When she was 21 years old, Violeta Edelman, SOC/BA ’07, went to a conference on shamanism in the Amazon jungle. “I was looking for meaning,” she says. “I had so many questions.” 
 
She emerged with an answer: Robb Duncan, who would become her partner in life and in business. Neither spoke the other’s language, but they managed—in mangled Portuguese—to plan a second rendezvous six months later. “We wandered around Brazil for three months and 4,000 miles, falling in love,” Edelman says. The trip ended in her native Buenos Aires, where Duncan was introduced to both his future in-laws and Freddo, the gelato spot across the street from their home.
 
As it was with Edelman, the attraction was immediate. In between bites of Swiss chocolate and dulce de leche, Duncan “looked at me and said, ‘This is amazing—the texture, the flavors, I’ve never had anything like this. We should open an Argentine gelateria in the States,’” she recalls. 
 
It wasn’t the craziest idea they’d had over the last year. And so Dolcezza—a true labor of love—was born.
 
Edelman, who worked in television production, and Duncan, a software consultant, settled in Washington in the early aughts. They opened their first gelateria—a 300-square-foot storefront—in Georgetown in 2004, when the only other people in the neighborhood scooping something sweet were Ben and Jerry. 
 
“I was making the gelato with my mother—it was the two of us cleaning the machine and mixing the base with sugar and cream and bananas or whatever it was,” Edelman says. “It was a beautiful time because we were a family business, making something with our own hands—but the first two years were also really hard.” 
 
Gelato is denser than ice cream, with about half the calories and fat. It’s best served a bit warmer—17 to 20 degrees—to better appreciate the creamy texture and “honor the ingredients,” as Edelman says. Making gelato is both an art and a science, and Dolcezza quickly mastered both. Customers and critics alike took note of the uncomplicated pairings—mascarpone and berries and pineapple honey lime—that allowed the farm-fresh produce to shine. 
 
Soon, Duncan was able to leave the corporate world behind, and after a friend invited the couple over for dinner and surprised them with a $50,000 check after dessert, they opened their second location in Bethesda, Maryland, in 2008.
 
Today Dolcezza boasts six locations and a 3,000-square-foot production facility in Union Market; 200 rotating flavors and 200 employees; and pints in more than 2,500 grocery stores nationwide, including Whole Foods. 
 
“Ice cream can be a vehicle for anything,” Edelman says, “but we prefer timeless over trendy.” Dolcezza has proven that fresh ingredients, local produce, and a lot of love never go out of season.
 

Don’t let the tiny spoon fool you; Edelman’s 10 favorite summer flavors pack a big punch:
 

Blackberries and cream: A beautiful, psychedelic purple color matches the big, bright nutty notes

Roasted strawberry: Reminiscent of the classic hard candies 

Yellow peach Southern Comfort: Made with the ultimate summer fruit from Toigo Orchards 

Lemon opal basil: The purple leaves are spicier than the green variety; just don’t call this pink lemonade 

Santa Rosa plum: A meaty texture with the perfect balance of sweet, acidic, and bitter 

Blueberry lemon thyme: A dairy-free ode to the glories of summer produce 

Red watermelon vodka: Cocktails are a great source of inspiration—the flavors just work

Blueberry lavender: Bright, floral, and sweet—a summer showstopper

Peaches and cream: Rich, buttery, sweet, and fragrant 

Strawberry tarragon: Refreshing and juicy with a slight licorice punch