

Do the holidays leaving you feeling slightly...unenthused? Droopy, listless? Scratching at the walls to find a safe haven from visiting relatives? How many times have you found yourself wandering West Philly, desperately wishing CapoPenn was open during the holidays so that you could sate yourself with a libation, gelato goodness, and bacon?

We heard you. We're here for you! So this year, we'll be here, all the times, for you and yours during the pre and post holiday crazy.

So there's a happy. You know what else is a happy? Spiked hot chocolate. You know what's even happier than that?! The mind reels. This:

We're Baaack: A CapoYunk Story

Tis the Season™ is the reason! We've braved the Autumn with it's dewy 70 degree days and are now steadfast to slaughtering Winter's slightly brisk horde.

Our hours have changed to suit (2pm-10pm) East Passyunk Ave.'s late-night bustling.

We even got some new duds to match! Check it! «

You can catch the House Ghosts casting their Jolly Spells now! »

Watch Out for Santas!

I like to run.
I don't necessarily like the actual running so much as I like the sense of completion I get from finishing a run. One of my favorite things about the winter are 5K's. I know it sounds loony. Give me a moment to defend myself..
It is COLD in these parts in December, January, February, March, and often April... but that doesn't mean you can't go enjoy working up a sweat outside, it just means that you (and race directors) have to get a little creative. The first awesome thing about races (besides staying healthy): most, if not all races support a great cause. Secondly: obviously, you've got to keep your body warm! Wear a hat, and some gloves (fingerless is fine). A scarf might make you overheat if you get above a jog but it's certainly allowed. If you're someone who tends to get cold and stay cold, a one-piece costume is never a bad idea. The lack of seams/holes between layers will keep all that body heat in! The closer you get to the holidays, the more likely you are to see Santa Hats, Elves, reindeer antlers and the like showing up on race participants.
There's a decent chance you've even heard of a Santa Run (where everyone dresses up like Santa or Mrs.Claus... Philly certainly has a version or two, but this pic from New Zealand is pretty darn awesome :)

I suppose I do like running a little bit. Especially on really beautiful sunny days, spring, summer, fall, or winter.
If you're a runner, an occasional runner, or a brave/curious first-timer, there are plenty of local runs coming up this month. Jump in one! Grab a friend. You can walk, jog, run, skip, or combine any of those options. See the short list below, and just google any of 'em for more info or more runs! Remember, it doesn't EVER hurt to dress up in something silly to make a run more fun.
We all wore ridiculously bright colors to this West Chester race (pictured below), but we forgot to actually document it so you get a picture of us post-race in our sparkly clean shirts instead.

Happy running!

Jingle Bell 5K's on December 10th and 11th in Philadelphia support the Arthritis Foundation
Kris Kringle 5 Miler December 18th in Reading
Northeast Roadrunner's Christmas Is For Giving 5K December 18th
Patriots' Run 5K on December 31st
New Year's Eve 5K on December 31st

Our special is specialer than their special.

So. A Citywide Special. Sort of a hallowed Philadelphia institution, particularly if you're looking to get tight on the cheap: a can of cheap lager and a shot of cheap liquor. It's humble, it's serviceable, it's...kinda meh. Humble and serviceable? Is that really what we think of ourselves as a city? ESPECIALLY since the two components are so frequently imported from, I dunno, Milwaukee or somewhere out there in the flyover states.

We thought to our selves, "Selves, we can do better." So we're really excited to open the curtain on our own, strictly Philadelphian, let's-class-up-this-jawn-a-bit Citywide: Yard's ESA from the draft and a shot of Philadephia Distilling's Shine Whiskey.

Yard's Extra Special Ale is one of the truly few ambers available that ISN'T like The Eagles (the band, not the team. Though, dammit, increasingly the team)--bland, innocuous, middle-of-the-road pablum. ESA has character. It's got complexity. It has...flavor. A lot of it, and in all the right places. This beer's taste is positively curvy, if you see what I'm getting at. Everybody should have a go-to beer and if you live in Philly, this should be it.

We're matching it up with Philadelphia Distilling's Shine Whiskey, a total throwback. You'll sip it (I do recommend sipping it, but knock that sucker back if you're feeling kinky) and gather immediately that yeah, this is a corn whiskey for sure. It's sweet, it's hot, and it's definitely got some bite--just what everyone's looking for, right? Know what I'm saying? For sure it'll make a tasty cocktail, and you can bet we'll have them for you, too. But just in a glass, with a ESA back? Good.

