The Art of Gelato

Unlike ice cream, gelato is mostly milk rather than cream, and it has less air churned in. That creates a frozen dessert with a creamier, denser texture, and because there’s much less butterfat, it allows for a purer expression of flavor. 

There’s a huge difference between most commercially available gelato (usually made from pastes, powders and additives) and true artisan gelato such as Botolino, which uses only the best whole ingredients.

Born in Milan and raised on a farm in Tuscany, Carlo Gattini always felt he was born to be a gelatiere. His grandmother, Fernanda Gosetti, began her career serving gelato in her own latteria (dairy shop) in Emilia-Romagna. Later, she resurrected and edited the iconic epicurean magazine La Cucina Italiana with her sisters, and authored so many cookbooks that she came to be known as the Julia Child of Italy. It was she who taught Carlo to cook, and make pastries.

At 15, Carlo moved with his family to Dallas, Texas, where his father opened MoMo Italian Kitchen, a beloved neighborhood restaurant for over 30 years. Carlo helped serve classic Italian fare while exploring other passions—studying archaeology at the University of Texas at Austin and later pursuing a career as an airline pilot.

Carlo’s lifelong passion for Italian desserts led him back to Italy, where he studied at Carpigiano Gelato University in Bologna and apprenticed under a gelato master. He also trained as a pastry chef, mastering the creation of cakes and confections rooted in Italian tradition. With these skills, Carlo returned to Dallas to open Botolino, giving North Texas its first true artisan gelateria.

“For Italians, gelato is an integral part of daily life — people have it every day,” he says.  “It’s a moment to slow down, savor the present, and enjoy one of life’s great pleasures.”

Botolino gelati and sorbetti are made entirely from scratch, using the finest ingredients from Texas and around the world. Among them:

• A2A2 Milk from pasture-raised cows on Volleman’s Family Farm in Gustine, Texas
• Chocolate: World-class Valrhona chocolate, a 100-year-old certified B-corporation business dedicated to fair-trade and sustainability
• Coffee Beans from Noble Coyote Coffee Roasters in Dallas, Texas
• Vanilla Beans from Sava Vanilla in partnership with local Madagascar growers
• Fruit: All natural, Boiron frozen purees.
• Hazelnuts: Tonde Gentile della Langhe hazelnuts from a family farm in Piedmont, Italy
• Pistachios: Sourced from the Marullo family business in Sicily

Classics:

• Gianduia: Valrhona chocolate, Tonde Gentile della Langhe hazelnuts; milk, cream
• Don Pistachio: Bronte pistachios from Marullo Pistachio, Sicily; milk, cream
• White Coffee: Cold-infused Noble Coyote Coffee Roasters beans; milk, cream
• Mascarpone & Figs: Caramelized fig variegate; mascarpone; milk
• Milk Chocolate: Valrhona chocolate; milk, cream
• Coconut Stracciatella: Coconut, dark Valrhona chocolate slivers; milk, cream
• Vanilla: Sava Bourbon vanilla beans from Madagascar; milk, cream
• Salted Caramel: House-made salted caramel; milk, cream

A few favorite rotating flavors:

• Tiramisu: Happy Chick Farms eggs; Noble Coyote Coffee Roasters espresso; ladyfingers; rum
• Alpine Almond Bar: House-ground Sicilian almonds; local Texas Honeybee Guild honey; handmade nougat; milk, cream
• Big Mango: Sorbetto made from hand-picked Alphonso mangos from India
• Blueberry Sorbetto
• Turkish Coffee: Dark Noble Coyote coffee; green cardamom; milk, cream
• Chocolate Sorbetto: Valrhona Grand Crù Araguani
• Peanut & Jelly Sandwich (dairy-free): House-ground peanuts; strawberry variegate; cashew milk

• Lower Greenville: Botolino’s flagship — debuted summer 2017
• Preston Hollow: Opened 2020, Preston Road & Royal Lane
• Bishop Arts District: Opened December 2023
• West Plano: Opened May 2025, Preston Road & West Park Blvd
• Botolino Gelato Lab: Opened summer 2023, across from Fair Park