Bulgarini Gelato

Ever since the Chef’s Table episode featuring Corrado Assenza was released, we’ve been having restless dreams about Sicilian pistachio gelato and large bowls of almond granita. After a bit of searching, and a lot of tasting, we found the best gelato in LA at Bulgarini Gelato. This hole-in-a-wall, small-batch gelateria in Pasadena offers daily changing flavors crafted with the freshest ingredients Leo Bulgarini can find every morning. By day the store solely operates as a gelato shop offering fantastic scoops such as mascarpone merlot, crema di limone, and Sicilian pistachio. In the evenings, the shop changes tack and Leo begins serving a limited menu of fresh baked focaccia, handmade pastas, and slow-roasted meats. On our most recent visit, Leo was offering tagliatelle al sugo di carne, a dish which featured a meat sauce that had been stewed for a stunning six hours. The handmade pappardelle, cooked al dente, was coated in a nutty, herbal pesto sauce that perfectly rounded out the rustic dish. We wrapped up our meal with scoops of the hazelnut and pistachio gelato, both unrivaled in taste and texture. Given how much of a hassle scoring a table at hotspots like Bestia and Felix can be, it seems more than likely that we’ll be heading down to Bulgarini quite often to try more of the exceptional food Leo has to offer.