We hold these truths to be self-evident: All types of ice cream have the potential for greatness.
And yet one variety, gelato, the Italian take on a frozen dairy dessert, seems to more frequently achieve greatness.
Is it the lower milk fat content? The slower churn? The fact that it is served a little warmer than your standard American ice cream? That Italian un non so che?
Who can say? All that matters is that gelato tastes good, and a new gelato collaboration is coming to the Portland area.
Otto Gelato & Espresso is set to open Saturday, Aug. 1 at the Mercato Grove in Lake Oswego.
The new gelateria and coffee shop will be right next door to Pizzeria Otto, the Lake Oswego outpost of the local Neapolitan pizzeria started in 2014 by Clark Hale.
“Lake Oswego has welcomed us with open arms, and we wanted to give something back that’s just as exciting as our pizza,” Hale said in a press release. “Pizzeria Otto has become a beloved neighborhood institution in Portland and in Lake Oswego, and we hope to bring that same feeling to our gelato and coffee shop.”
Hale is working with the team behind Pronto Gelato, which opened in 2024: Andrea Spella of Spella Caffè and George Kaden of the restaurant Campana.
“Partnering with Andrea and George from Pronto was an easy decision,” Hale said. “The three of us are Italian food nerds to our core: Andrea with his espresso, George with his fantastic cooking, and me with Pizzeria Otto. Bringing their gelato and coffee expertise to Mercato Grove felt like a natural next step and would be a fun new spot for Lake Oswego families.”
Otto Gelato & Espresso will serve classic and rotating seasonal flavors of gelato, including stracciatella and roasted pistachio, as well as fruit sorbettos.
Pizzeria Otto’s chef Risa Lichtman will create the rotating flavors, the first of which will be a “Hugo Spritz” sorbetto, Hale said.
“It’s a classic spritz cocktail made with St. Germain,” Hale said, “and a touch of mint, instead of Campari or Aperol.”
“Apparently it is the drink of the summer in Italy right now,” he added.
Otto Gelato & Espresso, at 995 Mercantile Drive, opens at noon on Saturday. Regular hours have not been announced.
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Dining and Cooking