This is Capogiro's Citywide: All Philly, all the time. Because honestly--we have this conversation more often than you'd think, though now you might be wondering who "we" is, exactly--we love our town, and we love local people like Yard's and Philly Distilling that make seriously good things right here at home. Like us, not for nothing. So come see us, especially if you're visiting from out of town. You'll leave with a glow.



As always...have a good weekend everyone. Time to start snuggling into that holiday sweater.

We're so Metro

Just when you thought our panini couldn't get any better, we introduce to you... new bread! That's right, folks, we have switched bread companies and are now in cahoots with Metropolitan Bakery. As of this week, we've begun stacking our prime panini ingredients on their lovely foccacia, ciabatta, baguette, country white, and whole grain bread. They. Are. Amazing. Don't believe me? Come on down and try one for yourself. Enjoy one of our many Grab and Go sandwiches as well (a great idea for those on the go, especially if you're coming in for a morning cup of coffee). I just had the pleasure of gobbling up one of our Smoked Turkey panini, which for those who don't know, is a masterful combination of turkey, local thick-cut bacon, provolone cheese, onion, and Russian dressing, on Metropolitan's rosemary foccacia. HOMAGAWD good. Make it a combo by adding a hearty cup of peasant-style soup on the side.

QUINCE!

Fruit of the GODS (well, fruit of the Ancient Romans... which
basically means of the gods...).

The quince is actually pretty rad. It has a taste that I simply can't get enough of, that is most easily described as a cross between apple and pear. Most quince consumption is of the cooked fruit, as the raw one is quite astringent and tart. These fruits look quite similar to a pear but they're a bit lumpier and green, changing to a bright yellow as they approach maturity.

Cool facts? Tons!

1. Quince is native to warmer regions of Asia and it grows on a deciduous tree.
2. Quince is the sole member of the genus Cydonia. The ONLY one! How cool is that?!?
3. Both the ripened fruit and its flower smell crazy good, and can be used in perfume, honey, jams, preserves, etc...
4. Turkey ranks first in quince production at a quarter (despite the roots in Asia). Go turkey go! Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay are big quince growers as well.
5. Quince was considered to be a symbol of love in years past. We're working on bringing it back. You should too. Give a quince to your better half - or your intended better half -  as a symbol of commitment. If they don't quite understand your wildly generous gesture, just direct them to this post.
6. The word "marmalade" originally came from quince jam, derived from the Portuguese word for quince, "marmelo". Yum.

Quince is typically available in our neck of the woods from October through December, so you've got a month or so left to get your rump in here and enjoy it! I am more than happy to provide flavor pairing suggestions, but you can trust that quince is delicious on it's own. For the palate that desires more than one flavor, I suggest trying quince with cinnamon gelato, cranberry apple sorbetto, fior di latte, or perhaps macadamia. Let's eat!

I'm thankful for these guys

...because whenever I'm having a bad day, these two are always there to make some juvenile and usually inappropriate joke to brighten me up. Their whimsical attitudes remind me to take things with a grain of salt and to never let the small stuff get me down. Thank you, Zach and Kami, for never being serious for more than five minutes at a time. You make me realize that maturity is underrated, and that I'm really glad to be almost 30.

Love you two!

Soggy Yet Delightful

Rainy days are the BEST at 13th street. Find solid reasons below.

A cozy perch by the window combined with a bowl of piping hot oatmeal or soup is the perfect remedy for chilly fingers and toes.  You know the contented feeling you have when you've finally warmed up from being caught in the wintry elements? At 13th, it's even more heavenly.

Gelato tastes good no matter what the weather is like outside. Especially if you consider an affogato, or a gelato con brioche, my new favorite thing in the whole wide world. A toasted brioche is the most simple, yet delicious, thing I've re-discovered in years. I have to restrain myself from eating them on the daily!

As many of you know, people-watching is already stellar at the corner of 13th and Sansom, but the next to the most sweltering days of summer, I say rainy days bring out the best parade of characters. Rain 'gear' is clearly a personal thing, and some folks have fun with it, while others just make do with what they have - or don't have. Big tall manly men with flimsy pink umbrellas, petite women with giant black business-y ones that take up the entire sidewalk, kids with animal ears/beaks/stuff popping out of very bright umbrellas... The funny clear ones that come half way down your torso... inside-out umbrellas caught by the gusts down Sansom, or useless ones dashed to the ground after the carriers have been caught in a splash from the fateful puddle on the corner.

