This is one of the strangest shops I've ever been in. It is one of the very last Italian owned establishments in Trenton's old Little Italy, Chambersburg. It is run by an old couple who seem to own the building as well. There is some music in there, along with antiques, various food goods and other assorted stuff. It is mostly a hangout for the old Italians left in the neighborhood, and there are several plastic chairs for them to sit down, relax, and watch Italian TV. I wouldn't call the place clean, but not really dirty either: just old. Charm and/or grit aside, there is some special stuff to be had here.
A great espresso is almost impossible to find, even in NY. Most of the old places don't take the trouble anymore, and the new Batali-zed places just aren't that good. This is one of the last old holdouts. The espresso here, brewed by a beautiful, large, well cleaned copper machine topped with a brass eagle, by a older gentlemen who knows how to work it, is sublime. It's one of the best I've had, even if it gets served in a styrofoam cup (can't make this shit up)! From the body, to the quality of the beans used, to the crema, it is about as close to perfection as you can get. On top of this, the old couple also makes their own gelati and cannoli. The gelati was mostly fruit flavors so I passed on that and cannot comment, but the cannolo I had was great as well. They keep the cannoli cream in the same freezer as the gelati, so don't get confused like I did: they aren't putting ice cream in your cannoli. The cream was up there with the best I've had, and I am extremely picky when it comes to cannoli; in fact, it was better than any I had in Italy. The only complaint is that the shell could've been a bit fresher, but is still packed most of the great flavor a homemade shell should have (key word: homemade). Given how many customers they get--not many)--this is understandable. Here's how my visit ended:
Me: "What do I owe ya"
Old Man: "$4.50"
Me: "I wanted to pay for the 2 espressos too"
Old Man: "Yea"
Me: I stare for a sec, thinking "I love you.", then I pay
Old Man: Shakes head and makes change
I hope this couple turns out to be immortal, because sadly they're the last of a dying breed. I go here every time I'm remotely by Trenton, and I always will. Call this the cafe that time forgot. God Bless. read more