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

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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!

Philly Homegrown Tour

So by now you're all well versed in our devotion and love for our local purveyors. The good news is, you're not the only ones! With food savvy awareness becoming more chic than ever, our longtime loves over at City Food Tours have debuted the Philly Homegrown tour. It's a two-hour walking tour that stops at some of our favorite spots including the Fair Food Farmstand, Salumeria, Tweed and our 13th Street location. The tour will run three consecutive Saturdays (November 27, December 11 and December 18) from 3-5pm. Come see us! To make reservations for the tour, you can go to City Food Tour's website or call them at 800.979.3370! We're stoked. You should be too.

FOOD, Real Food....Healthy Gelato

NO, No, no. Please don't make me eat processed food. It makes me fart. There. I have said it. Just one bite of Kraft mac and cheese and I am done and so are the poor slobs that happen to be in my presence. So sorry. I find it bizarre that my body rebels like this, but it can only help me, really. I have more energy, I feel good, and I am healthy.

Lately I have heard mumblings that gelato is not healthy for you. WHaT?!? Pu-lease people. Do you know what you are eating? Let me enlighten;

MILK, SUGARS, CHOCOLATE, NUTS, THE FRESHEST FRUIT, SOMETIMES THERE'S AN EGG YOLK INVOLVED (hand gathered from free free roaming chickens), LITTLE BIT OF CREAM.


What could be unhealthy in that? No high fructose corn syrup, no red dye number whatever, no diglycerideblahblah, polymobilde..., nothing like that!

We need to get our priorities straight, people. With the exception of fruit that is simply not grown around here (ie, lemons, oranges, pineapples, mangoes, lychee, etc.) all of our fruit is grown locally, within a one hours drive. It is grown without chemicals, without pesticides and it is allowed to VINE RIPEN!! Imagine that. All those natural sugars are allowed to develop and the fruit is picked when it is ready (not prematurely so it can travel 1000s of miles).

Our milk is from a single herd of Scottish Ayreshire Cows that ONLY EAT GRASS and are named Cleopatra and Moxie!!! They are never treated with growth hormones and no antibiotics! These cows live 40 minutes outside of Philly. That's them. Look at em!

Yes, there is sugar in our gelato. All "sweets" have them. One large gelato contains as much sugar as an "all natural smoothie" or a cup of yogurt with fruit. Yes, it is equal to ice cream and froyo as far as sugar is concerned. But where did the fruit and milk used for those items come from? Was the milk from a local Menonnite farmer, the cream from the Amish, and the mint from some high school kids in West Philly? Or did it just come from a box or a truck from...I don't know, do you?

The big difference is that the ingredients that we use are local and delicious and ALL NATURAL, in the truest sense. We hand craft our gelato every day. Nothing is just poured into the top of a machine and pooped out. It is crafted. We are not just blending in fruit out of plastic container or scooping it out of an "imported" can. Real fruit grown by real farmers here in our backyard. Our carbon footprint is small. We care about who we purchase from. Just this second, Dan came in with the first of Glenn's blackberries. Big, luscious, almost ready to burst! I placed the first one in my mouth. They are from Green Meadow Farm.



Me: Holy cow.

Dan: I know.

Me: This is crazy.

Dan: I know.

Me: They cannot taste this perfect.

Dan: I know.

Me: Oh my Gawd..

Dan: Blackberries are my favorites.



In Europe, gelato is considered a health food. Italians go every day for a WALK to their local gelateria where the gelato is made fresh each morning. Europeans are far healthier than us exercise obsessed Americans. Why is that? They eat gelato EVERYDAY!!

Think about it.

Scottish Ayrshire Cows Homies!

We have always let our phans know that our milk comes from a single herd of cows owned by an Amish farmer in Lancaster. It was delicious milk that we were really happy with. Our farmer was not happy with the trek into Philadelphia and we were not happy with the last minute calls stating that he did not feel like having his driver drive in. We happily parted ways, but I was a bit panicked at the time. Where am I going to get the high quality grass fed milk that I needed?!?! I refused to sacrifice our quality.

