Nuzzi Gelato brings traditional gelato to Birmingham

When Nick Iannuzzi, the owner of one of Birmingham’s newest food trucks, Nuzzi Gelato, went to Italy a few years ago and tried their artisan gelato for the first time, he couldn’t stop thinking about the frozen treat.

“When I had it over there, I just fell in love with the product. It was just so good, the bold flavor, the creaminess of it — I just really liked it,” he said. “When I came back to Birmingham, and I couldn’t find the same gelato over here, I wanted to fill that gap.”

Iannuzzi, a Vestavia Hills resident, said he has Italian roots and his grandfather immigrated from Italy before he was born. Despite that, he didn’t get the opportunity to try gelato until his 2016 trip. Then, he was hooked. 

“Selfishly, I wanted to make it so I could have it, and also I wanted to introduce it to the people in Birmingham who either hadn’t had the chance to go over to somewhere like Italy that made it fresh, or to people that had been and came back and can’t get it anywhere,” he said.

Unlike traditional American ice cream, artisan gelato has less fat and cream in it and more milk. It’s spun slower than ice cream, which makes it a denser product with less air in it. Iannuzzi said it’s also served at a warmer temperature so more flavors come through. 

Iannuzzi said it’s been challenging figuring out the prime conditions to keep it the right temperature without melting in his truck, but he is getting the hang of it as he adapts to owning and operating a gelato food truck. Sometimes his wife and sister help him make the gelato, but he mostly whips it up by himself at a certified kitchen at Chef’s Workshop. 

The artisan gelato ingredients are classic and simple, he said.

“Milk, cream and sugar, and that’s where we start it all,” Iannuzzi said. 

The first step to making gelato is forming the base, which combines the right portions of the three main ingredients of milk, cream and sugar. Then, the mixture is heated and cooked, cooled back down and eventually what Iannuzzi called “cold-aged,” Iannuzzi, which means it is left to mature in cold temperatures to develop a better flavor and become thicker and creamier over time. 

The next day, the product is switched to the freezer and ingredients are added for flavor. This can sometimes be challenging, he said, because both the flavor and the texture have to be “just right.”

“One day you may taste a flavor and the taste turns out good, but the texture is awful, like it’s really hard, it’s gritty or icy,” Iannuzzi said. “Or you may have it the other way, where it’s a great, creamy texture, but the flavor is awful, so you have to balance both of those. I think the overall experience of the mouthfeel and the flavor are super important.”

The whole process takes two days, he said, and even though the product is best fresh, it can be stored in the freezer for several weeks. Because of this, he sells pints as well as individual scoops. Nuzzi Gelato serves what Iannuzzi refers to as traditional Italian flavors, along with other flavors inspired by local ingredients and the Southern staples that he grew up on. Strawberries, for example, are a local ingredient he incorporates into the gelato often for his mixed berry flavor. 

Since Iannuzzi started his business at a farmers market in 2017, while he built out his food truck, he often looks for fresh produce at the market to inspire him for new flavors. Making gelato used to be a part-time gig Iannuzzi did late at night after his full-time job, he said, so he could sell his creations at the markets on Saturday mornings. 

“Everyone grew up with ice cream, so that’s something that everyone is more familiar with, but I think no one has really focused on bringing gelato to Birmingham. … That’s my focus, and quality is super important to me. With that focus, it allows me to make a really good product. I think people will come to appreciate that, and it will catch on,” he said.

As of April 2019, Iannuzzi is working full-time at Nuzzi Gelato. 

“I’m spending all my time building the company, selling gelato, making gelato,” he said.

He added that his flavors always rotate, but generally he has six for people to choose from at any one time. Some popular flavors include stracciatella, similar to chocolate chip; a summertime classic he created called mango lime; a favorite made with real espresso called cappuccino chip; and some dessert-heavy flavors like tiramisu, vanilla custard and chocolate hazelnut, his personal favorite.

“People who have been to Italy and have had it will definitely appreciate it, but also anybody that appreciates the handmade artisan product will appreciate it because it’s all made from scratch, and we’re using really good, high-quality ingredients,” he said.

He has to order some ingredients from Italy for the highest quality, like his chocolate hazelnut paste, while other ingredients he makes sure to get locally. The most important part of the business for him, though, is the quality of both the ingredients and the final product. 

Iannuzzi said popular flavors depend on the area he’s selling, the time of year and whether his customers are mostly kids or adults. He said kids tend to love the chocolate chip, while adults love the mango lime. 

“A lot of people come up and are excited to see gelato, but they’re like, ‘Is this really gelato?’ and they try it, and they’re always kind of hesitant of the quality because it’s hard to find,” he said. “But they try it and are really pleased with my product.”

The most enjoyable part of the business so far has been getting to talk to people and getting to know his customers, especially since he’s always had a passion for food and how it breaks down barriers. 

“Typically, people [who] would never be in the same place are in the same place, and I think it opens up dialogue and kind of brings people together,” he said.

Nuzzi Gelato frequents the Summit, Pepper Place Farmers Market and Ross Bridge Farmers Market in the summer, as well as other events and markets as they come up. Iannuzzi is hoping to find more places he can bring his food truck to on a weekly basis. 

For more information, go to nuzzigelato.com or follow him on Instagram or Facebook @nuzzigelato for truck locations.

In print and a previous online version of this story, Nick Iannuzzi's name was misspelled and has since been updated.