While I like to pretend that I am a woman of few vices, it is well documented that my obsession with gelato verges on the “get help soon” side. When I was asked to meet with Cristiana Ginatta, the “flavor maker” for Paciugo Gelato & Caffè, I may have shed a tear.
Paciugo, founded in 2000 by Italian-born Ugo and Cristiana Ginatta, and later joined by their son Vincent Ginatta, is a franchise based in Dallas, Texas. The company is interested in bringing the brand to the New Orleans area, so I met with them while they were in town for a food vendors convention at the Sheraton Hotel.
I cannot recall ever having gelato for breakfast before then, but I can safely say that it is how everyone should start their day. After shaking hands with the founding crew, Cristiana invited me behind her case to get a good view of the flavors she made only hours earlier with her portable gelato machine.
This is probably as good of a time as any to declare how sweet and personable Cristiana is. It’s quite possible that I may do so again before the end of this post.
As I tasted, Cristiana told me how the gelati and sorbetti are made daily in small batches, and have no added preservatives or high fructose corn syrup. (Some flavors, like the Roasted Banana Cashew Heath Crunch, incorporates items that are not all-natural.) The gelato is made with whole milk, rather than cream, so that they contain fewer calories and grams of fat than most ice creams. Their sorbetti are generally fat-free, and they even offer flavors that have no added sugar or are soy-based. Frozen fun for everyone!
strawberry balsamic vinegar - pannacotta - fondente dark chocolate
Yes, pork fiends. That is gelato with bacon mixed in. Apparently, Austin loved it.
After sampling every flavor Cristiana had made that day, I found myself amazed by the quality of the ingredients and the smooth texture. I will be honest; While walking to the hotel, I wondered how good could a chain’s gelato really be. I’ve never been happier to be proven wrong. And have I mentioned how delightful Cristiana is? Just making sure you’re listening.
The Pecan Praline haunts me. Sweet, crunchy nuts.
While I do not have photos of it, I was gifted with a few bags of their Gran Miscela coffee, both ground and whole bean. I am a very picky coffee drinker, to say the least, but I’ve been enjoying the heck out of the Paciugo Miscela Vienna Roast. Ugo hand-selected the beans himself, and it shows. I have some crappy beans at home I’ve been suffering through, if only to not be wasteful, but working my Tuesday/Wednesday day job has been easier to get into in the A.M. with this roast at my desk. I am going to be quite sad when it’s gone.
While we don’t have a Paciugo to enjoy in New Orleans (yet), I’ve noted how business has been heating up in the realm of frozen desserts. Creole Creamery has made a name for itself with their traditional setting and creative concoctions. Sucré offers the convenience of appeasing a wide variety of sweet-seekers (and soon to be in Jefferson Parish, as well). La Divina nabs the locavores with their natural gelatos. I would be amiss to dismiss Meltdown Gourmet Popsicles and one of the newest contenders, Pinkberry. I’m omitting a ton of frozen confectioneries, but you can see where I’m going here. When I was a kid, you went to Angelo Brocato for Italian Ice or you went to one of the chains in any neighborhood. (Remember Zack’s Famous Frozen Yogurt? There’s one opening up on Magazine Street soon.) While I see that all of these business owners are ultimately in the same industry, with the proper marketing and branding strategy, there truly is room for every palate and budget. When Paciugo decides to enter the New Orleans market, I think location will make them or break them. I’m not a business major, and this isn’t a business magazine, but if you want to buy me a cup of coffee or a drink, I will tell you all about my ideas on ice cream business zoning strategy. Or, you can buy my brand new book, Leslie’s Ice Cream Business Zoning Strategies, for only $29.99. (Ok, I’m just kidding about that.)
It was such a pleasure to meet the Ginattas, and I wish them great success, whether a Paciugo opens in New Orleans or not. But I do hope it is the former, as I can really get behind a family that goes by the motto “Ante Lucrum Nomen — Reputation Before Profit”.
Once upon a time, there was a deliciously tangy and refreshing frozen confectionery dessert and it was called Pinkberry. Pinkberry was very popular on the East and West Coasts, but was mostly unknown in the South. This made Pinkberry very sad. Then one day, two princesses, Celie and Courtney Stumm, decided to open a Pinkberry of their own in New Orleans and the Uptown residents rejoiced at its arrival. There was free Pinkberry for everybody and they all lived happily ever after. The end.
Alright, so it might not quite have gone down that way, but Pinkberry certainly does seem to be well-received in New Orleans. The Magazine Street location did not officially open until Friday the 16th, but NOLA Eats was invited to attend the Grand Opening Preview Party as VIP guests. How could we say no?
Upon our arrival, we walked the pink carpet to the VIP tent. We were able to select our flavor, so since I had never tasted Pinkberry before, I had to go with their original recipe. There was a spread of almost any topping you could think of, including fresh cut pineapple, kiwi, berries and…wait for it…Fruity Pebbles. Daniele was brave enough to try the Cap’n Crunch on her serving, but I don’t think she expected to find that it was more fun than wretched. Apparently, Pinkberry brings well-known locals to the yard, as we saw Jackie Clarkson, Stacy Head and Morris Bart in attendance. Jason Lee (of “Clerks” and “Mall Rats” fame) was reportedly in attendance as well, but I suppose we were just too darn busy gobbling up our delicious desserts to notice. The yogurt itself was light, refreshing and had a mellow tang. My fruit toppings – pineapple, kiwi and strawberry – were firm and fresh. Daniele agreed and had this to say: “I guess I was expecting Pinkberry to taste like all of the other fro-yo I’ve had in my life: a low fat imitation of ice cream. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that Pinkberry actually tastes like yogurt – light, sweet and tangy.”