What does one do in Philly when these things happen!? You call Ann Karlen of the Fair Food Project. I really like Ann. She is not a crazy hippie that yells at you for not buying locally, she shaves her legs (not necessary, but just a fact), her knowledge of locally grown food is unsurpassed, and she makes a delicious fruit tart. Of course I called her days before Thanksgiving and instead of completely ignoring me so she could get out all those heritage turkeys and vegetables, she introduced me to a fantastic farmer. He is a Mennonite (in his words a "recovering Mennonite") who is a third generation dairy farmer and vet.

John and I drove out to his farm, which is about an hour outside of Philly. As we pulled up the long dirt drive, I noted how adorable the place looked with its blue silos and its fields speckled with cows. City Girl, "OoooooO! Cows and a barn!" They had a lot of land to graze. It was a really cold day and I wondered why the cows were not inside; it had to be in the forties - Aren't they cold? Where is this guy! He calls himself a vet! (City Girl)

As we pulled up, a man with a baby strapped to his chest via baby sling and wool cap emerges from the barn.. smiling: "You must be Stephanie!" We shake hands and I introduce him to John and the tour begins. We check out his retail area where you can purchase raw milk, cheese, and eggs and then go into the barn. It is clean and smells good, like grass and earth. Cats follow us and he talks about the milking process and how he assures cleanliness in the milk. Suddenly I notice that there is a baby cow in the feeding trough! I jumped. (City Girl) He told me that he was born on Thanksgiving night and his kids named him "Drumstick." He said that the babies love to sleep in tight spaces at first. Maia, his daughter, starts to fuss because she wants us to continue walking.


We move out to the fields - vast fields. The cows are grazing and glancing in our direction. He introduces me to Cleopatra and Rosie and Helen; a single ribbon holds them in the fields. I ask why they are not inside and he states that Ayrshire Cows prefer freezing temps. They are walking around with big udders of hot milk. As a once lactating living thing, I can relate (Sorry, I know some of you just shuttered). An adorable, ridiculously tall, mop-haired, pimply teenager approaches and starts to complain that it is the third time today that Claire is in the corn fields. He tells him not to worry and let her go; he will get her later. He explains how they are exclusively fed grass, but he grows "snacks" for them in the corn field. It is not corn exactly, but a tall grass that produces little corn. He chops it and lets it ferment a bit. They love it and it is just a snack. During the summer he cuts the grass and bales it, so when the grass stops growing in the winter and there is little to graze, they have grass. That being said, we move to where he stores the bales of grass; it smells wonderful, earthy, and the air is heavy.

We visit the teenage girls, who are not yet ready to breed. They are hanging out gossiping; I meet Isabella, Roxie, and Blanca, and they lick my hand. Their tongues are rough and long; it surprises me. He is not sure, but he thinks he has around 50 cows. They all have names: names like Dixie, Kitkat, Skittles, and Krum. Of course the occasional male is born. He gives them names, "although it kills me;" they graze separately and have a nice short life. They are veal. My stomach pitches, but it is what it is. He talks about the veal industry and how it should be, which is how he does it - humanely raised.


We tour the "dry" milk pasture and check out his horses and some chickens. He has a monster vegetable garden and that's it. I ask about the beautiful silos and what he stores there. "Nothing. They are just for show." He is serious. Back in the sixties a "sly farm salesmen" told them that they could increase their milk production and make a ton of money by feeding them grain. They bought the silos and boy did their cows make more milk. They also were sick and went lame. Lame? Why? Because they were not walking and eating. It is healthy for them to forage. Ayrshire cows are meant to walk and eat and do not do as well standing and eating grain. Grain is not good for their stomachs. "That's how they evolved or as my uncle would say 'created'" - See? Reformed. They make delicious milk with grass and although they are much more expensive and require much more work to keep, the milk and their lovely temperament makes them worth it. I have to agree!