Lastly, the rain doesn't stop most dogs from needing to go out at some point during the day. Like Jay said last week, we LOVE dogs! Totally dry, a wee bit damp, or completely soggy, those pups' wagging tails brighten anyone's day.  

*Note

You may feel as though we use a great deal of silly animal images. We think it's a fairly normal level, in fact, we encourage you to enjoy them as much as we do. Animals are goofy. And goofy things make us smile. And smiling is contagious!

It's a gorgeous Friday. Let's look at pictures of dogs!

Is this anything but a shameless excuse to post a buncha pictures of my favorite dogs? WHO CARES? Off we go...

ROSIE!

My dog. Best dog ever. (Not open to debate.) Yes, she's since passed, but let's not dwell on that. Half pit bull, half lab, all love sponge. Seriously lazy whenever she could make time for it. Loved watching (read: napping in front of) football on Sundays. Fan of beer and spicy food. SO good with the nieces and nephews. Excellent co-pilot with whom to drive across the country. Had more than one girlfriend squeal, "She's so cute I'm gonna steal her!" One broke up with me pretty much immediately after I stated my confidence that Rosie would be with me a lot longer than she was. I was right, of course. I miss my dog.

WILSON!

Rosie's brother. All the same kinds of awesome. (Remember me posting some unspeakably bad poetry about dogs a few months ago? It was about these two.) Wilson was, it's gotta be said, agreeably dumb. But look how distinguished he looks with a gray beard! Like a substantially more cheerful Sean Connery.

ANGUS!

Rosie and Wilson's step-brother. Also known by a variety of other, less family friendly names. Probably the brains of the outfit when the three of them got together. To be honest, adopting dogs from the same litter with your best friends makes for many cheerful, beery, summer back yard evenings.

RUBY!

Rosie's step-sister. Have to admit, when you've got yourself, your dog, your sister, your sister's dog, your niece, your sister's best friend, and your sister's best friend's dog who also happens to be your sister's dog's brother, you've got a pretty happy household. The back yard helped. Now Ruby lives with my sister, my niece, my other sister, my nephew, my other niece, my brother-in-law, two other dogs, at least one turtle, as many koi as the local herons have left, and for quite a while a hedgehog...that's just a menagerie. Awesome familial chaos. Ruby, Aussie Shepherd that she is, herds them all.

LAYLA! And a beer good enough to drive to Delaware for.

Best boxer ever. Not spastic! If you've never seen an un-cropped tail nub twitching while you're scratching a fuzzy butt...man. It'll put a little joy in your world. Seriously, I love a spasming tail nub almost as much as I love a destructively and enthusiastically swinging tail. (Beer+coffee table+tail=inevitable alcohol abuse.)

VINNY!

Vinny's the thespian of the bunch. Also goes by a variety of lewd nicknames. You've actually seen him in a dog food commercial, though his home movies--which are a little mature for a family-friendly blog--are way cooler. He's part of my Los Angeles crew. Mellowing like a fine wine, Vinny is. Little astringent at first, if you see what I'm getting at. Much better sofa dog than some others on this list.

TORO!

Sarah's boy. Official CapoMascot. Loves to shove his face into a big bowl of Fior. (Have you given your dog gelato today?) Loves his housemate Albert more than he's willing to admit, because Albert happens to be a cat. Sharing a sofa with Toro is challenging, but at least he feels guilty about shoving you off.

DOGS! Dogs.

Sir Gordon doth approach

As you, dear fans and readers, know, Gordon Ramsay flew into our
quaint South Philly neighborhood this past week on a, you guessed it, helicopter made entirely of knives! The town was in a tizzy; it was an awesome sight for sure. We managed to keep his crew and Don Gordon himself fueled for with our swift baristi special skills. ( I won bragging rights to having made Ramsay a latte and scooping him a fine cup of Pistacchio Sicciliano and Bacio [he found both to taste delicious]*) I only wish he could have stuck around a lil longer.. CapoYunk just got in veggie-friendly spicy pumpkin soup and a yellow lentil soup that I have teared up while tasting. To see a hardened chef with world renown weep over lentil soup would have been quite the sight, more incredible than a helicopter made entirely of knives.

xoJessica

*My face for the rest of the week

Missed Connections: You are a strange fruit, Cherimoya (Rittenhouse)

You came into the store the other day. I called you Artopple, because you looked like the lovechild of an artichoke and an apple. You were a weirdo. I've come to find out that you are from the Andes, which makes you oh so much more exotic and appealing. They say that you grow on a shrub, which I think is adorable. Inside I hear you are like a sweet appley sherbet. Mark Twain called you "the most delicious fruit known to men."

