Botolino Gelato Artigianale’s owner creates ‘Italo Texano’

By Landry Rose

It’s more important than ever to shop small, to eat local and to support the arts and the local businesses. The pandemic was brutal on most industries, and most are just now rebounding and catching some air. 

We have also seen many of our favorite businesses downsized or closed indefinitely, but we have also seen businesses’ resilience, creativity and strength combined with the power of your wallet to support them.  

These are our neighbors and our community. Dallas Gems will shine light on some of our local favorites and gems around town that share personalized attention to detail and who we can proudly stand behind, frequently dine, shop often and continue to love. 

These Dallas one-of-kind businesses burst with products and people who radiate charm, character, love and have that special Dallas sparkle, one only a Dallas-grown owned operation can have. 

Our first featured gem is Botolino Gelato Artigianale. When you drive down Greenville Avenue, it’s hard to miss the shop on the corner with the bright and cheerful bistro tables and chairs in colors of ocean blues, tangerine oranges and sunshine yellows, thoughtfully placed in front of the signage centered on cascading mosaic tiles that transports you to another worldly city. 

You think, is this a business from New York City or from another big Metroplex? No, it’s ours. It’s Dallas. “Italo Texano,” to be exact. Carlo Gattini (pictured), owner and gelatiere, is the mastermind and visionary behind this treasure. Gattini is first generation Italian-American, and his early memories of first arriving to the States were about gelato.

Gattini remembers coming to Dallas for the first time, “I was 15 when I first came to Dallas, and I remember how it looked so different from Tuscany and especially how there weren’t any gelato shops like the ones at home.” 

That stayed in the back of his mind and through the years, he knew eventually he would create the best gelato for Dallas and that Dallas would be his home. His father would open an Italian restaurant in Dallas called MoMo’s Italian Kitchen serving authentic Italian cuisine, and he would help his father at the restaurant for 30 years. 

A third generation gelatiere (gelato maker), Gattini dreamed of opening a gelato shop in Dallas to serve the perfect Gelato. His great grandfather and nonna (grandma) before him were gelatieres, and when you walk into his shops, you will see glimpses of nonna, like her cat popsicle molds from their gelato shop from 1947.

Before opening Botolino, he had studied archeology at the University of Texas in Austin and then went into aviation as a pilot. 

After selling MoMo’s and with much inspiration and support from his wife Negin, he decided to pursue his desire to make the best gelato in Dallas.  

He went back to Italy to study with the gelato masters at the Gelato University in Bologna and learned about the traditions, techniques and science behind each step to making the best gelatos. His approach to making gelato is rooted in Italian traditions, prioritizing a respect for ingredients, simplicity and time-tested methods. 

In September 2017, he opened the doors to Botolino Artigianale Gelato on lower Greenville Avenue, a street with pedestrians that reminded him of a neighborhood street in Italy. His vision was to create a shop for everyone to enjoy all-natural gelato, made with the best ingredients sourced locally and from around the world. 

Botolino loosely translates to “feisty little dog” in Italian, and is named after himself. Botolo is Gattini’s nickname since childhood. His shop on Greenville offers popular complimentary pupsicles for dogs on the patio with a gelato purchase. Their social media is sprinkled with happy dogs enjoying the frozen treats. 

The menu at Botolino is more than gelato. It includes popsicles, affogatos, sundaes, mini cakes and big cakes that are made with only raw ingredients, which are entirely free of artificial flavorings, colors and preservatives. 

Ingredients like vanilla beans from Madagascar, ceremonial grade matcha from a 180-year-old family-owned farm in Uji in Kyoto, pistachio paste from artisans in Sicily, local honey from the Texas Honeybee Guild and coffee beans from Noble Coyote Coffee are used in making gelatos and the other frozen treats.

His gelatos have been recognized locally and nationally, most recently, NYC-based Gotham Magazine in their “20 Best Ice Cream Shops Across America,” Thrillist’s “The 40 American Ice Cream Shops You Need to Try” and D Magazine Best of Big D’s “Best Ice Cream.”

Gattini opened his second shop in the Preston Royal Village shortly after the COVID-19 lockdown in Dallas in mid-March 2020. He credits his wife Negin for pushing him to follow his dream, his nonna for his connection and appreciation for food, his father for his business knowledge, his maestro for the art and knowledge of gelato making, and the Botolino fans and community for inspiring him to create unique flavors and techniques to create the perfect gelato.

Gattini simply loves making gelato. “This is what I was born to do. I was trained by gelato masters in Italy, but my connection to the world of food goes back much further and started with my grandmother,” he said proudly.