Cremalosa owner Meridith Ford
By Zachary Hansen
A gelato creamery that opened less than two years ago in Decatur was selected as the best ice cream spot in Georgia by a national magazine.
Food & Wine Magazine included Cremalosa as the Peach State’s representative on its 2021 “The Best Ice Cream in Every State” list. The creamery opened in February 2020 and immediately had to weather the COVID-19 pandemic, but it never stopped serving top-class Italian ice cream, according to the magazine.
“Fortunately, there was something of an appetite for very fine gelato — in flavors ranging from classic Italian (like stracciatella) to extremely American (banana pudding!) — and the fledgling business was mostly able to power through the past year-plus with minimal interruptions,” the list said.
Cremalosa was founded by Atlanta native Meridith Ford, who was also The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s dining critic and food writer from 2004 to 2010. Originally trained as a pastry chef, she “caught the gelato bug” while working with Riccardo Ullio, an Atlanta restaurateur who owns Sotto Sotto, Fritti and Novo Cucina, according to a news release.
“I’m so thrilled and honored to be on Food & Wine’s list,” Ford said in the release. “It’s a dream come true.”
Ford said her shop features dozens of rotating flavors of gelato and sorbetto, which often highlight seasonal fruits grown in Georgia. Cremalosa, located on the plaza level of the Cortland Decatur East Apartments at 2657 East College Avenue, also offers seasonal frozen cocktails and wine.
The ice creamery began to receive accolades shortly after it opened. In 2020, Cremalosa was named “Best New Gelato” on Atlanta Magazine’s annual “Best of Atlanta” list.
Read the original story on AJC.com.
