Gelato spot brings big flavour to Vancouver's Little Italy (CONTEST)
The BC Giveaway Series is an initiative by BC Dairy Association (BCDA), in partnership with Daily Hive, to raise awareness of local food businesses — like gelato makers — that have been hit hard by COVID-19.
Located in the heart of Little Italy in East Vancouver, Dolce Amore — Italian for sweet love — makes gelato-making a family affair.
Shop owners and IRL couple, Daniela and Giancarlo Cusano, graduated from the prestigious Carpigiani Gelato University near Bologna, Italy, before venturing to bring the delicious flavours of the “Bel Paese” (beautiful country) home to Vancouver.
Co-owner, Daniela, has been honing her craft since the age of 14 when she first began making gelato in 2002, the year her family first opened Dolce Amore. Now, the husband and wife duo handcraft artisanal gelato together.
The parlour is Vancouver’s first and only grass-fed gelato, resulting in a smooth and flavourful concoction that’s “Naturally Made, Criminally Good,” as they like to say.
Their selection of flavours are as inventive as they are diverse, featuring creations such as GTL: Gangster Toffee Life, Lavender Buzz, and Lemon Meringue Tart, which include #GelatoMafiaMade toppings like butter toffee, honeycomb, and lemon curd.
Each month, the local gelato-makers feature new flavours that are meant to reflect the flavours of each season. This month’s roster includes Blueberry Honey, made from organic BC blueberries and luscious honey, and exotic fruit explosions, like Blood Orange Passionfruit and Basil Pineapple Mango.
At Dolce Amore, the focus is always on quality, which is why simple, natural ingredients — like grass-fed BC milk — are at the core of all their creations.
The newlyweds, who had long been planning to marry in the spring of this year, actually exchanged vows at their beloved gelato parlour. The pandemic disrupted the pair’s initial wedding plans, but in the end, their union remained as sweet as, well, gelato.
Dolce Amore, aka “The Gelato Mafia,” has certainly embraced its Italian roots. The proof is in their offering of traditional Italian classics, like Pistachio and Nocciola (Roasted Hazelnut), which are all crafted with their own homemade nut butters. Their storefront is also often playfully referred to as the “Clubhouse.”
“To us, gelato means family,” the Cusano’s explain. “In Italy, no meal is complete without a tub of gelato being served family-style to all your loved-ones sitting around the table. We want each and every person stepping through those doors to feel as though they are being welcomed into our home.”
Origami Social
This summer, you’ll find the Dolce Amore Gelato Mafia serving up scoops from 11 am to 11 pm every day. Thanks to curbside pickup and delivery, Gelato-lovers can also enjoy the creamy-comforts from home. Gelato pints, tubs, and cakes are available for order via their website, UberEats, and DoorDash.
To celebrate local and help you support nearby businesses during the ongoing pandemic, the BC Dairy Association (BCDA) is giving away 20 gelato prize packs, worth $75 each.
For every contest entry during the campaign, BC dairy farmers will donate $1 to Food Banks BC up to $20,000 inclusive of the entire BC Giveaway Series campaign.
Contest
To enter for your chance to win 1 of 20 prize packs. Each prize pack includes a four-pack of ice cream pints and a $25 gift certificate courtesy of Dolce Amore, do the following:
1. Follow BC Dairy and Dolce Amore on Instagram — @bcmilk and @thegelatomafia
2. Like and leave a comment on the following IG post telling us who you’d share this prize pack with, alongside the hashtag #dhcontest. (1 entry per comment)
View this post on Instagram
Contest entries will be accepted from the time and date of publishing until 11:59 pm on August 3, 2020. Winners will be chosen at random and contacted through the platform they used to enter.
BCDA is a not-for-profit representing dairy farmers throughout BC. The organization is dedicated to supporting a sustainable industry and educating British Columbians about milk, dairy farming, and nutrition.
To find out all about nutrition, farming, and everything else there is to know about milk in BC, visit the BCDA website.
Dolce Amore
Address: 1588 Commercial Drive
Phone: 604-258-0006
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