Angelo Quercia lives to make his customers happy.
For him, that means crafting artisanal gelato in a variety of unique flavors, and using quality imported ingredients to do so. Franklin Park-based Angelo Gelato Italiano produces 16 packaged gelato and sorbetto flavors sold in stores.
“I try to do the best I can to make the people love gelato,” he said.
Quercia also works with Chicago-area chefs to create custom flavors — like chocolate bacon, raspberry cream cheese and jalapeño — sold in restaurants.
Quercia grew up making the Italian dessert with his grandfather, who owned a gelato shop in Naples, Italy. Once in the U.S., Quercia decided against a shop, which he believed would only be profitable during the summer, and focused on opening a large-scale production facility in 1997 to make and sell his gelato.
Quercia moved into his 10,000-square-foot facility in Franklin Park four years ago, where he and his staff are making gelato the old-fashioned way. He currently serves the Chicago area, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Indiana, and is expanding into California.
Quercia prides himself on making any flavor his chef customers request. Over the years, he’s created champagne, honey lavender, goat cheese, Guinness, chocolate bacon and bloody mary, among others.
“I’ve been doing this for 45 years-plus, so I know what I’m doing,” he said. “You’ve got to come up with different ideas that people will buy.”
His popular packaged gelato and sorbetto flavors found in stores include chocolate, chocolate hazelnut, tiramisu, sea salt caramel fudge, raspberry and mango. Angelo Gelato Italiano is carried in more than 200 Chicago area stores, like Joe Caputo & Sons, Butera Market, Valli Produce, Brookhaven Marketplace, Tony’s Finer Foods and Whole Foods.
Joe Caparelli, who previously owned Italian restaurant Fratelli’s in Darien, has known Quercia for 30 years, and began selling Quercia’s gelato in his restaurant shortly after meeting him.
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“He said, ‘I make some of the best gelato around. Can I bring you a sample?’ I said sure. And he was right,” Caparelli said.
Quercia’s willingness to make custom flavors is one thing that sets him apart, Caparelli said. Some of Caparelli’s favorite Angelo Gelato Italiano flavors: hazelnut and pistachio.
“He made any flavor I wanted. Nobody did that. He’s the only guy,” Caparelli said.
And Quercia’s habit of importing his ingredients from Italy shows his commitment to quality and authenticity, Caparelli added.
“You know, this guy uses the best ingredients,” Caparelli said. “Anybody can make gelato, I think. But his is the best.”
Quercia said he’d like to see Angelo Gelato Italiano in stores all over the country, although he believes in small growth. Quercia said he doesn’t know what the future holds, “but I keep going as much as I can. As long as I’m alive, I make gelato until I die.”
Caitlin Mullen is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.