New to Cos Cob is Gelato & Cioccolato, with its roots near Venice, Italy where the tradition of making gelato is passed down from generation to generation.
Located at 232 East Putnam Avenue near the Drawing Room and Arcuri’s ( across the street from Chicken Joe’s), Gelato & Cioccolato, which opened on April 7, offers an authentic Italian experience that must be tried to be appreciated.
Unlike frozen yogurt, gelato is water based. “It’s a preference,” said owner Lucio Lozza who has lived in Greenwich for five years.”We use natural spring water from Vermont.”
“My partner Alessandro Uccelli has 15 years experience in Italy with gelato. He came to visit me and we looked around Greenwich and couldn’t find gelato like we know in Italy. We looked in Westchester or Fairfield County, and though there are some excellent gelato places, we couldn’t find anything,” Lucio recalled. “I said Alessandro, ‘Let’s bring a case of gelato to my neighbors in Greenwich.'”
Lucio said he was happy to find the store location in the heart of Cos Cob where they make gelato fresh every morning to suit a variety of different tastes. “We’re being very creative,” he said. “We use natural ingredients like organic fruit, Italian pistachios and mint extract from Italy.”
“Instead of just ice cream, we wanted to offer something highly authentic,” he continued, adding that his gelato originates in Belunno, just a short drive from Venice in the Dolomite mountains.
Lucio and his partner have brought a bit of that taste to Greenwich. In fact, Gelato & Cioccolato offers 18 different flavors every day. “The fact of having fresh gelato with new flavors every day makes for an original experience,” Lucio said. “And we offer gluten free, dairy-free, and a nut-free options.”
“We don’t use eggs besides the tiramisu and a couple other flavors. It makes the gelato much lighter,” he said. “There are no preservatives or artificial colorings. It’s more healthy than the typical ice cream you buy in the store.”
Lucio said the store’s proximity to Cos Cob School has been great so far. “We’ve had a lot of kids coming in during the day, and couples at night after dinner. There are also people coming from Port Chester and Stamford – and even Larchmont and Mamaroneck.”
Gelato & Cioccolato also has a two-wheel push cart from Italy that that they use for catering and special events. The cart can serve up to 150 people at parties, corporate events, conventions, birthdays, weddings and religious holidays year round. For details check out the website Gelato & Cioccolato.
Lucio said they also look forward to offering gelato cakes in the near future.
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