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Grand Opening – Saturday, March 24!

It’s the last big push before our Grand Opening this weekend and we are all (including my parents) working like crazy to get ready. Backsplash, lighting, cleaning, final health inspection, furniture, and a last little bit of decor are all that’s needed to get the place ready. Then we have just a bit more testing and training to get done before Saturday. I really can’t believe we’re opening this weekend!

Levi has been such a trooper. He started preschool and although he’s always upset when we leave him in the mornings, every time I pick him up, he’s having so much fun and it take him a while to realize I’m even there. Then he lights up and runs to me. Wow, that’s a good feeling. They must do a lot of dancing at preschool because Levi’s now a dancing ‘fool’ anytime there’s music on. So cute!

My parents are also taking really good care of us. They cook dinner for us often, fold my laundry and take care of Levi any chance they can get. Dad made the cutest kids area where Levi and other little ones can play while at the gelateria. It’s the best because they always bring him by the shop for a little visit so I get to play with him for little breaks during the day.

I feel really lucky to have such great friends and contractors to work with. They really took care of me. I would recommend these guys all day long! They do great work and are amazingly honest and empathetic. I truly feel like I worked with the best guys available.

Woodwork/Drywall/Project Management/Our HERO! – Sam Pulvers (of Distinction Gallery) and his assistant Ira
Architect – Greg Danskin 
Concrete Floors – Mark Chavis
Tile Work – Greg Painter
Signage – Scott, owner of Sign Concepts
Plumber – Larry, owner of Pomerado Plumbing
Electrical – Sam Anguiano
Design  – Thank you Heather from Design Moe for all my annoying questions!

Thank you David Garrick from the North County Times for this nice mention. It’s so encouraging to have such great support!

Click the link below to see the article on their website:
ESCONDIDO: New gelato shop opening downtown

Paula and Dave are down this weekend to help us work on getting the shop open and she brought me this present. If any of you know Paula, (Jake’s mom) you know this sort of punny sense of humor is quite commonplace. I’ve been told it comes from the “Garske” side of the family. She and my mom both love words …crossword puzzles, scrabble, and “fun with etymology”. If you want to really get them going just use “irregardless” in a sentence and see what happens.

So we did it. We fired up our new batch freezer and made our first batch of gelato. I started with a simple Fior di Latte, basically a sweet cream. I’ve made lots of gelato at home in a small countertop freezer, but only a handful of times on a commercial piece of equipment. The texture was amazing, I must say. In addition to using quality ingredients it’s got to be a result of the quality of the equipment.

When I was first shopping for a batch freezer, I kind of had an idea of the type of machine I was looking for but wanted to get referrals from folks in the biz. I came across Gelateria Del Leone in St Louis, Missouri that used this type of machine and called them up to see if they liked working with it. After leaving a message one of the owners, Chris, gave me a call back and said he loved the machine and that if I ever wanted to see it in action to come by sometime. Amazed with his generosity I said…”how about next week?” Chris not only offered to let me shadow him at the gelateria for a couple of days but invited Jake, Levi (my then 12 month old) and me to stay with him, his wife and their two year old daughter. Since that trip Chris has been so helpful and supportive as Jake and I have been putting the shop together. I was overwhelmed with the kindness of this family and I’m so thankful for their help.

I can’t wait to get in the kitchen and start busting out some funky flavors!!

Here is Levi sampling the Fior di Latte. I think he approves. I should probably expand my test market though, I think he’s biased.

Ollie and the Otterettes – Oak Hill 1987

Am feeling a whole lotta love from my fellow Escondians. Here’s a fun video from way back when…

Here’s a cute one of Brittan and me back in the Oak Hill days.

This is one of my favorite pictures of Doug and me at the stables near San Marcos (what is now San Elijo) where we kept our horse, Amadeus.