Gelatto is one of my favorite things to eat, especially on a warm summer night. And Georgia has plenty of those hot, sticky, humid summer nights that require slow movement, slow talking and of course gelato as a primer. So what is gelato? And where did it come from? Gelato is milk and sugar combined with additional flavors like fruits or chocolate or nuts. Gelato typically has less than 55% air so that it has a dense and luxurious texture. Gelato made without milk, but in the same process, is sorbetto (sorbet). But I love the fat and therefore go for gelato 9 out 10 times when given the choice. Surprisingly the butterfat (milk fat) content for gelato is only 5-8% whereas traditional North American ice cream runs in the range of 10-18% (god bless Ben and Jerry’s). This higher percentage of butterfat is due in large part to the increased amount of cream used in N.A. ice cream.
So where did gelato come from? If you dig a little bit in the past history has two interesting anecdotes. The Chinese not only created paper and gun powder, but they created the first ice cream machine using rock salt in the agitation process to harden the shaved ice or granita that they were making over 2000 years ago. It is reported that Marco Polo brought not only pasta back to Italy but ice cream as well. Though there is good evidence that ice cream was being made and eaten by Roman emporers centuries before Marco Polo went on his global tour. Sorbetto was most likely introduced to southern Italy via the Arabs who also brought with them sugarcane. The Arabs had a long history of using mountain ice combined with sugar and fruit to make Sharbat (sorbet).
And today we have the Italians to thank for the beautiful advances in this dulce that we now can enjoy nearly everywhere. But not all gelatos are made equal. As with all great food you have to start with excellent base products in order for the finished product to be truly amazing. At Oh Gelatohhh they only use real fruit and traditional Italian techniques in making their gelato. And they hold true to standard Italian classics like Ricotta and Fig, Straciatella, Gianduja and Dulce de Leche.
I sat outside on a bench at City Market Ellis Square in downtown Savannah and enjoyed my delicious serving of Ricotta and Fig gelato. It dripped slowly down my hands as I tried to savor the experience for as long as possible. Tropical storm Fay was still brewing to the south and had already thrown thunder heads up to Georgia as a precursor to the coming rains and the sky was pastel pink, purple and blue on the tips of these giants thunder clouds that stretched across the horizon. Thankfully the clouds were accompanied by a cool breeze and I sat listening to music at Ellis Square and enjoyed a fantastic gelato.
The moral of my tale: search out the best gelato that you can. Sit outside on a hot summer nightand. Let it run down your fingers like you were a little child. Return to a simpler time in life (for at least five minutes) and enjoy the gift of milk, sugar and fruit. Oh ya, and if you are in Savannah stop in at Oh Gelatohhh.
I recently stopped in at Laurent Gras’ new phenom restaurant L20. L-2-0 - As in Laurent and Water, seafood and sunshine, service and ambiance, savory and sweet, etc. What an amazing amount of detail in the food. A few days before we ate at L2O I had to make a small hand delivery of some very old and amazing madeiras. I stood at the back door of the kitchen. I was waiting for Mr Marello to arrive to receive the handsome parcel and I was able to watch the kitchen for a stretch. It was 3:30 in the afternoon and the normal hussle of a kitchen preparing themselves for dinner service is what you’d expect. This was a scene out of the deep entrails of the NY City’s three star Michelin kitchens a la Ducasse. Tight, humming, tense, no conversation, extremely serious countenances on each man and woman, and a fleet of people. This is why gastronomes go to restaurants like Per Se, La Bernadin, Alinea and Charlie Trotters. To experience what a squadron of intense cooks can and will prepare for you to delight, amaze and impress. If you fancy yourself an at home cook who raises the bar, ask to get a visit of a prominent kitchen, to be a fly on the wall, just to get a feel for the intensity and focus of a professional team.
I stood at the back door way and watched as a dozen people scurried about from task to task. There was zero wasted effort, no time for joviality, everyone was there to execute a particular task and prepare for a long evening of service. One of the line cooks was meticulously cleaning the back room where I stood, and essentially apologized for asking me to move the hell out of his way, because he didn’t have time to slow down and I was terribly in the way.
That’s a kitchen!
Suffice it to say that the seafood we had was some of the most flavorful and delightfully presented plates that I’ve seen in years. Of course L20 is expensive, so come prepared to be wowed, drop a brick of dough, and sit for the long haul to experience everything that Gras has in store for you. Oh ya, try the vintage Madeira…1908 Boal will rock your world, or 1875 Malvasia will spin your head (19th Century Wine!!!).
I travel quite a bit for this wild and great wine company and I am very fortunate to meet all types of people from every corner of the USA. Being in the beverage business sometimes requires a bit of drinking and it still boggles my mind that outstanding bartenders are rare in “any town” USA. Bartenders should be the pinnacle of the service profession because their job is the most demanding outside of the pro’s in the kitchen. I thought it would be good to list the ingredients that make an excellent bartender (I’m ranting because of a lame ass bartender that I had last night - location to remain anonymous).
A superlative bartender should hold the golden bar of service at the highest level and in order to achieve this they must be highly organized. Have an excellent memory not only for guests proclivities but also a catalogue of drinks and historical context of cocktails. They must have excellent wine acumen if the bar serves a complex and deep wine list. Attention to detail and activity in their surroundings is critical. Knowing when the guests need attention, another drink, food or simply to be left alone is not hard to discern, but if the bartender does not take the job seriously then he/she won’t make the effort to pay attention to the small details. The bartender is not only a professional, but they are masters of multi tasking. Often the same bartender that makes your delicious libations at the bar is servicing the entire restaurant as servers come every few minutes during a busy evening to snatch away fresh cocktails that sail out to the main dining room.
So why is it that the really good bartenders are in the minority of the population? I kick myself for not knowing what a good sales gig I once had working the front of the house in restaurants years ago. I mean, who in the sales industry make 15-20% commission without ever having to cold call, canvass and find their customers. The customers come to you each night and all they want is knowledgeable and competent service. It is a shame that in America the service in the front of restaurants is looked down upon as a mediocre job or a job that is only in passing. I say to be of service to others, in whatever fashion you choose, is one of the most noble endeavors that we can make.
So go to your local watering hole, where you know the bartender is amazing, and tip him/her extra tonight and thank them for being a professional.
