As if popping up overnight, Gelateria Luca has opened at the corner of Elmwood and Potomac, close to Bidwell Parkway. The corner spot is a prime location for a small gelateria-café, and should do a lot to liven up the corner, which has been mostly vacant since ‘room’ left for Hertel.
If you’re a fan of gelato, I highly recommend that you stop in to try a few of the different homemade flavors. I stopped in last week and met up with co-owner Cristina Hiscock who told me that all of the gelato is made in-house, making it exceptional in taste and texture. She gave me a couple of samples to try and I couldn’t believe how smooth and flavorful they were. The coffee mocha was outstanding. Plus, gelato is generally less fattening than ice cream, so I didn’t feel as bad scarfing if all down.
During my visit to Gelateria Luca, I ran into Cristina’s various family members who all appeared to have some sort of a hand in the opening of the café. Some of them were bakers and others were pastry makers, and all of them were passionate about good food and traditional recipes. It appeared to be a family reunion at first, but then I realized that it was more like a support group, with everyone wishing great success to the venture. It was a jovial scene and I could tell that this was a tight-knit family that has been bonding at the dinner table for generations. Now it’s time to take the recipes public with a wide selection of homemade gelato, cannoli and pastries, as well as frozen yogurt, coffee and espresso.
Elmwood continues to get sweeter this summer. When it comes to Italian cafés, Gelateria Luca is the real thing. Indoor and outdoor seating available and within close proximity to Bidwell Parkway. Be sure to ask for one of the homemade gelato cones!
Gelateria Luca
988 Elmwood Avenue, Buffalo, NY.
1 (716) 882-5353
Today 9:00 am – 12:00 am
Lead photo: Facebook