L'Italo-Americano

L'Italo-Americano THURSDAY, JANUARY 22, 2015 www.italoamericano.com 6 Dimmi tutto, the new Cafe teaching how to have coffee in the perfect Italian style Making an Italian coffee is co n s id er ed an ar t. Bu t w h at about having a real espresso and enjoying that moment as most Italians do? While the ability of preparing a good coffee has been improving since Italians came to America, the Italian way of hav- in g aw ay co f f ee h as n ev er become a real trend. Let's imag- ine of being in Rome: you walk in th e caf e, s ay h ello to th e b ar is ta an d f ir s t as k fo r an espresso. In the meantime, while the coffee is ready, you chat with th e "b ar is ta" an d o th er cu s - tomers standing at the counter. Most times, if you are a regular customer, your coffee will be there for you, without even say- ing a word. Th is is th e I talian co f fee experience a new cafe in North Beach, in San Francisco, is try- ing to offer to customers. Dimmi Tutto Cafe opened a few weeks ago on Broadway street and may become soon one of the main attractions in the Italian neigh- b o u r h o o d . Th e d ay w e met Francesco and Grace, they were g ettin g r ead y f o r th e G r an d Opening. Lot of work for such a small place they like to call "a pop-up cafe": while explaining how and when they came up with the idea, they barely talk about themselves. Focused on the unique experience they want to give to their customers, they first tell us how everything start- ed. "It was kind of a joke", Francesco stated first. "I always thought of having a place where to make good coffee. By talking to my partner, we thought about something different: why don't we have a caffè in a patio? We had the location, which turns into a club at night, to use to serve coffee during the day. And this is what we did." Dimmi tutto (tell me every- th in g). S u ch an in teres tin g name… We were going crazy by find- ing a name. So, Grace said: can you please tell me something dif- ferent than buongiorno or come stai? That was the moment when I thought: why don't we wel- come our customers as if we were in Italy? Dimmi tutto basi- cally means "Let me know what I can do for you!" And that's how we picked the name! Which kind of experience will your customers have? I would like people to walk in and talk to me. We don't serve coffee in paper cup, the only way is to drink coffee in ceramics cups by standing at the counter or sitting on the little couch. It's not a coffee-to-go place, we want them to enjoy their coffee with- out walking away. This is the real "bar all'italiana". What's the difference com- pared to other cafes? We have products coming from Italy. We don't buy them by distributors, which means our products are made in Italy and delivered right to our door. We don't have coffee or brioches with an Italian brand but made in the US or Canada. The coffee comes from my homeland, Puglia (Apulia), as well as can- noli, cornetti, and bomboloni. If you want an Italian breakfast, you can't help but eat at least one of these pastries filled with crema or nutella! Any specialty will you be serving? The coffee itself is a special- ty: Saicaf is the brand my mom has been using ever since. This coffee belongs to Puglia and Pugliesi and I can remember the same package since I was young. My idea is to make coffee but also to sell it to my customers who - I am sure - will love mak- ing it at home using their moka. A n d w h at is th e "D immi cremino"? I cannot share the secrets of this special drink, but I can guar- antee it has the best taste on earth. It's neither a real coffee or an ice cream, it's exactly in betw een. The machine w e imported from Italy does not have metal palettes and the tem- perature is not the same for ice cream. This is the only way the ingredients can mix and create this smooth, creamy, and deli- cious coffee-based drink. How will you be promoting the place? SERENA PERFETTO We have not started a real promotion yet. Our main goal is to take care of customers and try to give them the best quality in coffee and food. The idea is to make changes in the menu on the way, ask people to experi- ence our foods and drinks and tell us w hat they think. We would like to teach them some- thing they don't know, we want them to try new things and, if they like them, to come back! While the opening took place at evening, with free coffee and homemade food, Dimmi tutto opens on daily time, serving not only coffee and breakfast pas- tries. The menu will come soon with "specials of the day", giv- ing customers the real Italian experience of having a coffee or a panino in a cozy place, without necessarily walk away. Francesco and Grace, the owners of Dimmi Tutto Jan. 27, Tues. - International Holocaust Remembrance Day. An evening of readings and music. Giorno della Memoria It was designated by the United Nations General Assembly to occur on the anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi concentra- tion camps. Info: (415) 788-7142 or Email: contact.sanfranci- sco@esteri.it Jan. 30, Fri. - We Are All Made of Stardust. New works by Penelope Chiara Cocchi, a talented young artist from Bologna who is already known to the American public. From January 15 to February 10, 2015, Penelope will bring the magic of the stars amid the Institute's walls. Info: (415) 788-7142 or Email: con- tact.sanfrancisco@esteri.it Feb. 3, Tues. - Italian Community Services and Business Association Italy America (ICS/BAIA) event at Club Fugazi, home of the Beach Blanket Babylon, 678 Green Street, San Francisco. Info at agency@italiancs.com or tel. (415) 362-3565 Feb. 8, Sun. - Le Donne D'Italia Bubbly & Bingo. Join San Francisco's Italian Womens' Club for lunch and a afternoon filled with fun, and Bubbly and Bingo with cash prizes, at the Italian Athletic Club. For more details and tickets contacts Antonette 415-509-4810 or email sagit19@aol.com Mar. 3, Tues. - Exhibit Opening: Botticelli to Braque: Masterpieces from the National Galleries of Scotland. Some of the most iconic images in the history of Western art as they travel to San Francisco. March 7, 2015–May 31, 2015 De Young Museum. Golden Gate Park | 50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive, 415.750.3600 Through Apr. 19, 2015- Primo Angeli: A Retrospective. The Museo Italo Americano will exhibit the works of San Francisco design legend, Primo Angeli. Info: Phone: (415) 673-2200 , E- mail: sfmuseo@sbcglobal.net Fort Mason Center, 2 Marina Blvd., Building C The machine imported from Italy to create the special drink "Dimmi cremi- no"

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