Capogiro Gelato

[shacke]

I finally got down there today and I was happy I did. To be honest, I don't have much to complare to - being a gelato neophyte - although that may change when I hit Italy in the fall. I had samplings of the banana, chocolate, bitter chocolate and bourbon butterscotch. Really worthwhile although in comparison the garden variety chocolate was just that.

Some of the more interesting flavors mentioned before were not there today. The most avant garde was cilantro-lime sorbetto but cilantro is the only thing on the planet I cannot eat.

Thanks to the posts in the thread for the info.

Evan

[herbacidal]

Y'know, I think I've fallen out of love! I used to be madly, unfailingly in love with not only the flavors, but the quality of Capogiro! There was nothing like her outside of Italy!

But, I have to admit, my love affair is----not over, its still good, but, its different somehow.

Our love has gotten----heavier! The consistency is more -----corn starchy?

It's been great, and its certainly not over, but we'll stay good friends that see each other once in a while instead of obsessively!

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Reminds me of my relationship with Studiokitchen.

In summer 2003(?) I had three dinners there.

By the end, I still liked Shola's food, but had less appreciation for how good it was.

I needed more time away, to taste normal food.

[ellencho]

I visited for the my first time ever and great googly moogly is this place good. I had the crimson table grapes gelato and the pineapple. I tried the cherimoya and it was outstanding, but I didn't end up getting a scoop of it because I wanted a more tart and sharp treat rather than something creamy like the cherimoya.

[rlibkind]

Does it count if I enjoyed my Capogiro at DiBrunos' new Chestnut Street emporium following Pizza Club at Lombardi's? If so, I partook of coconut and chocolate.

And it waas reported at Pizza Club that Capogiro is going to open a store in the vicinityh of 19th and Sansom.

[cdh]

Last night i had the cherimoya and the apple and calvados... a fantasitc combination. The apple was wonderfully tart and a great complement to the creamy fruity cherimoya. Yummy!

[18/10]

Does it count if I enjoyed my Capogiro at DiBrunos' new Chestnut Street emporium following Pizza Club at Lombardi's? If so, I partook of coconut and chocolate.

And it waas reported at Pizza Club that Capogiro is going to open a store in the vicinityh of 19th and Sansom.

Psssst---I heard from a little birdy-go up a block--northeast corner-20th and Sansom. mid to late summer.

[herbacidal]

And it waas reported at Pizza Club that Capogiro is going to open a store in the vicinityh of 19th and Sansom.

Psssst---I heard from a little birdy-go up a block--northeast corner-20th and Sansom.  mid to late summer.

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Might you mean the northwest corner?

That would explain the takeover and renovations of what used to be Hot Tamales.

[shinyboots]

I had the all-herb, all-the-time combination the other day:

* rosemary goat milk.  Old standby, this one.  Never disappoints (though it doesn't taste at all goaty), and

* basil.  Very nice.  There ought to be more basil used in desserts: it has a similar sort of flavor profile to mint, but for whatever reason, it just gets ignored.  Anyway, this was perfumy and just delightful.  Aw yeah.

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I agree, basil rocks. Basil with a scoop of bittersweet chocolate or a nut ice cream - like Cashew, another winner - would be a very quirky delight. The thing is, both flavors are so strong that you won't regret paying a 5 spot for ice cream because you will be surfeit by the time mini-spoon hits plastic.

[Capaneus]

And it waas reported at Pizza Club that Capogiro is going to open a store in the vicinityh of 19th and Sansom.

Psssst---I heard from a little birdy-go up a block--northeast corner-20th and Sansom.  mid to late summer.

←

Might you mean the northwest corner?

That would explain the takeover and renovations of what used to be Hot Tamales.

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Hmmm... I thought that whole side was wrapped up in some sort of development scheme. At least that's the reason I've heard for Crimson Moon closing, sometime in August. Though I can't think of where on the NE corner it would go, either... maybe the old Police mini-Station?

Edited May 15, 2005 by Capaneus (log)

[mrbigjas]

why would they open a shop at 19th or 20th & sansom, when they're selling their product in dibruno's at 18th & chestnut?

just curious.

[rlibkind]

why would they open a shop at 19th or 20th & sansom, when they're selling their product in dibruno's at 18th & chestnut?

just curious.

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That was what we were wondering at Saturday's Pizza Club, too.

[TarteTatin]

Sunday night, yesterday:

apple/calvados -yum and refreshing

campari/grapefruit-yum and refreshing

orange/cardamom -YUUMMMM! Should have had a touch more Cardamom.

We also had the Bitter Chocolate again. Although I love it, there are some flavors lately which definitely have a taste of corn starch in them. You can tell which do and which don't.

The fruity, lighter sorbetto flavors don't seem to, just the gelatos.

Anyone else notice this?

Edited May 17, 2005 by TarteTatin (log)

[shacke]

I see that the web site lists the daily flavors of that day. Greeeaaat. That will make it harder to resist.

PS - I called them. The new location will be 20th and Sansom. Even more convenient now. Curses.

Evan

[mrbigjas]

today, we tried:

-strawberry tequila -- tasted like strawberries. good ones, but i was expecting more of a peppery tequila kick.

-yogurt -- this was AWESOME. so yogurty, sweet but sour. excellent

-black truffle -- ok this one was a little too weird for me

and then we finally settled on the cherimoya and the starfruit/lime. the cherimoya was light and floral and slightly custardy, like the fruit. the starfruit/lime was acidic as expected, but again the tropical aromas of the starfruit were a highlight. damn that was some good stuff.

[philadining]

-black truffle -- ok this one was a little too weird for me

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I think you and I might have been the only ones who tried this, the pan was looking pretty full at about 9:30pm.

