Espresso’s Disciples Worship Here: New York Times Features A Morris Park Cafe

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Anna and Domenico Agovino at La Casa del Caffe in the Morris Park section of the Bronx.
SUZANNE DECHILLO / THE NEW YORK TIMES

I gave up coffee years ago due to hypertension issues but after reading this article and watching the video, it makes me want to jump on the 5 train and head to Morris Park to see what all the fuss is about.

From the New York Times:

You can travel to La Casa del Caffe, on Morris Park Avenue in the Bronx, and try to coax Anna Agovino into spilling some of the secrets behind making a perfect cup of coffee. She will shoot you that Fellini-worthy smile of hers, and she’ll be patient with your questions. For a minute or two.

But eventually she’ll throw a simple question back: “You want espresso?”

And you do. That espresso, after all, is the reason you’ve walked into this stark little room with Neapolitan soccer paraphernalia on the walls and zany Italian game shows on the TV. It’s why there tends to be an afternoon line of customers snaking along the counter. If you hover in that line next to Fabio Saglimbeni, a hairdresser who lives in Rockland County and makes a regular pilgrimage to stand and wait for Mrs. Agovino’s careful ministrations, he might turn to you and say, “So you came to have the best coffee in New York City?”

Read the rest of the story to find out how to get to LA Casa Del Caffè and don’t forget to watch the video of Anna!

Ed García Conde

Ed García Conde is a life-long Bronxite who spends his time documenting the people, places, and things that make the borough a special place in the hopes of dispelling the negative stereotypes associated with The Bronx. His writings are often cited by mainstream media and is often consulted for his expertise on the borough's rich history.