I want to eat you with a spoon.

I was standing behind the bar wearing a grey beanie with a slightly demented and lustful look in my eye. Let's get together sometime, I'd love to get to know you better.

YUM.

Hokey Smokes YUM!!

As most, if not all, of my comrades have touched upon here, business in Capo-land has been just grand as of late. What better way than to celebrate than by rekindling some flames (Steph's crazy good brownies) and introducing some brand new ones (new soup!) while you're at it?

Our suggestion for this week?

Start by sitting down, relaxing your shoulders, and warming up with a bowl of pumpkin soup. It is absolutely DELICIOUS!!! (I just had a bowl). Sip on the beverage of your choice and read something fairly educational or or fairly useless, your call. Give yourself a few minutes to let the soup settle in and then dig into a warmed peanut butter brownie (a la gelato if you so choose). Heavenly. This is a meal for champions! After this, we imagine you'll be ready to tackle just about anything... perhaps the rest of your work day, perhaps your bed. Either way, we've got your back!

Totes jelly, brah. Totes jelly.

So Becca went to see Andrew Bird a couple weeks ago. Not once, but TWICE. And she didn't take me, I guess because her boyfriend wanted to go or something. Which, I mean, sure. Whatever. I'll stay here and work while you get to watch THIS happen:



It's looking like a great weekend. And we have cherimoya! Another one of those genuinely exotic fruits that Dan and Sarah get giddy over. And delicious soup! On one of these perfectly blustery fall weekends, where the temperatures have finally, truly, thankfully dropped and the leaves are blowing in gyres of fire and rustle, soup and a strong beer sounds pretty much perfect.

A brief reflection on the times in which we live:



which is really, really funny in a totally 2011 (for only a little longer! WHAT THE...) meta-sorta-way and has its basis in the awesomely funny Hyperbole and a Half, which is pretty much the best thing on the interwebs. Though the post about her dog getting lost (but coming back home!) can be a little tear-jerking for the fans-of-four-feet among us. So. We'll see you this weekend, yeah? Don't forget your hat!

Right, Simple, Rustic...Yeah?

Chef Ramsay in is our hood filming! Oh please come in for a gelato!

We're the BEST

As you've already heard, we've been getting some amazing press recently. Everyone keeps coming in and saying, "Wow, so you're the best, huh? Wonderful news!" We agree. In fact, we're hearing this so much, that I would like to provide you with a few other options to use when describing our gelato, just so you don't get bored. You could call it a-one, capitol, bang-up, bully, cracking, dandy, prizewinning, groovy, swell, smashing, champion, slap-up, top-quality, world-class, FIRST, primo, optimum, record-breaking, unsurpassable, or simply just delicious.

You pick ;)

It's not Thanksgiving quiiite yet, but at 13th, there are just so many things to be grateful for!

Here are this week's top nine:

1. National Geographic!!!
2. Bulldog puppies.
3. Ridiculously tasty fall flavors.
4. Crowbars.
5. Lattes that warm the tum :)
6. Sunshine.
7. Our good 'ol regular gelato cups (and your
patience with the temp substitutes)!
8. BRITISH CANDY!
9. Maru

It's official.

You don't even know. YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW.

WE ARE THE BEST IN THE WORLD.

National Geographic: yeah, they're pretty respectable. And the think our gelato is simply the best in the world. Not much else needs to be said, I think. Ok, maybe some obligatory gloating...



(Real talk: I don't actually like Queen.)

BEST IN THE WORLD.

This just in!

So CapoYunk now has AWESOME and TASTY made to order bagel sandwiches!! We have homemade Tuna & Egg Salad (as well as a whole bunch of awesome toppings!) and it's off da' chain! Oh yea, did we mention we have Homemade Soup too? Capogiro Soup has been my favorite part of winter for the last three years. If you like soup (OR INSANELY HEARTY CHILI) come on by! Yeah, winter pretty much rocks.

EDIT: I ate the sandwich in that (low-res) photo and have gained the abilities of flight and super strength.

Winter is coming.

