Tomato-basil, chewing gum, beer, zabaglione, frozen pralines, Swiss chard pie… The ice cream parlors in Nice are brimming with ideas. Ice cream is popular, even off-season. In Old Nice, three new artisanal shops are all the rage. But while summer benefits some, others see their sales declining. Here’s an overview of Old Nice.
Summer is a busy time for artisanal ice cream makers. Many chocolatiers, pastry chefs, and sandwich shops also offer ice cream, often industrial, but it allows them to achieve significant financial margins. Yet, it is evident that food lovers prefer artisanal ice creams. “The taste of homemade ice cream is different. It is creamier, more flavorful. And since I live in Los Angeles, I consume it all year round,” says Graham, thirty years old, holding an artisanal ice cream.
A stronghold of Italian heritage, Old Nice is a haven for artisanal ice cream. The most famous, Fenocchio, is a local curiosity, an original. Francis Fenocchio is proud to pay tribute to his Provence with regional flavors: concoctions of aromatic herbs (thyme, rosemary, basil), flowers (lavender, violet), fruits, and vegetables (bitter orange, mandarin, tomato). He holds the most unusual recipe: frozen Swiss chard pie! “Tourist trap,” some say… In reality, this ice cream maker embraces the taste of the unexpected that is thriving in Northern Europe. And his recipe is catching on. Fenocchio is the first recommended stop for newcomers.
“I am passionate about ice cream,” says a smiling Laurent Santini, the manager of Crema di Gelato. Operating since August 2005 opposite the Courthouse, he offers a trendy façade year-round, sixty traditional yet effective flavors, and some sexy extras: pralines and adorable frozen treats. This artisan has targeted local clientele. A winning niche since the trend is towards year-round ice cream consumption: “I like seeing the same faces every day. We welcome 300 to 400 people daily. Word-of-mouth works well.” With this local focus, the shop aims to strengthen Nice’s image, showing that the city also lives off-season. “I buy my fruit at the Cours Saleya market and baby milk to make my ice creams. Even though it costs more, we are merchants of happiness, and we must not disappoint our regulars.”
At Roberto 1er, they sell 12 years of experience and Italian quality. No one nears the owner’s laboratory who carefully guards her secrets. This ice cream shop remains human-sized: the notebooks are made on-site, the vendors are approachable, and the display window is friendly. The owner does not compromise on quality: Leonidas chocolate chips, entirely homemade ice creams, made with premium products, crafted by a single hand for both shops. And yet, sales are down, mainly due to the tramway construction blocking the usual tourist route from Place Masséna. Thus, the shop is now removed from the hot zone of ice cream consumption.
But while some manufacturers lock themselves in a laboratory, others have fallen into ice cream making by circumstance. Loly-Pop on Rue Pairolière is still under construction. “We set up here two months ago because there’s no ice cream shop on this street,” says Godelieve Van Den Bergh, who has bet on this market because it is promising. “Ice cream consumption is increasing with the development of leisure activities. Today, people want to treat themselves, to buy memories rather than material goods,” observes this pretty blonde with blue eyes. For now, the manager is taking no risks and offers a classic menu. She buys her ice creams from a renowned artisan and invests heavily in decoration and quality of service. She plans to later make homemade cream and waffles. In the meantime? “Anyway, if it doesn’t work out, I’ll sell sandwiches.”
