The shiny, stainless look enclosing cold frozen treats; photo by Kate McFadden for THIH
Pitango Gelato just opened its doors — or big, gleaming glassfront door at 660 Penn Ave., official address, on 7th Street SE, replacing the two former florist tenants–with an offering of flavors so rich and intense yet cold and refreshing, it takes a the brain a moment to distill the multi-faceted sensory input into one cohesive experience.
But the brain will have a long time to adjust, and taste, and readjust again over the course of the day because Pitango does not seem to adhere to the curfew memo every other place appears to have, and will be open until midnight; unless demand should wane a great deal past 10 PM, one of the partners noted.
The chocolate hazelnut gelato, made from Piemonte hazelnuts from Italy, marries the intense richness of the nut with the sweetness of cane sugar and carries it fresh and frozen and thick to the tongue with the yolky goodness of organic, fresh eggs and milk from a Pennsylvania farm run by Mennonites, so one doesn’t know if one is totally virtuous or totally sinning against a whole class of gods when eating it.
Lovers of special house sorbets at favorite restaurants will appreciate the concentrated power of summer’s Concord grape and Mojito to snap the palate out of its doldrums, but once the creaminess and warmth of the gelato takes hold, it is hard to go go back to sorbet; although I heard the vegan options here are great, and include what a woman at the counter told me was the chain’s richest flavor, chocolate noir. Want spice? Both the gelato and the sorbets have hot pepper options among their chocolate flavors.
The website says the main reason it goes through the process of certification as an organic dairy is, “to be able to process our own milk. This allows us to buy raw milk directly from the farmer of our choice.” Chris, a Pitango partner on hand opening day, says Pitango runs its own dairy on the farm. Also, the eggs are used the same day they are laid, according to the website. Even the urban backyard chicken folk can’t compete with that–at least not in the frozen concoction world!
I ended up pairing Crema, an Italian custard I saw a man enjoying as he strolled down the sidewalk, with a scoop of Stracciatella, described by Pitango as a “classic Fior di Latte mixed with Costa Rican chocolate cru chip,”with Sicilian almond because it sounded like frozen biscotti dunked in some gorgeous milky froth, only chilled, and repaired to the steps of the SE Library to enjoy; alas, it was only too bad they had padlocked the garden. I did have second thoughts about the coconut, but coconut is in so many summer products I have for body and soul, I felt it was overkill to down it in gelato, as well. I will be back for you ere long, coconut!
Every ingredient has its own provenance and Pitango showcases them lest one forgets. The gelato, which uses no extracts or pastes, or additives, is made on site, but Chris said it will take about a week to get the temperatures of the gelato stabilized so the gelato is not too frozen or too soft. The staff are veterans of other locations, and the store is applying for outdoor seating, with a meeting or hearing on the matter later this month, according to Chris. So, no need to run with a melting treat to someone else’s front steps!
Of course, I tasted and indulged on an emtpy stomach, not after a pasta and filet or pizza or veal dinner available nearby, so I would recommend the sorbet after a heavy meal, or a stroll or an apres-thunderstorm midnight treat. The gelato is so rich, it is almost a meal-replacer (eggs, nuts, dairy, fresh fruit, and cane sugar–I have eaten far worse for many a meal,) and while a small cup of two flavors is about the price of both a Sweet Lobby macaron and a Hello Cupcake combined, it has enough heft to satisfy sweet and fat cravings and flavor cravings, especially in summer.
Pitango will not be serving coffee, as it does at its other four locations because coffee to go is already available from Peregrine Espresso next door and Marvelous Market down the block , Chris said (not to mention Pound, Starbucks, Port City Java, and Le Pain Quotidien).