November has just arrived, and Winter is coming. We have already dealt with the first snowfall of the season. This was one of the longest Summers, which means this will be a great Winter. Some of you have only seen the Summer, the Winter is a harsh, bitter time. I have compiled a list of ways to deal with the brutal Winter that will soon fall.
1. Gather all your pelts and wools that you have put away in the tower. They have not seen the light in sometime, and they will not see it again for sometime to come.
2. Be sure to fill yourself with hot, homemade soups and stews. I have heard Capogiro has the best chili this side of Riverrun. (Don't go to Pentos, they have horrible soup.)
3. Either forge yourself a greatsword, or have a blacksmith do it for you. The White Walkers move South during Winter. You must be on guard. King's Landing has some of the best shops, but they are a bit pricey.)
4. Finally, make sure you don't lose hope for Winter to end and Summer to come again. Treat yourself with some imported Italian Hot Chocolate. It is a rich, thick, sipping chocolate. Capogiro has the finest cacao imported from Myr. Make sure you still indulge your desires for gelato while you are there. There is comfort in remembering a warmer time.
Warm wishes and great luck to you,
Jon Snow


By Caitlin Welge

This week calls for a happy dance!

We're more than a little excited to tell you, we've gotten the most holy of all shout-outs from SERIOUS-MOTHER-FLIPPIN-EATS.... Or, "Serious Eats", to be a tinch less ghetto ;) Its more exciting than the time Steph accidently invented Cioccolato Scuro! Heck, this is more exciting than me rising to my pinnacle of geek-dom in 93', beating Mario 2 in less than 13 minutes. (Just use the friggin' princess...) I digress...

Okay so, we're sure you know about their fabulous, informative, community based food blog, right? Well, if ya aint heard.... you'd bettah axe somebody. Anyhoo, their new book hit Amazon and the shelves toady and we're pleased as punch to to announce that Capogiro has been deemed #1 on their list of "Top 5 Gelato Spots we Love". [Page 288!] For a baker's dozen of Termini's cannoli, we promise to sign your copy. 

Thanks again for the kind words, Serious Eats. We think you're #1 too :D

Once Upon A Time...

Once upon a time there was an adooooooooorable kitten who got SO worked up while figuring out which flavors of sorbetto he should pair in his piccolo cup that a walrus and a firefighter had to give him some oxygen and soothing words to calm him down. The kitten was frightened at first but the gentle firefighter calmed him and suggested he try a seasonal flavor or two since they'd be gone sooner than the rest. The walrus agreed and ordered a cup for the kitten and sat with him while he gobbled it up.

Well, little did they all know, an esteemed AWARD-giver was sitting in the cafe and saw the whole thing go down. The firefighter was called off to another emergency (involving bacon and a baby otter this time) so the walrus was the surprised recipient of the Bowl-of-Fish crown, awarded to true heroes who give straight from the heart. The Bowl-of-Fish CROWN! I know! Amazing! The walrus was incredibly humbled, and a wee bit embarrassed and hid his face as the award-giver presented the exciting crown to him. The walrus insisted that the crown be shared with the firefighter, but the award-giver assured the walrus that he would recognize the heroic actions of the firefighter with a separate award of endless skittles and pints of Bacio gelato.

The firefighter who had rushed to the bacon emergency ended up helping a little baby otter who had wandered off towards the smell of bacon cooking in the 13th street kitchen. Otters have a surprisingly good sense of smell (contrary to popular belief regarding most marine animals), so who can blame the poor little guy for exercising his brand new nose! Here's a picture of the adorable mammal, snapped minutes after the firefighter reunited him with his worried mom. Look at those paws! So dang CUTE. The momma, the baby, and the firefighter split a BLT to celebrate a great day. :)

Amen, Sister....

So yeah, what really gets me? Well, let's not really go into EVERYTHING that gets me, just what makes me want to drink heavily at any point of the day. When I see things that are clearly not artisan, but industrial made OR, when someone just makes something, anything, and labels it artisan. It drives me nuts because we make everything by hand. We roast and grind nuts, we burn sugar, we melt chocolate, we candy rinds, we drive out to the farms and pick up raw milk from a single closed herd of grass fed cows. We make it by hand EVERY FREAKING MORNING! ANDDD....We do all this stuff in small batches. 1.3 gallon batches to be exact. Oh, did I mention that we stick to the seasons and refuse to buy crappy strawberries in February. Yeah. We do. So....when I see some mass produced product being called "artisan"... it pisses me off. Really? Does it take 5 people each morning to make one batch of your stuff? Do you spend days and days candying chestnuts or banging out each pomegranate seed? There is nothing artificial, no preservatives, no colorants, nothing that is not food in our products. Maybe you are just pouring crap into a machine to be pooped out? Sorry for the graphics, but I get mad. I especially hate being compared to a product that you just take some powder and milk, pour it into the top of a machine, finish and add some fruit or squirt something out of a bottle and call it foreign...yum!!! That is not artisanal... Shame.

