Experience Rochester's only locally made gelato at the Eastman House Café

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — The Eastman House Café brings the decadent homemade taste of gelato to the neighborhood of Park and East avenues — the only city location offering locally made gelato. Family-owned Royal Café of Fairport, N.Y, creates this all-natural frozen treat, and offers its gelato at 15 N. Main St., Fairport, and now at George Eastman House, 900 East Ave., Rochester. Royal Café is owned by the Mahmutovic family, which boasts the only business in the area currently producing gelato.

The family's process of making gelato dates back to the 1930s, having been passed down through the multi-generational family of gelato makers who hail from Bosnia.

"What makes gelato so desirable is the sensation in the mouth that is a harmonious melting, enjoyable and delicious," said Sadik Mahmutovic, who hand-makes the gelato daily along with his mother. "Gelato remains smooth, but not heavy. It is different from traditional ice cream in its ingredients, consistency, and flavor."

The Mahmutoviks use 21 to 25 all-natural ingredients in each the 60 flavors he creates. The Eastman House Café offers eight different flavors at any one time, encouraging patrons to mix-and-match. Mahmutovic explained that gelato is denser than ice cream, whereas gelato is 5% air and ice cream is normally 50% air. Milk-based Gelato also contains less sugar and fat than ice cream, with gelato containing 4 to 8 percent butterfat in comparison to traditional ice cream at 14 to 16 percent.

The Eastman House Café offers three sizes: $3 small, $4 medium, and $5 large. Customers need not pay museum admission to access the Eastman House Café, located off the parking lot adjacent to the Dryden Theatre. Both indoor and outdoor seating is available at the café, which also offers sandwiches, soups, beverages, and desserts. Eastman House Café is open 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and from 1 to 7 p.m. Sunday.

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