While I try to buy, dine and eat local as much as possible, I welcome our new frozen yogurt overlords. I’ve been more conscious lately of the amount of ice cream-type products I consume, and, to put it nicely, Pinkberry kicks TCBY’s patootie. A half-cup of Pinkberry’s original yogurt is free of rBST hormones, gluten and fat, and is only 100 calories. I think you can officially call me a Groupie.
I was suffering from a MAJOR sweet tooth, but wanted nothing to do with a pastry or cookie from the food court across the street. Instead, I called up my pals over at Yokohama Sushi (201 Baronne St.) and they delivered me a fun fried banana to satisfy my craving.
RSVP is not necessary, but if you’re pretty certain you will be attending, give me a little wave in the comments section to help me plan accordingly. I want to make sure there’s enough sweets to go around. Hope to see you there!
Graphic design by long-time member, friend and artist/designer Windi Sebren
Ok, not really, but I am bringing The Locals’ Choice back! You guys gave me some great feedback on where your favorite gumbo is served. With this arctic chill that’s been keeping the New Orleans area hostage, I have had bread pudding on the brain.
Credit: Randy Mayor; Katie Stoddard
I’ve only indulged in one local eatery’s bread pudding so far this year (which I will report on in the comments), but if my calculations are correct, I will be requiring more of this Louisiana favorite to keep my tummy warm. Please comment with your favorite spot for bread pudding, or if you have a recipe, share with the class!
Whether you were born and raised here or a recent arrival, you’ve got to have at least one king cake to celebrate Mardi Gras in New Orleans. I want to help you kick off your Carnival season properly with a FREE king cake from my favorite bakery, Maurice French Pastries.
How do you get a shot at winning? Comment on this blog entry, give us a mention on Twitter (we’re @NOLA_Eats) or drop us a comment on the NOLA Eats Facebook Page with your funniest or most embarrassing Mardi Gras moment. It’s that easy and, man, it will be worth the price of this king cake just to get a chuckle from all of your crazy stories. Just be certain that I can contact you somehow should you win.
Now, there is one catch; You must be a local to win this prize as you must be able to pick up the cake from the CBD. (Sorry to my out-of-town readers! I promise to have something for you guys in the near future.) You can even do a drive-by if you don’t want to park, but you’ve got to come pick it up. I will take the names of those participating and use a list randomizer to select the winner. Stories will be collected until 11:59pm tonight, NOLA time. The winner will be announced tomorrow afternoon, right around lunch time, which is when you can come and claim your delicious Maurice French Pastry king cake. Good luck!
Okay, hold up! It has occurred to me that not all my readers know what this Mardi Gras business is all about. There are a slew of people that are more knowledgeable in the history and traditions than I am, so here are a few great links to graze upon:
Last weekend, we took the kids to check out The Roosevelt Hotel’s lobby, all decked out for the holidays. A tradition that began in the 1940s is back after a few year-long hiatus, but much more elegant than I recall it being. After strolling under the white birch trees, shiny baubles and twinkling lights, we stepped into Teddy’s Café, which had a mostly edible train table and village on display. I had to tell our four-year-old that the chocolates and candies were sprayed with a preservative that would make him sick if he ate any of it, just so that half the display wouldn’t disappear. When a lady was watching my seemingly innocent child gaze in wonder, she asked him if he liked it. He replied with, “Yes, but it’s poison.” I am not certain what she thought about that, because she promptly walked away. Happy holidays, lady!
The mood was perfectly set for an early holiday event, but I did have one issue with Teddy’s, and since this is a food blog, I will share it with you. While the adults’ coffees were good and the children’s hot chocolates very delicious, I was a bit disappointed that beverages were served in paper cups. So much attention has been paid to the decor and furnishings that paper cups just do not fit in. Teddy’s Café is the type of place I would like to hold a hot cup to sip from and warm my hands after a brisk walk from work. Instead, I had to suggest that my children’s hot chocolate be double-cupped, since they were out of those little cardboard hand protectors. No one wants to drink hot chocolate from a covered paper cup. How are you supposed to get to the whipped cream?
The desserts we ordered were fine, with my husband’s espresso slice o’ heaven being the clear winner. I have previously enjoyed some of their artisan chocolates and they were quite good, especially for the price.
If you haven’t had the chance to visit The Roosevelt Hotel or are a long-distance reader, please enjoy these pictures I took. I am still experimenting with the different features on my camera, but these are some of the better shots.
Combine new media & social networking with food & libations and you get NOLA Eats, a New Orleans-based social dining group and blog. Founder, Event Coordinator and habitual socializer Leslie J. Almeida writes about her favorites in New Orleans restaurants and nightlife while promoting a "live local" lifestyle.
You can follow more of Leslie's NOLA adventures by connecting with her on Twitter, Facebook and Flickr.
