Just one month shy of their first anniversary, Paciugo Gelato has become a go-to destination for gelato in Hermosa Beach.  With this location being the first of this chain in California, people are coming in droves for what may be the best gelato in the South Bay.  As the word gets out, their motto almost seems like a self fulfilling prophecy: “reputation before profit”.

A Serendipitous Discovery

Oddly enough, I knew about Paciugo before I visited the store….sort of.  I knew that there was always this little cart at the Hermosa farmer’s market with the most amazing gelato.  I had a cup and some samples every now and then but I didn’t take notice until The Duo Dishes extolled the greatness of a South Bay gelato shop as the “best in show” at a recent food festival.  The next time I was at the market, I saw the oddly spelled name on the cart and it clicked: so that was the gelato that they were talking about!

I spoke with Brittny, the young lady managing the cart and told her about the praise their gelato received from the festival and my roundabout way of figuring out who and where they were.  With many of the vendors in markets, I explained, I really never thought about them having a store that customers could visit outside of the market.  Brittny insisted I come down to the shop to see the full operation and try a few more flavors.

It was an offer I couldn’t refuse.

Adventures in Gelato Tasting

Later in the week, I met with Brittny in the Hermosa Beach shop, located at 1034 Hermosa Ave.  The entrance to the store, which is located just a block from the beach, was lined with a few tables.  Each table was mated with two chairs facing the street, perfectly positioned for people watching.  The doors were open and just inside were more small tables and comfy lounge chairs.  Two features inside the store are unmistakable.  To the left was the first; an enormous mural of the Italian city Brittny and her mom had visited that inspired them to open a gelato shop back home.  The other, to the right, was the long, gleaming counter filled with fresh gelato.

There were so many flavors!  With almost 250 flavors available to them, Paciugo shops carry about 30 different flavors each day.  Of those, several are favorite or classic flavors that are featured daily.  As we chatted in front of the counter, it became harder for me to focus; I was practically staring at the cool treats waiting behind the glass.  Brittny must have realized my attention deficit and invited me to try some of the flavors they were serving.

With some many to choose from, I didn’t know where to start.  Interestingly enough, Brittny’s mom, Monien, had taken a look at my blog before my visit and saw that I was a sucker for key lime pie and rum.  Sure enough, there was a key lime pie gelato ready to be sampled.  Also available was a banana flambé which was made with a rum raisin base and topped with dolce de leche.  Wow.  I started with those two and was instantly impressed.  The key lime was like biting into a real lime, just smoother, creamier, and without the tartness.  The crisp, mixed-in graham cracker crust gave it a perfect balance of texture.  The banana flambé was also an explosion of flavor with the mellow banana playing nicely against the sweet rum.

I tried several more flavors in rapid succession and was blown away by each one.  I had to slow down for a minute to collect my thoughts, take some notes, and regroup a bit.  Each one was truly amazing.  Some of the ones I tried were:

• Rose – A bright pink treat, flavored with real roses. It was light and refreshing.
• Pistachio – Available daily, this one is light green and sprinkled with the namesake nuts. Features California and Sicilian pistachios for two distinct but complimentary nut flavors. This was one of my favorites.
• Pannacotta – Known as wedding cake, this one was like biting into a sweet, velvety, icing covered cake. This is one of the classic flavors featured almost daily.
• Tiramisu – Also featured daily, this one tastes just like the popular Italian dessert of the same name.
• NSA Strawberry Milk – I thought the NSA meant “no strings attached”. It might as well since it really means “no sugar added”. Made with Splenda, this one has a lighter fruit flavor.
• Bubble Gum – ‘Nuff said.
• Black Cherry Swirl – Covered with plump, dark cherries, this one starts off pleasantly bitter and finishes with a tangy, delayed sweetness.

  

• Baked White Peach – Another favorite fruit of mine, I was compelled to sample the white peach flavor. Also with a lighter fruit flavor, this one really tasted baked! It was reminiscent of licking the bowl after finishing a serving of peach cobbler. The flavor started out subtly sweet and expanded into an almost crust-like finish. How do they do that!?

One of my favorites by far was the Black Pepper and Olive Oil.  Mmmmmmmm.  I’ll say again that I’m a fan of all things sweet and savory and this one was perfect.  It was at the same time spicy, sweet, and extra smooth in texture.  Whoever thought of this combination gets major respect from me!

In addition to the gelato that has folks lining up by the dozens, Paciugo also features coffees, shakes, and specialty Italian desserts, all of which had me on the verge of drooling.  Brittny asked if I would be the test subject for one of the servers that needed to learn how to make a gelato shake.  I was glad to volunteer.   I chose hazelnut and café mocha to be blended with espresso. Delicious!

More Than Good Gelato, a Good Neighbor

As I chatted with Brittny and Monien, customers flowed in and out of the store.  The kids, just at eye level with the colorful goodies inside, pressed eagerly against the glass of the counter as they picked out their flavor.  The parents seemed to be in good spirits as well, perhaps with the idea that this treat was a preferable one to ice cream since gelato has about 70% less fat than other ice creams.  They might have also been happy with the idea of giving back to a benefactor.  Monien explained to me that every second Wednesday of each month, the store donates 10% of their total sales to the Hermosa Beach school district.

As smiling customers came and went, all were warmly welcomed or thanked, some by name.  It was easy to see that the cozy store was a destination, something that people really looked forward to; maybe not just for the great gelato, but also for the friendly atmosphere.  I’ll be going back for both.

Paciugo Gelato Caffe

1034 Hermosa Ave.
Hermosa Beach, California 90254

hermosabeach01@paciugo.net
Phone: 310-379-2525
Fax: 310-379-2727

On the web at: BlogSpot, Facebook, and Yelp.

[rating:5/5]

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Paciugo is Coming to a Market Near You!

Paciugo is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11 AM to 11 PM.  On Sunday and Monday, they close at 10 PM.  Can’t make it to the Hermosa Beach location?  Look for the Paciugo cart at your local farmer’s market:

• Manhattan Beach – Tuesday, 12 to 4 PM
• El Segundo – Thursday, 3 to 7 PM
• Hermosa Beach – Friday, 12 to 4 PM

Paciugo will also be participating in the City of Hawthorne’s Third Annual Italian Festival, this Saturday, June 13.  Check out this PDF flyer for more details.