Which leads me to a kindred spirit That is not artisan. is a brilliant blog. It is written by a funny smart snarky woman who uses the word asshat. I love that word. Sigh. She is truly entertaining and I feel her pain. "May you be buried in a coffin that's a little too small so that some of your guts stick to the lid when it is opened." Absolutely brilliant and I think I peed a little laughing so hard. This was in response to Domino's pizza spokewhore, Fabio Top Chef Viviani. I share her rage. She is spot on! I am so sick of seeing bags of Doritos being called artisan or "chef made". I am tired of other ice cream and gelato companies calling themselves artisan when they do not even make their own product. Capogiro is a dairy. I went through the entire process of state regs, fed regs and city regs so I could handle each and every step!!! I do not have someone else make my product "to my specifications" and have the balls to call it artisan!! grrrrrr....

I do not know much about my comrade, but would love to take her out for a beer!

HalloweeEEEEeen...

Hello Boils and Ghouls,
It's that time of year again, where children dress as scary monsters or storybook heroes, and sorority girls everywhere find yet another excuse to dress slutty. Around Capogiro, we like to get into the spirit by including our gelati and sorbetti in on the festivities. Our kitchen staff have a grand old time carving these little guys, and their artistry is appreciated by children and adults alike.



Also, don't forget to bring the kids by 20th Street on Halloween proper, as we will be giving out candy and judging your children on the creativity of their costumes.

Pumpkins!

My housemates and I got a jump start on pumpkin carving last night and youuuu get a sneak peek! Here are three beauties that we hope will withstand elements and the fat, yet ravenous U-City squirrels to make it to the big night. You are totally welcome to come trick-or-treat at our house, but plan to have a darn good costume if you're over 14 years old! :)

I kan no bolg today; I haz teh busy.

Hi. Rrrrl busy day 'round CapoPenn. Bunch of new stuff from the Big Kitchen today! Praline pecan, cranberry-apple...Must be Fall.

This one's for Sarah. For you too, Gentle Reader. But mostly for Sarah. PLAY IT LOUD.



Have a great weekend, everyone. We'll see you soon!

FALL FLAVORS ARE HERE

Apple Cider Clove FTW!!!!!!

The Forecast is Dark and STORMY!

Earlier this afternoon two nice older ladies came in to have gelato. They perused the case for a minute or so before the hungry one chirped up:
"I'd like a small Dark and Stormy please".
"Would you like a second flavor in there with the Dark and Stormy?" I asked.
"No," she replied politely but firmly, "just that one."
"What a wonderful woman!", I though to myself. Dark and Stormy is in my top 5 flavors of all time, so I pretty much want to hug anyone who appreciates it as much as I do. Well hold your hugs, I should have told myself. Just hold 'em.
I began to shape the first lovely scoop of sorbetto when the woman started frantically waving and saying "No! No, the Dark and Stormy! The dark one!". I stopped, mildly alarmed, and gently indicated that I was indeed scooping the flavor she had asked for. She looked at me with pure consternation and then shuffled a few steps over and said
"Oh, I guess I wanted the dark one, it says Chocolate with Hazlenuts? Bacio?. That's not the Dark and Stormy?"
Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?!? Lady. For REAL?!
In my head: "Nope, no it's not. No, those aren't the same, dear woman."
I scooped her a piccolo Bacio while she whispered a few sentences to the friend she was with. On her way to the register, I saw that the look of consternation had returned to her face.
"Why's it so light then?!" she asked "I don't get why it's called Dark and Stormy if it's so light!"
I kindly explained that a Dark and Stormy is a deliciously mind-blowing beverage containing ginger, lemon or lime, and rum (and sometimes ginger beer), and that we've turned it into an even more delicious, toe-tingling sorbetto. She listened, but didn't seem to agree.
I gave her her change and thanked her, and on their way out the door cheerily said "Thank youuuu, it's delicious!"
Silly old ladies. Bacio is incredible, but in my book, it's just got nothing on Dark and Stormy.