Procopio Cutò: Difference between revisions

Procopio took up the skills to become a cook, possibly in [[Florence]] or [[Palermo]] on his [[trek]] to France.<ref name ="coffee94/> He [[apprentice]]d under the leadership of [[Armenian]] immigrants Pascal and Maliban.<ref name ="fitch43"> Fitch, p. 43 </ref> Procopio eventually moved to Paris around 1674.<ref name ="coffee94> Ukers, p. 94</ref> There he was a ''distillateur-limonaider'' and opened up a [[kiosk]], referred to as ''la loge de la limonade'', on Foire Saint Germain. There were many of these type of booths and stands that existed then in Paris selling [[confection]]s and drinks.<ref name ="kiefer"> Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quarterly, August 2002, ''Economics and the Origin of the Restaurant'' by Nicholas M. Kiefer</ref>

Prior to Procopio arriving in France there were other "[[cafe|cafes/coffee houses]]" there, however they were not called "cafes" at the time.<ref name ="kiefer"/> Some were referred to as "the site of a lemonade", meaning they sold various cold drinks including [[lemonade]]. It seems that the Armenian immigrant Pascal was the first to call his stand a "cafe" or coffee house.<ref name ="kiefer"/> His attempt at such a business on St. Germain Fair in Paris was not successful.<ref name ="kiefer"/> There was also one in [[Marseille]] in 1644 before Pascal and Procope that became defunct.<ref name ="kiefer"/> There was an unsuccessful attempt to open a coffee house cafe in Paris in 1671, however it failed.<ref name ="kiefer"/> When Procopio opened his extant ''cafe'' in 1686 it was called "[[Le Procope]]", his nickname in French.<ref name ="portinari"/>

Procopio introduced the Italian "ice cream" gelato at his cafe and is one of the first to sell this new European product directly to the public.<ref> [http://www.thenewstoday.info/2009/03/04/angelati.italia.gelato.in.al.dente.html Angelati Italia Gelato in Al Dente] </ref><ref> ''Galeto found commercial success in France in 1686, where it was created by Sicilian Francesco Procopio dei Cotelli at Cafe Procope in Paris.'' [http://books.google.com/books?id=a3BVQUIFc2UC&pg=PT12&lpg=PT12&dq=gelato+Francesco+Procopio+dei+Coltelli&source=bl&ots=HZD-FCx8vZ&sig=I9nXCoA7qBO4RmDBYfs-69z1txU&hl=en&ei=u9YRStTQO5O6M7u70P4M&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=6#PPT12,M1 Gelato! By Pamela Sheldon Johns] </ref> It was served in small [[porcelain]] bowls that resembled egg cups.<ref name ="gelatohistory1>[http://www.whygelato.com/gelato101/history.asp Gelato - History]</ref> He is sometimes referred to as "The Father of Italian gelato".<ref> Moramarco, p. 208 ''The father of Italian gelato is Francesco Procopio dei Coltelli, a Sicilian aristocrat who established a chain of coffee houses throughout Europe in the late seventeenth century.''</ref> He offered a melange of refreshments including "iced water", Italian Ice, iced fruits, iced creams and strawberry sorbet.<ref name ="gelatocream"> [http://www.gelatodream.com/printable.htm Gelato Cream]</ref>

Procopio opened his cafe about the same time that the [[Comédie Française]] opened their doors.<ref name = "rothrock"/> Conveniently their business was located across the street from his.<ref name = "rothrock"/> Procopio's cafe and "ice cream" establishment was the first in France to serve coffee which attracted many actors, writers, musicians, poets, philosophers, revolutionaries, statesmen, scientists, dramatists, stage artists, playwrites, literary critics and Americans to frequent his establishment.<ref name = "rothrock"/> It is considered the most famous and successful cafe in Paris.<ref name ="gelatohistory1/><ref name ="gelatocream"/> To fans of French history Procopio's business is considered ''the holy grail of Parisian cafes.''<ref> [http://carolyncholland.wordpress.com/2008/08/06/procope-cafe-paris-part-2/ PROCOPE CAFÉ, PARIS Part 2] </ref>

Procopio's café became a very popular cultural and political gathering place. Certain notable people that frequented the cafe throughout history have been [[Voltaire]], [[Maximilien Robespierre]], [[Victor Hugo]], [[Paul Verlaine]], [[Honoré de Balzac]] [[Pierre Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais]], [[François-Marie Arouet]], [[Jean-Jacques Rousseau]], [[Alain-René Lesage]], [[Georges Danton]], [[Jean-Paul Marat]], [[Honoré de Balzac]] and [[Denis Diderot ]].<ref name ="portinari"/> Even [[Benjamin Franklin]], [[Thomas Jefferson]] and [[John Paul Jones]] visited Procopio's cafe not only for coffee and intellectual conversations, but for gelato.<ref name ="gelatohistory"/><ref name ="coffee94/> There are words above the door at Procopio's establishment that read: ''Cafe a la Voltaire''.<ref name = "rothrock"/>