| I sat with Giuliana
Maravalle in the pre-construction confusion of what will be
her spacious, new version of the former New Haven Keys to
the City destination and special-events restaurant combined
with room for her Gelato Giuliana wholesale business.
At an age when most other grandmothers have retired, Giuliana
is negotiating leases, hiring construction crews and running
two successful businesses.
I was curious to learn how a Connecticut woman of Italian
heritage with no formal education beyond high school, has
accomplished what many MBAs would envy. Giuliana started
out as a hairdresser but before long, she opened her own
salon, Julie’s Hair Design in Fair Haven, and then
a second salon in North Haven.
She had, however, difficulty in finding well-trained help
so out of necessity, she started a small beauty school which
became the Gal-Mar Academy, the largest beauty school in
the state. After 30 years, she sold the school to Paul Mitchell.
Never one to sit idle for long, Giuliana thought it would
be fun to have a small bottega with good espresso, some
cakes and some gelato to serve a New Haven clientele. But
she couldn’t find any really good gelato and having
visited Italy as a teenager, she remembered what really
excellent gelato should taste like.
Again, necessity became the mother of invention, and Giuliana
traveled to Italy to learn how to produce the quality gelato
she was after. People who came to her bottega loved the
gelato and soon were asking where else they could buy it.
Now available in 40 mouth-watering flavors, it is sold wholesale
to Whole Foods and many other specialty food stores in the
Northeast. (For a list of stores and restaurants carrying
her gelato, go to www.gelatogiuliana.com).
True gelato, Giuliana explains enthusiastically, must be
15 percent or less air, so a smaller amount is satisfying
and the flavors are very intense. Some ice creams contain
as much as 90 percent air and many artificial additives.
Gelato Giuliana uses fresh ingredients and the fruit-based
flavors are only 30-40 calories in a 4-ounce serving. I
didn’t want to know how many calories are in her wonderful
amaretto or coconut, creme brulee, hazelnut or tiramisu
flavors; fortunately, even a small dish is very satisfying.
Guilana’s new destination restaurant, Keys to the
City at Terminal 110 at Long Wharf in New Haven, will have
a soft opening Thursday. They’ll be open from 5 p.m.
to midnight, Thursdays through Saturdays only. Easily accessible
from Long Wharf Theatre and downtown, it will feature casual
fare and unique performances by dueling pianos. Keys to
the City may be booked for parties and special events as
well. Call 203-772-0607 for reservations.
Jean Cherni is founder of Senior
Living Solutions, a retirement advisory service. Contact
her at jeancherni@sbcglobal.net or 15 The Ponds, Branford
06405.
H. Pearce Company REALTORS®
is a full-service real estate company with more than 100
agents and branch offices in greater New Haven and the Shoreline.
Corporate and & Commercial offices are located in North
Haven, where the company was founded in 1958. All listings
can be found in color on the web at: www.hpearce.com. |