And yes, the cows you see here produce the milk in our gelato that you are eating right now!

Why I Love Philly, Part 1

I have been asked by many for recommendations for places to eat when they travel. I keep a restaurant diary for every country and town we come across, no matter how small or large a place. We love to travel. It may seem like we NEED to get away. That is not the case, entirely. I love Philadelphia. I am not a native, but I have lived here long enough to consider myself "from Philadelphia". All three of my kids were born here.

I want to share the love. Today I am going to start sharing with you why I love Philly and why you should too! I won't just stick to food, but will touch on all ways to lovelovelove the City of Brotherly Love. BUT, I will start with Food!! Of course, I think that Capo has the quickest best lunch, but a girl can only have so many grilled mozzarella tomato pesto panini before she starts looking around! I will venture out the doors of Capo and introduce you to some other place in my hometown.


Lunch. Yes, lunch. I am stuck on lunch. Philadelphia is a place that has a huge selection of homegrown, delicious, inexpensive lunch options. Believe it or not, big chain fast food joints are not as easy to access and Philadelphians prefer other options. My kids have had fast food, oh..maybe three times. My son, Manny, was coming home from a soccer tournament in NYC with some of his teammates, when they stopped at McDonald's. Manny announced that he never had MickyD's and was...excited. The entire van, parents and all, turned with dropped jaws and collectively gasped. It is easy peasy to ignore fast food when you live in a city. No drive-thrus, no convenience, it is absolutely inconvenient. Yes, I have read all those "books". Honestly, I prefer freshly made, local places that contribute to the local fabric of our neighborhoods. Chains and fast food places constitute blight. On a lighter note, Manny announced that he did not like McDonald's, except for the fries. The burgers were dry and he preferred...

Good Dog. You have to give my 11 year old credit. He prefers a roquefort stuffed, carmelized onioned burger to fast food. He loves the sweet potato fries, which I hate! They are not bad fries, they are delicious. I just happened to think sweet potatoes are evil and do not want them corrupting my fries. Happily, the folks there understand my aversion and give me plain ole fries. The sweet potato fries are delicious if you like evil roots, and this burger is monumental with its brioche bun and core of molten roquefort. I have never had a poorly cooked burger there. A must.


Tampopo! Delicious AND healthy! Once again, a family favorite. Spicy Tofu Rice Bowl, Chicken Katsu, Veggie Soba Noodles, Bim Bim Bap and Spicy Chicken Breast Rice Bowl are my family's choice items. Tampopo is Korean Japanese fast food. Never heavy, always served hot and delicious and they play the greatest music.

Taco Riendo. This place is located in Northern Libeties, bordering Kensington. The peeps here are from Puebla. Philadelphia is also known as Puebladelphia. The food here is amazing. Fresh and delicious. John gets the fish tacos and I get the sopes. The kids love the burritos and the fresh juices in the summer are crisp. Pics courtesy of Foodaphilia.


Sansom Street Kabob House. This is my favorite place. I could eat here everyday (I have). The most lovely family owns this place. Their little girls will be there, doing homework, delivering hummus, and smiling with the most beautiful brown eyes. The husband and wife team cooks, serves and clears tables. I love watching the husband make the bread. It is light and airy and crispy and hot. Absolutely lovely. The chicken kabob flavored with turmeric over rice pilaf is delicious. Lentil soup, hummus and stewed eggplant are a must. I love this place!!

Tierra Colombiana. Columbian and Cuban dishes are both served and done equally well. You sit and they serve you this grilled buttery bread. So delicious. Papas rellanas, from the Cuban side - I could eat 500. Perfectly fried mashed potato spheres filled with spiced ground beef and peas. Served with a chunky sauce that I think is hotter than lava.John prefers the grilled salmon and the avocado citrus salad. I go for the Arroz con Pollo, Columbian style.

