Black Dog Gelato is getting a home

Black Dog Gelato is getting a home

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Sour cherry gelato from Black Dog (photo by Joseph Storch)

People usually give Stephanie Izard all of the credit for her late, lamented restaurant, Scylla (now the space that houses Takashi) in Bucktown. But what most people don’t realize is that she had a secret weapon in the pastry kitchen: Jesse Oloroso. For the past year or so, Oloroso has been selling her homemade gelato under the Black Dog label, to places such as Provenance Food & Wine and Cippolina, while restaurants like Uncommon Ground, The Old Oak Tap and The Drawing Room were eagerly carrying it on their menus. I was happy to see her gelato at the Logan Square Farmer’s Market last year, where it will again debut this Sunday, but was even more thrilled when I heard she’s going to have her own bricks-and-mortar space in Wicker Park (in the former Piccolo space at 859 N. Damen). It was supposed to be open this week, but no surprise, Oloroso is facing the usual hurdles - electrical, contractor, city - that most food operators have to surmount before opening their doors.

I’ll be talking with her today on the 11 a.m. news, and she’ll show me how she makes some rhubarb gelato, so check out the video here after 11:30 a.m.

Salted peanut gelato from Black Dog (photo by Joseph Storch)