And I agree, it was a little weird, I don't think I would have wanted more than half of a small cup, but paired with the Rosemary Honey Goatmilk, the combo was actually quite good! Herby, earthy, yet sweet.

Edited May 29, 2005 by philadining (log)

[South Jersey Epicurean]

The best combo is still Mexican chocolate with pistachio!! However, some other flavors that are marvelous are the blood orange & marscapone!!!

Good thing I'm back on Atkins!!

[VivreManger]

Unfortunately when my friends and I got there around 10 on a Saturday night a number of the flavors I most wanted to try were gone. The only chocolate-like flavor left was nutella. The dulce de leche was at the bottom of the barrel. I did try a strawberry, nutella, carambola with lime, and champagne mango.

The carambola with lime was excellent, but I found the others a bit dull. Certainly the fruit sorbets did not compare to the intensity of flavor of what I have tried in superior ice creameries elsewhere: Berthillon in Paris and Le Bilboquet in Montreal. None of the flavors had the richness of the classic heavy-cream confections of Herrel's, which is my local ice cream parlor in Massachusetts.

At the moment, my judgment is that Capogiro puts on a great show, but it could use a bit more work to reach international or even national standards. I would give it a try next time I am in Philadelphia, perhaps earlier in the day when the choices are more.

Edited June 1, 2005 by VivreManger (log)

[cdh]

At the moment, my judgment is that Capogiro puts on a great show, but it could use a bit more work to reach international or even national standards.  I would give it a try next time I am in Philadelphia, perhaps earlier in the day when the choices are more.

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Wow! If Capogiro is really a pale shadow of Canadian and Bostonian top-end ice cream, I really need to go and visit those spots. I've not found any lack of vividness of flavor in anything I've had at Capo. If there are ice creams that make their stuff taste washed out, I MUST find and try them. Or maybe not... I'd be spoiling myself for what is readily available.

[philadining]

I'll second Chris' "wow". I have to wonder if you experienced an unfortunate late-night phenomenon where all the most intense stuff happened to be gone... or by an odd coincidence, the flavors that happened to be there were on the subtle side. Not every one of their offerings has been a home run, one of the things I like about them is their tendency to just try flavors and see how they go. But vividness of flavor has rarely been a problem, even in the ones that didn't quite work.

I've been to Berthillon, and while it's hard to filter the greater experience of wandering the Ile St Louis on a sunny day from the ice cream in the cup, I feel like I can remember the actual taste sensations. I LOVED it! But I'd say my experience from many visits is that Capogiro generally compares favorably to Berthillon, while not being exactly the same thing.

Actually, the best ice cream I had was in Paris, but not at Berthillon, it was from a little cart outside the chocolate shop of Christian Constant over in St Germain-des-Pres. I assumed they made it themselves: the chocolate was outrageous, but the mango might have been even better. In any case, on a good day, Capogiro reminds me of those experiences...

But Gelato and Ice Cream aren't exactly the same, each has its strengths.... And recollections can be faulty, and the pride of place and thrill of discovery could be clouding our judgment here in philly, so it's helpful to have your reactions as a visitor. And next time I'm in Massachusetts or Montreal, I'm checking out those places you mentioned! Thanks for the tips!

(edited to fix a typo that was sure to have have caused the Parisians to sigh disapprovingly in a very French way.)

Edited June 1, 2005 by philadining (log)

[Capaneus]

I've been to Berthillon, and while it's hard to filter the greater experience of wandering the Isle St Luis on a sunny day from the ice cream in the cup, I feel like I can remember the actual taste sensations. I LOVED it! But I'd say my experience from many visits is that Capogiro generally compares favorably to Berthillon, while not being exactly the same thing.

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No *way*! I go to Berthillon as often as I can, and it always amazes. I still remember the first time: they had five lemon flavors on the board. I got them all, and it was one of the most incredible experiences of my gustatory life. Each pristine, crystal clear, totally true, and completely distinct. I like Capogiro, but they're a bit off perfection: they're a little too sweet for my taste, to start with.

[philadining]

No *way*!

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I'll defer to your more frequent, and surely more recent, experiences. I wasn't even trying to claim that one is better than the other, simply that some of the flavors at Capogiro can give me that same kind of rapturous flavor immersion that I can only compare to Berthillon and a few other places. It's a similar proximal phenomenological experience on my particular tongue (which is now tied from trying to say that out loud.) I won't claim it's exactly as good, just in the ball park as my nerve-endings record it!

[serpentine]

For the record, I had the mango champagne at Capogiro this weekend and found it disappointing. Their fruit flavors are usually so intense, but the mango champagne was a miss. The concord grape was excellent, though.

[philadining]

Strawberry Tequila: I never seem to be able to taste any liquor in Capogiro's flavors, but this was still a delicious strawberry sorbetto.

And the Cilantro Lime, because is was freaking hot out.... after a few spoons of that, I didn't care.

[mrbigjas]

Strawberry Tequila: I never seem to be able to taste any liquor in Capogiro's flavors, but this was still a delicious strawberry sorbetto.

i could taste the campari in campari grapefruit. and there was a... vodkaness, i guess... to the lemon/gray goose. but i also couldn't taste the tequila in that one.

[MysticMilt]

The mojito flavor continues to be my go-to favorites, especially when it's bleedin' hot outside. Everything is so perfectly balanced -- the basic sweetness vs. the tart of the lime, plus these divine little flecks of mint. That's heaven in a cup, right there. It's very good with the cherimoya or the star fruit, but most of the time I don't even bother to dillute it. Yum.

Edited June 7, 2005 by MysticMilt (log)