Joining the ranks of sports cars and designer handbags, America’s favorite summer treat, ice cream, has gotten a sexy Italian upgrade. New gelato shops selling the slow-churned Italian dessert—traditionally richer and made with less sugar and butterfat than ice cream—are popping up in Chestnut Hill and Back Bay, and the new Babbo Pizzeria e Enoteca is serving up a housemade version in flavors like corn, cantaloupe, Harpoon stout and even olive oil. “It’s so unique,” says pastry chef Kazimir Puntarovic, “and the flavor is incredible.”
And in West Roxbury, 23-year-old Pamela Bardhi has opened Ria Cafe, a European-style gelato cafe that also offers locally made pastries and Lavazza espresso. Bardhi grew up around restaurants (her family owns West Napoli Pizza next door), but she developed her own business model as a senior at Stonehill College to fill a void she saw in the market. “The nearest gelato shop is miles away from here,” she says, “so I figured I wanted to bring something unique to my culture.”
Bardhi sources Ria’s gelato from a supplier in Malden who makes fresh batches at least twice a week. The signature flavor is the indulgent Champagne-dipped strawberry with milk chocolate shavings, but the shop also has non-dairy fruit sorbetti to round out its 16 rotating options. Sweet treats further abound with gelattes—lattes made with gelato—and imported Belgian chocolates. Says Bardhi, “It’s like a dessert heaven.”
Frozen Fever
By Meghan Kavanaugh | Photo Credit: Holly Rike | May 15, 2015
Whole Gelato Love
Joining the ranks of sports cars and designer handbags, America’s favorite summer treat, ice cream, has gotten a sexy Italian upgrade. New gelato shops selling the slow-churned Italian dessert—traditionally richer and made with less sugar and butterfat than ice cream—are popping up in Chestnut Hill and Back Bay, and the new Babbo Pizzeria e Enoteca is serving up a housemade version in flavors like corn, cantaloupe, Harpoon stout and even olive oil. “It’s so unique,” says pastry chef Kazimir Puntarovic, “and the flavor is incredible.”
And in West Roxbury, 23-year-old Pamela Bardhi has opened Ria Cafe, a European-style gelato cafe that also offers locally made pastries and Lavazza espresso. Bardhi grew up around restaurants (her family owns West Napoli Pizza next door), but she developed her own business model as a senior at Stonehill College to fill a void she saw in the market. “The nearest gelato shop is miles away from here,” she says, “so I figured I wanted to bring something unique to my culture.”
Bardhi sources Ria’s gelato from a supplier in Malden who makes fresh batches at least twice a week. The signature flavor is the indulgent Champagne-dipped strawberry with milk chocolate shavings, but the shop also has non-dairy fruit sorbetti to round out its 16 rotating options. Sweet treats further abound with gelattes—lattes made with gelato—and imported Belgian chocolates. Says Bardhi, “It’s like a dessert heaven.”
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