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| - Why do restaurant proprietors give their employees silly little catch phrases to shout every time a customer comes through the door? I see this in Undercover Boss all the time. There's no way these scripted greetings don't come off as phony and brand-y. Such is the case with Frost, which has a good product. No need for a young woman to call out, utterly without feeling, "Buona sera and welcome" as every customer enters at lunchtime on a Saturday. Well, good evening yourself. ...? This is not really the main point of this review--mmm, gelato is the point--but it speaks to the aggressive, off-pitch branding of this place.
Right, right. The gelato. It's good! I had "alpencaramel" and my husband had the much-lauded pistachio. I have to say that while the alpencaramel tasted very sugary, the pistachio tasted more authentically nutty than any pistachio gelato I've ever had. The serving sizes are small but adequate--you don't need to eat six ounces of frozen dessert---and the flavors are arrayed beautifully. I don't drink bellinis (because I'm still under 40 and not a real housewife of anywhere),but the big trough of brightly colored gelato dotted with wine corks (!) was delightful.
Back to branding. The aggressive this-is-healthful thing is a little disingenuous. And the logo and teeth-whitener aesthetic of the store and print collateral don't really go with the whole old-country ingredients thing. It's like they told their graphic designer "You know The Gelato Spot? Make our stuff the exact opposite--hard edges, rectilinear shapes, cool tones, and a name that doesn't exactly scream 'dessert.'"
But the gelato is pretty good.
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