it's snowing you say?

I'm sure we don't need to have polite weather banter on the obvious.
Just order a cioccolata calda to stay and thank us later.

brrr

Our Passyunk location is now closed Monday-Wednesday.. 

BUT! We are open 11am-10pm Thursday-Sunday to pack up your take home pints and make you a great cup of coffee. 

Not quite like attached video, though. 

Coffee Snobs - watch more funny videos

preach

Affogato, anyone?

We have a regular over here on Passyunk Avenue, most commonly referred to by the baristi as 'Affogato Guy'. He comes in a couple times a week, always gets the same thing, but is by no means boring. This week I though I'd ask him a few questions, and get to know the man behind the affogato...

Other than (once) tasting our 'absinthe and cantaloupe' flavor, Affogato Guy has never ordered anything besides a pistacchio affogato. The affogato, a scoop of gelato with a shot of espresso poured over top, is something that many people have never tried before coming to Caopgiro, and is guaranteed to spur at least one enthusiastic "What is that?!" from folks in line seeing it for the first time. It has been said that once you taste it, you're hooked.

Real name: Travis W
I found out that he works next door as a back server at Fond BYOB- he recommends the pâté.
We chatted about CapoYunk's relaxing decor (he likes it), demitasse spoons ("Too small, like a tease, although I've grown to enjoy it."), and camping.
I closed with a final question before he had to start his shift-
Me: "Would you ever be open to ordering any other flavors?"
Travis: "With espresso, pistacchio is number one."

What's your favorite affogato pairing??
-Maggie

GUESS WHAT?!

So here I am, sitting in Passyunk and I'm not going to lie, it's the prettiest day I've ever seen. Oh, and it's ten in the morning. IT'S TEN IN THE MORNING AND PASSYUNK IS OPEN! Guys, this is epic. They've got the good bagels! And the pastries! And are smiling like crazy, waiting to see your beautiful faces. Come say hi, South Philly. Get some coffee and chat with us.

Deus Ex Machina

It's a bird! It's a rocket-ship! It's: the Venus Century!
"What is that!?" is one of the most common questions here on Pa'shunk Avenue. The incredulous patron in quotation can always be found staring, mesmerized by the espresso machine that rises over three feet high, proudly in the front window. This is Victoria, the Venus Century manufactured by Victoria Arduino from the Marche region of Italy.
Engineer and inventor Pier Teresio developed the world's first espresso machine in 1905, with a steam-powered engine. The Venus Century is a limited edition model celebrating one hundred years of production for Victoria Arduino (Victoria, after Pier's wife). Each machine is built with the care of creating a sculpture. It takes 11 technicians, 76 hours, and 983 pieces to compose. It's made of stainless steel and weighs almost 190 pounds! Only 100 machines were created. Number 1 was a gift to the Pope. Our resident machine is number 6.

The name says it all. To the ancient Romans, Venus was the Goddess of Love. The planet, Venus was named after her. It is often the most visible planet from Earth and is the brightest thing in the sky, besides our Luna. Etymologically, Venus comes has roots in venerari, to honor or try to please and venia, grace or favor. It is also rooted in *venes-, as in the Latin venenum meaning poison, venom, drug, or magic charm.

In the modern-day, we no longer offer gifts to the divine, such as Venus. But in this appropriation of the symbol of Venus, the Goddess offers you a bit of her Love. As if harnessing some form of ancient Magic, your South Philly barista can procure a portion of this enlivening substance in under a minute. Nothing washes the sleep and fog from one's mind like the smooth, rich crema as it warms the soul from the inside out, like a touch from the Fertile Goddess herself.

And I'm not trying to draw any conclusions here, but I will say that the shiny Venus machine has been expelling tiny shots of Love here on the Avenue for about 11 months now, and the fecundity of the local ladies seems to be thriving. (So many smiling new mothers and very soon-to-be mothers!!)

(image: "La Victoria Arduino" by Leonetto Cappiella, 1922)

Yunk out da' Trunk!!

So, we're swabbing the decks and dusting off the cups @ Capo-Yunk. We're straightening the Reitano's family's pictures on the walls and solemnly shaking our heads when we gaze out the back window into what our baristi had made the loveliest lil' garden in all of South Philadelphia. It'll come back, babies! Swear! (They worked SO hard... lets not talk about that).

Some of you guys got a little loco over us closing for the season down there... There were angry phone calls and threatening notes shoved anonymously into our doorway.

"WHO THE !@##* CLOSES A GELATERIA?!"
(If we get more this year, we'll scan 'em and then post 'em on the blog.... maybe frame 'em. Oh Philly, you guys are crazy adorable, please don't ever stop)


Capoyunk 2010 will be sure to bring back the sticky, yummy, summery goodness that you got so ticked off at us for taking away. That reminds me of the summer I caught Cursive on the Curiosa tour... there was a super drunk guy "standing" beside me screaming; "JUST PLAY THE HITS. WE WANT THE HITS! GIVE US THE HITS!"

We will indeed bring you, our adoring fans, the hits. Movie night? Done. Free popcorn and all. Sweet, holy lattes, cappuccinos, affogatos and did I mention gelato and sorbetto out the yin-yang?! We're even gonna get Steph to whip Yunk up some of her new cookies, granola and jams just for the occasion. All because we ♥ you. Please don't yell at us anymore... we're sensitive.