Old Old School in Bushwick: Caffe Europa
Only a few old cafés exist in Bushwick from the time before everything went dark. One of them is Caffe Europa, at the corner of Wyckoff and Harman. The exterior recalls a late-60s/early-70s redo — the storefront is positively caked in yellow melamine. Inside, the counter had an early-80s redo, another laminate victim, this with hot pink diamonds and a stainless steel stripe on a maroon background. The place is sparse: a few tables and chairs, also from the 80s, and a table in the back with an ever-present gaggle of Italian men playing cards and drinking espresso and tiny bottles of chinotto from the refrigerator case.
Behind the counter is a set of mirror-backed shelves with even more nothing. A few glasses here and there, some random boxes of panettone, and a newspaper clipping of the Clintons that looks like it’s been taped up there since the Clinton Administration. Also behind the counter: the espresso machine.
You can of course order and pay for and down your espresso right there at the bar, but you can also sit down and the barista will bring it to you, along with two glasses of seltzer. The espresso is some of the best I have had in New York. That may seem counterintuitive considering Bushwick’s indisputable lack of sophistication in most customs European, but consider this: Caffe Europa is one of three or so places that I know of in Bushwick that has survived the decades to serve members of a tiny extant Italian population who only drink espresso. That’s quite a filter to pass through.
Warning: eat something before you have the espresso here, it’s high-octane. Each time, I’m jittery for hours afterward, and I am a daily coffee drinker.
Caffe Europa, 201 Wyckoff Avenue at Harman Street
March 4th, 2008 at 6:59 pm
ooh, I’m def going there, i love espresso! plus I’m Italian! **baci**
March 4th, 2008 at 10:53 pm
I grew up around the corner from what is now Caffee Europa. In fact when i was a youngster I used to walk the dog and wait for my father to come home from work on that corner as he walked from the subway on Stanhope St,
I do not recall it being there in the early 70s but I could be wrong.. I beleive int he 50s/60s it was probably a bar/grilltype of place..there were alot of those on Wyckoff avenue
March 5th, 2008 at 10:21 am
I checked out the cafe europa and didn’t feel particularly welcome. All eyes turned on me and I realized that all the guys were smoking cigars and watching sports on the big screen. Reminds me of an old mafia hang out, but maybe I’ve just watched too many Sopranos episodes.
March 5th, 2008 at 1:32 pm
Jeremy do they serve anything else besides espresso?
March 5th, 2008 at 2:19 pm
Yeah, it’s a bit social-clubby. As far as other products, I think all they have is beverages and a box full of like Hostess cakes. It’s definitely a place to go for espresso or cappuccino and that’s it. But I’ve been three times and sat there chatting with friends and we were treated like customers of any cafe would expect.
March 6th, 2008 at 6:51 am
I remember these cafes very well. But, you should realize that they are not relics of the old Italian exodus into Williamsburg and Bushwick that occurred in the early part of the last century. They, instead, reflect the new wave of Italian immigration that occurred as a direct result of the 1960’s immigration reforms. Before then, very few Italians - and, for that matter, Poles or East European Jews - could legally immigrate into the USA because of the racist laws that were enacted in the 1920’s. These laws created rigid quotas that blatantly restricted non-north-west European immigration. (The fact that most Northwest Europeans had no interest in immigrating was besides the point!)
Because of these reforms, thousands of southern and eastern Europeans were able to legally enter the USA and, in time, become citizens. Many of these Italians emigrated into Williamsburg and - to a lesser but not insignificent degree - Bushwick and Ridgewood. In fact, if it had not been for this develo[ment, Bushwick’s Italian population would have disappeared even earlier than it did.
The new Italians brought the cafes with them. The older Italian residents were more inclined to drink their espresso at home and spend their leisure time at the many bars and social clubs - which were basically bars - that once dotted Wyckoff Avenue. The fact that Cafe Europa replaced on old bar speaks directly to this point.
In the 1970’s there were a number of these cafes situated mostly on Wyckoff and Knickerbocker. A particularly large one was located on Wyckoff between Stanhope and Himrod. I think it is now a Spanish restaurant, which only demonstrates how things continue to change.
March 6th, 2008 at 6:58 pm
I walked by Caffe dela Notte on Knickerbocker across from Maria Hernandez Park today. They are gutting the place out but I couldn’t tell what is next. This place was very similar to Cafe Europa, very basic.
March 6th, 2008 at 9:09 pm
Grew up around the corner and hung out on that corner my friend still lives next door. The caffe,1975-1994 was more of a gambiling spot.back then in the back room where slots & card games ,got into alot of fights wit the italins at that cafe me and the fellas on da block.was known as kid57 back then.
March 23rd, 2008 at 6:31 am
I would say almost “all” of the italian cafes in the bushwick/ridgewood area must be all fronts. they’re not welcoming at all, never busy, and it always looks more like a social club than a cafe.