Any gelato lover in Portland is familiar with Pinolo Gelato. Since launching almost a decade ago, the beloved scoop shop has turned into a destination for uberseasonal, micro-batch gelato and sorbetto. When Pisa-born Sandro Paolini decided to open the gelateria, his inspiration came from his background in agriculture and forestry. “I wanted to find a way to support small family farms,” he says. Come summer, the gelato virtuoso spends multiple days a week hand-picking berries and orchard fruit at nearby small farms. Paolini seeks out places that focus on sustainable agriculture and unusual varieties. He likes to pick for peak ripeness, so his iPhone favorite list includes a close network of farmers he can call at a moment’s notice.
Like Oregon’s berry season, the gelateria’s summer flavors are fleeting so devoted fans stay tuned to IG in case he gets a small amount of something like haskap berries or tart cherries and only makes a couple of pans. The harbinger for the summer season is his popular lemon basil sorbetto made from fresh squeezed lemons and Genovese basil from a farm in the Dalles.
Other summer-only specials include fioritura, a pretty pink sorbetto made with fresh strawberries and handmade elderflower syrup that’s integrated into the sorbetto. In the gelato case, this one pops as the swirls are topped with dainty elderflower blossoms. For layers of flavor, try the sera estiva, a deep cherry gelato studded with cacao nibs.
It’s not uncommon to see a line snaking out the door on a balmy summer night. And last summer, a one-day only sorbetto made with a flush of white nectarines from Rosedale Farm in Mosier sold out in hours. When asked to name a favorite berry, Paolini doesn’t hesitate. “I love raspberries,” he says. “The flavors are incredible.” His ode to raspberries is a tart red gelato with a touch of lemon zest — invigorating on a hot sunny day.
Though traditional gelato like pistachio and chocolate will always hold a place on the menu, the standouts hail from his farm and forage adventures. This summer’s featured theme will highlight foraged native fruits including coastal huckleberry, Oregon grape, elderberry and wild blackberry. All flavors that will pair perfectly with your post-gelato passeggiata.
