If you need an excuse to check out Dolcezza’s new 14th Street shop, temperatures above 90 should do it. The fifth location for husband-and-wife team Robb Duncan and Violeta Edelman just debuted in a former 19th-century drugstore, with more frozen treat options than ever.
You’ll still find the same tempting lineup of seasonal gelatos and sorbettos sourced as locally as possible, such as roasted strawberry and cucumber-mint-vodka. New to the menu: sundae-like “coppettas,” topped with cookies, nuts, and infused whipped creams. These aren’t your usual sugary combinations of fudge and sprinkles (though we’re not hating on fudge and sprinkles). Think potent coffee gelato made with Hair Bender espresso, topped with Biscoff cookie crumbles and fresh whipped cream, or strawberry-tarragon sorbetto with tequila-spiked whip and a dusting of sea salt. Combinations will change seasonally, and with inspiration; Duncan says the “strawberry gnocchi” coppetta was inspired by a favorite pasta dish, here in sweet form with lemon-ricotta gelato, strawberry broth, and fresh mint. For all the chocolate lovers, Duncan plans to offer his own version of Magic Shell with any combination, made with Valrhona chocolate.
The coppettas can be eaten at a small marble bar, taken to go, and eventually enjoyed on a 16-seat patio. A to-go window for sidewalk orders is also in the works, though Duncan envisions customers ringing a bell for quick orders such as Stumptown coffee and pastries in the morning, and gelato push pops for cooling down come evening.
Dolcezza 14th Street. 1418 14th St., NW; 202-817-3900. Open Monday through Thursday 7 to 11, Friday 7 to midnight, Saturday 8 to midnight, and Sunday 8 to 11.
Anna Spiegel covers the dining and drinking scene in her native DC. Prior to joining Washingtonian in 2010, she attended the French Culinary Institute and Columbia University’s MFA program in New York, and held various cooking and writing positions in NYC and in St. John, US Virgin Islands.
