The Gelato Fiasco’s Pumpkin Pie Gelato is Thanksgiving Day food-coma delicious and you will definitely be raving about it. According to co-founder and CEO Josh Davis, that reaction is exactly the measure of success for every flavor—he wants to see customers gushing as they leave the store. When we visited the Maine Street store last week, we were not disappointed.
Known for its generous sampling policy, the gelatoria offers many classic and seasonal flavors to try. One flavor of note was the Candied Ginger Gelato, a creamy and sweet rendition of the Asian spice. Its silky consistency was balanced by textural flecks of crystalized ginger. Spiced Apple Cider, Cinnamon, and Wild Maine Blueberry all delighted the palate.
Josh Davis and his co-founder Bruno Tropeano, met at college in Boston. Close friends with similar interests, their first business venture was a real estate company, but the duo quickly realized their real passion was for gelato.
We asked how a flavor go from casual idea (Wasabi Gelato, anyone?) to product. The Gelato Fiasco chefs and co-founders certainly have no shortage of inventive ideas for new flavors. Davis remarked that he goes to bed dreaming of potential flavors and that he and Tropeano use a book of over 1,000 gelato recipes that include customer flavor suggestions.
The next step in creating a new flavor is where the art and science of gelato making come in. The duo use a hot-press process that binds the sugar to the water to create gelatos and sorbettos that are refined, smooth and never icy or soupy. The Dark Chocolate Noir Sorbetto tastes richer and creamier than any other chocolate because of this mastery of molecular chemistry. Gelato contains very few ingredients, so proportion is key. A fruit sorbetto tastes different depending on the ripeness and seasonality of the ingredients, and Davis and Tropeano have to compensate for out-of-season strawberries with extra sugar or less lemon juice.
Many of the eclectic flavors have anecdotal significance. Sweet Resurgam, for instance, was named in honor of the city of Portland, which burned to the ground on two separate occasions (resurgam means “I will rise again”). Echoing this theme, the base flavor is burnt sugar and the addition of roasted almonds, chocolate chips and salted caramel makes it, according to Davis, the store’s most popular flavor ever.
Davis developed his favorite flavor, Molasses Peppermint, as a tribute to a childhood road trip in his family’s motorhome. He fondly remembers a visit to an ice cream stand that marketed this minty flavor. He said he’s dreamed of owning his own gelato store to recreate the taste experience.
“Making our own flavors,” said Davis, “that’s one of the benefits of having a gelato store!”
It’s a benefit for friends and family, too. Davis’ longtime girlfriend craved a dairy-free chocolate peanut butter flavor. One day after missing a return flight from a business trip, he whipped up the flavor as an apology. The Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Sorbetto frequently stocks the store’s freezer.
Although every flavor we sampled was delectable, Davis said experimental gelatos don’t always strike popular demand. The Sweet Vidalia Onion Gelato “was probably our most epic fail,” said Davis. The pungent aroma permeated the entire gelato case, exposing the Brownie Batter, Caramel Sea Salt and Cookie Therapy gelatos to a mild, onion-y aftertaste.
Their philosophy is geared toward customer satisfaction, which is evident from the moment you step in the store. The gelato scoopers are unbelievably friendly, and genuinely don’t mind giving you a taste of every flavor in the case—we know from experience.
Davis himself is similarly approachable; he spent an hour chatting with us and it seemed like he could have gone on chatting for an hour more.