Since opening his first Pitango Gelato in Fells Point, Baltimore, back in 2007, owner Noah Dan has wanted to open a shop closer to his family’s home in Bethesda. Thirteen years later, he finally found the perfect location on the corner of Woodmont Triangle in downtown Bethesda.
“This is a great spot. It has lots of history and an old-school vibe, so it’s not quite that cookie-cutter look you get from a brand new town center,” explains his daughter, Alisa Dan.
Pitango officially opened its doors on Fairmont Avenue at the end of June, and after less than three months, the new location already sees regular customers and has received great support from the community.
“We constantly have people asking how it’s going. They seem to genuinely care and really want to support a small family business,” Dan says. “It’s tough right now but people are understanding and voting with their dollars.”
Fun fall flavors
For the fall season, Pitango plans to roll out their autumnal gelato flavors, including cinnamon, pumpkin and cardamom, a flavor that has a surprising cult following.
“It’s a unique flavor but people who like it, really like it, and they’ll walk out if we don’t have it that day,” says Dan.
It may seem odd to grab a cold treat during the chillier months, but these gelatos will give you that taste of fall you’ve been looking for. And, as Dan says, there’s nothing better than a Thanksgiving pie paired with creamy vanilla gelato.
Pitango will also be featuring new tasty beverages in the coming weeks, most notably their Italian-inspired sipping hot chocolate. Made with milk, sugar and Apurimac chocolate from Peru, this decadent, rich hot chocolate is created specifically for relaxing and savoring. Add a shot of espresso to it and enjoy a delicious, comforting mocha.
More than just gelato
While they’re best known for fresh sorbet and gelato made in-house, Pitango also offers numerous baked goods and coffee options made with Vigilante coffee beans.
“Coffee is like a religion,” Dan says with a laugh. “People have their set coffee routines and it’s really hard to change that so we’re trying our best to get the word out about our drinks and develop a loyal coffee audience.”
To give a feeling of synergy between their multiple locations, Pitango delivers fresh pastries from their bakery in Fells Point so customers can walk into any of its six locations and pick up their favorite almond croissant.
Drop in
Stop by the Bethesda store any day of the week to grab a treat and show your support. As an added bonus, if you pop in during the afternoon, you can see the gelato spinning for yourself. Visit their website for store hours, the day’s flavors or to order online.
