What Do Brew and DiBruno Bros. Have in Common?

Before leaving for a long weekend trip to Durham, I made a stop at Brew. The trip was two-fold. I needed a caffeine fix before the 7 hour drive started and I wanted to tell Aaron that I was planning on visiting the Counter Culture Roastery for my first coffee cupping. Just as I was about to leave, in walked a man who introduced himself as the grandson of the original DiBruno Bros. Turns out that Brew is located in the original DiBruno storefront. The grandson, whose name I'm forgetting, offered to show Aaron some of the old pictures his family has of the original store, which was just below where the family also lived.

Mike of Mike's Bikes was there too and we both chimed in that a Brew/DiBruno tie-in event would be excellent idea. Maybe a Beer and Cheese Night once the liquor license is set up?

Fancypants Grocer Coming to 1600 'yunk

South Philly news from Meal Ticket...

Philadelphia Weekly restaurant critic and Blogalicious blogger Adam Erace and brother Andrew announced today that they are entering the grocery game this September, when they debut Green Aisle Grocery on the 1600 block of East Passyunk Avenue.

Adam and Andrew are both serious eaters, and their broad range of edible interests will be reflected in Green Aisle’s stock. Think local and organic produce, free-range eggs, coffee, cheese, honey, pasta, loose-leaf tea and other tasties. Customers will be able to pick up a single lemon to supplement cocktail hour or a luxe Spanish olive oil to gild the dinner lily.

Prepared foods from the experts will make appearances, too; the Erace boys have already worked out a deal with James chef/owner Jim Burke to carry his intense mostardas and toothsome pasta.

Passyunk Avenue sure is a-changin’; we’ve got designer sushi at Izumi, our own Capogiro scoop shop and yet more access to local produce and craft food when Green Aisle opens. If we keep on behaving and stimulating the economy down here, can we get our street cleaning back?

I think this is awesome news, but as the neighborhood changes, I hope it doesn't exclusively cater to the gourmet-going crowd. The beauty of South Philly is its diversity: culturally, racial and socio-economically. Gentrification doesn't have to be a four-letter word; it can strike a balance between catering to the new money coming in and keeping things accessible to the original people of that neighborhood. It is exciting to see how quickly and, thus far at least, successfully East Passyunk has morphed from empty storefronts to a foodie destination. I'm just keeping my fingers crossed that the 1600 block of Passyunk doesn't become an alien land to the people who have been living around there for decades.

Cantina Turns 3!

Cantina los Caballitos, a kitchenplay favorite, is turning three years old today! While three is young in human time, it's basically adolescence for a restaurant. Think of it as Cantina's Quinceanera!

So head over for late night happy hour specials, DJs Jem and Tim, and other games and prizes.

Gelato Coma

I started this post on Tuesday, after returning home from my first visit to the new Capogiro on E. Passyunk. Three words into the post, I shut down, my body overwhelmed by the copious amounts of gelato consumed within the previous hour. I can't blame it entirely on the gelato... there had been a tasting of a soon-to-be-released spirit and a sandwich from Cafe Ole earlier in the evening. But it was the gelato that did me in. Specifically, my brother's Turkish coffee and chocolate frappe.

The new Capogiro didn't disappoint on most fronts. It is beautiful, with a small courtyard in the back, sexy blue chairs, stained glass windows and a marble bar for enjoying your ice cream and/or coffee. Nestled in between Paradiso and the newly opened Michael's Cafe, it feels like you've stumbled onto a little set piece from La Dolce Vita.

But it was the gelato that, yet again, didn't do it for me. I went old school, with a small cup of chocolate and vanilla. They both tasted good, but the vanilla was more like marshmallow fluff in consistency than gelato. And it didn't taste much different. A sample of the Black Grape reminded me of soap. And the Turkish coffee, while tempered by the chocolate in the frappe, was strong in an unpleasant way, with irritating grounds getting stuck in my teeth.

But was this my last jaunt to Capogiro? Mmmmm... no. Capogiro is like that old boyfriend you keep going back to, the one you know is going to disappoint in the end, but he's so pretty and you have such high hopes for him that you want to believe it's going to be different this time. And sometimes it is different and other times... it's kind of a bust, but because he's so pretty and you have such high hopes for him... etc. etc. etc.

Capogiro, I just can't quit you.

Is Gelato the New Water Ice?

The next store in the Capogiro gelato empire is due to open this week on the 1600 block of E. Passyunk in South Philly, competing with neighborhood favorites like John's Water Ice for the crown of Summer Treat of Choice. Now, this may be heresy to some, but it took me a while to take to Capogiro's ice cream. I've spent a fair amount of time throughout Italy and can safely say I understand gelato. I use one flavor in particular to test the authenticity of a new type of gelato: yogurt. If the yogurt is more sweet than tart, forget about it. It needs to taste like fresh plain yogurt, just cooler and creamier. Unfortunately, Capogiro's didn't make the cut when I first tried it years ago. And their dark chocolate, while delicious, has a consistency more akin to tar than gelato. Plus, I found their attempts at exoticism to go a bit overboard- Rosemary Goat Milk Cream Thai Basil Peppercorn etc etc etc.

I have had shouting matches with Italians and non-Italians alike over the authenticity and deliciousness of Capogiro.

That said, in the name of peace, love and understanding, I would still go there from time to time. And it was on such a random occasion that I tried their Tahini flavor and a fan was born. Calling it Tahini is just a fancy name for sesame. It was subtle and nutty and creamy and delicious, and I decided to start sampling their wares with a more open mind. I still stay away from the multiple flavored gelati. I prefer the fun of making up my own combinations... yogurt and dark chocolate, pistachio and burnt sugar, lavender and crema...

So I am actually very excited for the new Capogiro, just blocks from my house. And besides, I don't like John's Water Ice anyway. (I'll address that little nugget of blasphemy in a later post. Promise.)

Updates: Capogiro E. Passyunk is now open. The West Philly shop is slated to open this Friday, the 22nd (featuring a bar and a non-gelato Italian menu). And Bon Appetit named Capogiro one of the top 10 ice cream shops in America. (5/19)