ICE QUEEN : MEET KASSI COHEN LOWENSTEIN

Whole Foods’ offerings just got sweeter by carrying Gelato Petrini. Known as the go-to for top chefs and iconic landmarks (think Buccan and The Breakers), it is now ready for mass fandom. The Delray-based gelato operation has been slowly balancing commercial sales with retail forays as it continues to expand and delight a wider audience. Run by two foodie families, the Cohens and the Petrinis, the brand strives to bring Italian, small batch artistry to South Florida. “This is the closest you are going to get to being in Rome with a gelato. It is that authentic, but made in our Florida backyard,” says Kassi Cohen, VP of Marketing and Sales.

In a year, Gelato Petrini’s Florida factory churns out over a million gallons of gelato and sorbet in more than five hundred flavors. They have even created signature collaborations for chefs and VIPs around the country. “Some of my favorite flavors, and it’s hard to pick your favorite child, are Millefoglie and Caramel Macchiato. We start with gourmet green coffee beans that we import directly ourselves.  We then have the beans roasted locally in South Florida fresh to order and then cold brew for 36 hours to create the smooth, deep and rich base for this amazing flavor.  Once the gelato is frozen, we stud it with gourmet salted caramel truffles.  It's the coffee aficionado's new obsession.”

Forget your morning joe, run, don’t walk to Whole Foods, Josephs or FreshMarket. These pints should be on anyone’s quarantine shopping list. And when you get home: Masks off, spoons in.

GELATO PRIMER

We lobbed a few sample questions to the lovely (and skinny!) Kassi Cohen of Gelato Petrini.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ICE CREAM AND GELATO?

Gelato is lower in fat and air, but a much higher flavor quotient. It’s the real deal.

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE CRAZIEST FLAVORS YOU’VE CREATED?

Don Julio 1942 Tequila gelato for The Trophy Room restaurant in Wellington, pink tomato and basil for a Swank Farm dinner and maple bourbon bacon pecan for a private event. 

WHAT’S IT LIKE WORKING WITH YOUR FAMILY? There is nothing like family. It’s all the love and fists from growing up, but at the end of the day there is no better way to spend your time. 

WHAT IS THE SECRET TO STAYING SKINNY (LIKE YOU) WHILE EATING GELATO?

Sample spoons. LOL

THANKS! XO, BPB