Lastly, Meme's fried chicken lunch. Only on Thursdays and not so fast. A leisurely Thursday lunch. Fried chicken, biscuit and a Miller High Life. I love to meet my friend Francine there. The chicken is hot, crisp and perfectly fried, the biscuit flaky and buttery, and the beer is uber cold, stored in a tin bucket stuffed with ice. Francine and I gossip and eat with our hands. What girls like to do.

Those are my quick, inexpensive eats, fast food eats. Please join me and ditch fast food. Damn, I said "delicious" way too much.

Hey Punkin', How Ya Doin'?

Nothing stirs up good warm feelings of fall like pumpkin pie. Even better, pumpkin pie a la mode. We've one upped the classic combo in our Long Neck Pumpkin gelato. It's really what pie and ice cream want to be when they grow up and find their life passion. There's thanks to go out to our superior kitchen staff that prepares this autumn treat, but also thanks to the "pumpkins" themselves.

We play favorite when it comes to pumkin varieties, and only one shines in our eyes among the rest. Long neck pumpkins are hands down the best, and what's more, they're native to our area, so you can pride yourself in knowing you're feeding your growing locavore hunger. With their elongated features, weighing in at around 12-15 lbs each, they wouldn't be able to make the trek from Chile intact anyway.

Most of ours come from Glenn and Green Meadow Farm, and our weekly produce deliveries are chock full of these peculiar looking squashes well through Thanksgiving. Not only are they delicious when transformed into pumpkin gelato, but they're the easiest to prepare. Those pesky seeds with their slime and tendency to stick to the good meaty parts that you're after only reside in the tiny little bulb at the base of the squash. That extra long neck, is pure pumpkiny goodness, ready to be cubed and roasted and turned into something grand. The skin is smooth, so there's no gnarly ridges to work around, too. Gosh, I could go on.

Start your love affair with pumpkin gelato soon, so you'll be able to get your fill before the well is all dried up. Pairing ideas: Amaretto, Pecan, Dulce de Leche, Apples & Mascarpone, Apple Cider, Bourbon Butterscotch, just to name a few of mine... or when all else won't live up to it, a simple smack of fresh whipped cream does the trick.

Creamery Pennsylvania

Many of you are unfamiliar with the workings of a real life dairy. Yes, Capogiro is a real live dairy. We source our own milk from an Amish farm, and we create our gelato and sorbetto with our own hands! Shocking, I know. We never outsource our gelato to some other dairy. We have purchased all the stuff necessary and have jumped through all the hoops to make the best product we know how to do. Why? Cuz we just don't trust anyone to do it "to our standards". We will manage our own standards, thank you very much. The result is that we know our farmers, we test the milk ourselves to make sure there are no antibiotics or growth hormones, and you can taste the difference. That difference is the freshest milk from cows grazing on grass in nearby Lancaster. The freshest fruit not grown with pesticides and other chemicals that is allowed to vine ripen. We can establish relationships with actual people, imagine that?!? I have visited these farms, pet the cows and have chased a little Amish 3 year old around the barn. I have asked for items to be grown from other farmers and BAM! the herb is planted just for me! Control!!!!

I know, being a control freak is not always the best thing, but you decide. Would you rather eat something that someone says is made to their "standards" in a far away place, they have never seen? A place that makes other products "to their standards" for many companies? Or, better yet, would you rather eat something that is grown and raised by farmers, who use the land like they always have for generations by natural standards. Farmers who refuse to go mass? Then the farmer's work is then used by people who love what they do and won't settle to just sit on the sideline, but like to roll up their sleeves and get to work? Wow. Talk about going on and on. Had to. Necessity.

Dan and I had to go to Creamery Pennsylvania a few weeks ago to take a test about milk testing. I got 2 wrong and Dan got 4 wrong. Sorry Dan. I would not have mentioned it, if you had not asked me to not torture you about it. I cannot mention nachos around you, so this had to be done. You know what I am talking about. Anywho, Creamery is everything you think it is. The Department of Agriculture is next to the 4H show grounds. There was a guy riding a tractor with no shirt on! Pinch me.