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!
amarena cherry - amaretto chocolate chip - organic maple caramelized bacon
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”.
If you are interested in owning a Paciugo store, franchise information can be found at their website, http://paciugo.com.
