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We strolled out the door and wandered slowly down Tacoma Avenue, cruising our tiny, neon-orange spoons through waves of stracciamenta and coconut, tiramisu and salted caramel. We swapped cups, then returned to our original combinations. I snuck another scoop of my companion’s tiramisu. Not minutes later, as we scrabbled for the final drops, I proposed:
“Should we get another? Like right now?”
Such whimsy was wildly out of character. Presumably scarred by a teenage stint at an ice cream shop, when friends would hug me just to sniff my hair, redolent of waffle cone batter and vague vanillin, I’m the curious customer who requests her scoop of ice cream in a cup with the sugar cone turned upside down — for fear I won’t finish it. Thus I can place it in the freezer at home and leisurely enjoy the rest later.
I would never dare attempt such a ploy with Medzo Gelato because the goods are, positively, first-rate. One has no choice but to finish what you started — euphoria assumes control.
Jennifer and Fareed Al-Abboud have been making gelato for seven years and serving it for 10. They first got into the business at a shop that sold other brands, but at some point the quality dipped, so they did what any lucid couple would do: They went to Italy.
There, they learned that in our modern world, even Italians don’t necessarily make gelato from scratch, one pan at a time, which is what the Al-Abbouds wanted to do. After further study with masters of the craft in western Pennsylvania and Los Angeles, along with meticulous personal edification, they introduced their own gelato identity — henceforth known as Medzo, as in “Mediterranean Zone.”
Medzo opened in Seattle and moved to Burien, with a brief fling in Victoria, British Columbia. Elements of each of those stores, from the custom glass pendants to the Old World columns and photos of their international travels have followed them to Tacoma. Early this year, they found the storefront at 612 Tacoma Ave. S., previously home to Cider & Cedar and just steps from The Mill, a larder with homemade bread that doubles as a wine bar with frequent live music, and Infinite Soups, a local institution of more than 15 years. That all is to say: a culinary triumvirate.
Within the confines of this petite space, the Al-Abbouds conjure a dozen flavors of decadently creamy gelato every week. In their honed repertoire are more than 60 varietals, including tried-and-true classics like pistachio, Amarena cherry, riso bianco and hazelnut, but their dedication through the years has led to many more creations, from lavender-lemon and baklava — with walnuts, pistachios and rose water — to German chocolate cake, blended with chocolate paste they make on-site and swirled with coconut, candied pecans and caramel, likewise made from scratch.
Fareed “has mastered the caramel,” said Jennifer, who tends to focus on the ideal incorporation of dry ingredients. Generally, though, Medzo is 100% a team effort. “We both do a little bit of everything.”
Using a “combi” Bravo Trittico machine that first heats then freezes the liquid custard base, the duo takes turns pulling the gelato from the exit point to the pan, a process known as extraction. It’s a very particular twist of their wrists that transfers the goods to their serving vessel, in a manner that results in modest — not crazy, high-tide, surf-ready — waves.
Great gelato should not be “fluffy,” as Jennifer describes some commercial types. Dense and inexplicably luscious, thanks to a slower churn and less cream than ice cream, plus about 20 minutes in a blast freezer that “stops those large ice molecules from forming,” Medzo’s gelato also showcases another important truism: muted tones. You won’t find bright colors here because everything is natural. In fact, the case is mostly neutral earth tones with the occasional winding river of nuts or caramel, whose austere appearance belies their poignant flavors and indelible textures.
My cup with stracciamenta, a.k.a. mint chocolate chip, was polar-bear white with specks of bittersweet chocolate. The tiramisu resembles a heavily creamed cup of coffee. Only in the sorbettos, forged with simple fruit purees of, for instance, mango, grapefruit, cantaloupe and blood orange, will you see vibrant hues.
The selection varies with the seasons, focusing on lighter notes in summer and leaning into nuts and candies in fall and winter.
On the docket for the upcoming holidays are peppermint Roca (an homage to Brown & Haley’s 100-year-old Almond Roca, which is also featured in the signature Medzo flavor Grit City Gold), Ferrero Rocher, perhaps a Bailey’s Irish Cream, an eggnog and an oat-milk hazelnut latte.
Beyond scoops — and, yes, depending on the size, you can get more than one in a cup — Medzo offers affogato and mocktails with sparkling lemonades. After a recent educational trip to Florida, the Al-Abbouds will add domed gelato cakes to their existing pie expertise. Look also for reservation-only tasting events, where you can sample four seasonal flavors alongside a thick, Italian hot chocolate, a mocktail and a savory snack plate.
There are many reasons why Medzo Gelato is a new Tacoma jewel to cherish, not the least of which is the owners’ apparent and boundless thirst for knowledge, and maybe a whiff of competitive drive to be the best. But the biggest, assured Jennifer, is this simple and these days surprisingly hard-to-experience truth: “It’s fresh!”
MEDZO GELATO
▪ 612 Tacoma Ave. S, 253-600-9491, medzogelatobar.com
▪ Winter Hours: Wednesday-Thursday 3-8 p.m., Friday-Saturday 1-8 p.m., Sunday 1-7 p.m.
▪ Details: homemade gelato and sorbet ($4.95-$7.95), plus espresso and sparkling drinks; pies, cakes and pints available for holiday pre-order (call or email medzogelatobar@gmail.com)
*Note: Medzo is closed Thursday, Oct. 26 for a fall break.
This story was originally published October 26, 2023, 5:00 AM.
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