Press and Awards - Gelato Fiasco

Most notable press:

Editors’ Pick: Ripe Mango Sorbetto
O: The Oprah Magazine

Best Boutique Ice Creams: Maine Wild Blueberry Crisp Gelato
Bon Appétit

The Off Duty 50: “Maine’s Finest Gelato”
Wall Street Journal

sofi Award: Outstanding Ice Cream, Gelato, or Frozen Treat
Specialty Food Association

Top 10 Ice Creams
Food & Wine

Maine’s Best Ice Cream
Down East Magazine Readers’ Choice

Maine’s Best Ice Cream Treat
Food Network Magazine

Italy Lover’s Guide to America
Rachael Ray Every Day

2024

Gelato Fiasco wins Best Ice Cream in PortlandOldPort.com awards (PortlandOldPort.com, August 2024)
Best Ice Cream, Gelato, or Fro Yo, that is. Read more.

2023

Yelp names Gelato Fiasco as one of America’s Top 50 ice cream shops (Insider, July 2023)
High ratings earned us a spot on the list. Read more.

2022

Readers of Maine Magazine name Gelato Fiasco as Maine’s Best Ice Cream or Gelato (Maine Magazine, August 2022)
Gelato Fiasco took the top prize in Maine Magazine’s inaugural Reader’s Choice competition for Best Ice Cream or Gelato. Read more.

Funky flavors: Where to find the region’s most unusual ice cream (Portland Press Herald, June 17, 2022)
The Press Herald features our rich and decadent Mascarpone Pistachio Caramel. Read more.

Food & Wine names Gelato Fiasco as Maine’s Best Ice Cream (Food & Wine, June 17, 2021)
“Every now and then, you encounter somebody operating on the next level,” the author writes. “Currently, one of the most exciting ice creams in the state just happens to be the gelato from Gelato Fiasco.” Read more.

2021

Down East names Gelato Fiasco as Maine’s Best Ice Cream (Down East, September 2021)
Readers of Down East magazine selected Gelato Fiasco as Maine’s Best Ice Cream in the annual Best of Maine issue.

2019

Gelato Fiasco’s redesign is anything but a Fiasco (The Dieline, August 1, 2019)
Package design publication shares Gelato Fiasco’s new design. Read more.

Gelato Fiasco switches to paper packaging to reduce plastic waste (Portland Press Herald, July 24, 2019)
Portland Press Herald notes that the move will save nearly 3 million plastic containers over next year. Read more.

Gelato Fiasco releases new paper pint containers (NOSH, July 24, 2019)
Natural food industry blog reveals Gelato Fiasco’s new paper pint design. Read more.

Flagship Store named Maine’s Best Ice Cream Shop (Travel & Leisure, June 23, 2019)
Magazine says store is Maine’s No. 1 based on guest reviews. Read more.

Retailers scoop up ice cream brands (NOSH, May 23, 2019)
Gelato Fiasco is featured in a roundup of brands with expanding pint distribution. Read more.

Gelato Fiasco announces three new pint flavors (NOSH, February 25, 2019)
Industry publication shares news about three new pint flavors. Read more.

Mainers indulge in Super Bowl-themed gelato before the Super Bowl (Bangor Daily News, February 3, 2019)
The BDN interviews customers and employees about our special scoop shop flavor cheering on the Pats. Read more.

2018

Create your own Gelato Fiasco at home (Down East, December 30, 2018)
The Sun Journal visits Gelato Fiasco and makes a batch out of our new cookbook. Read more.

Gelato Fiasco is becoming a household name (NEWS CENTER Maine, November 2018)
NEWS CENTER Maine’s “207” talks with Josh about building Gelato Fiasco. Watch.

Down East readers name Gelato Fiasco as Maine’s best (Down East, July 2018)
Readers of Down East magazine named Gelato Fiasco as Maine’s Best Ice Cream for the fifth time. Read more.

Gelato Fiasco to open summer pop-up in Portsmouth (Seacoast Online, May 22, 2018)
Seacoast Online shares the news of our planned Summer Store in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Read more.

A Big ‘Ole Peanut Butter Pint earns sofi Silver Award (sofi Awards, April 20, 2018)
It is Gelato Fiasco’s third consecutive sofi. Read more.

Fast-growing Gelato Fiasco adds 250 grocery locations in New England (Mainebiz, April 18, 2018)
The grocers include Shaw’s, Market Basket, and Walmart. Read more.

Gelato Fiasco: How a Maine treat went Down Under (Maine Public, April 2, 2018)
Maine Public Radio explains the story behind the export of the Gelato Fiasco brand to Australia. Read more.

Gelato Fiasco scoops up two new hires for growing management team (Mainebiz, January 18, 2018)
Mainebiz reports on new staff hires in safety lab and logistics specialties. Read more.

‘The Frozen Code’: Maine gelato maker cuts prices as temperatures fall (Bangor Daily News, January 3, 2018)
The Bangor Daily News covers our remarkable Frozen Code streak. Customers at our Maine stores save 1% off gelato dishes for every degree below freezing at the time of purchase, all winter long. Read more.

2017

Gelato Fiasco in Bon Appetit (Bon Appetit, Special December 2017 Edition)
Bon Appetit includes Gelato Fiasco’s Maine Wild Blueberry Crisp Gelato in a spread on “the best pints to buy” in a special edition of the magazine about “the foods we crave now.” Read more.

No 1. Fastest-Growing Gelato Pint Brand in U.S. Grocery Stores (Mainebiz, November 22, 2017)
Gelato Fiasco’s announcement that it is the No 1. fastest growing gelato pint brand was covered by several outlets, including Mainebiz. Read.

Pints featured on The O List (O, The Oprah Magazine, August 2017)
The magazine’s collection of treats included a recommendation for Maine Wild Blueberry Crisp Gelato. Read more.

Mascarpone Pistachio Caramel Gelato receives Silver sofi Award (Specialty Food Association, June 2017)
The sofi Awards recognize the best specialty food products in the United States. Mascarpone Pistachio Caramel received the Silver Award in the dessert category at the Fancy Food Show. Read more.

Josh speaks at Maine Startup and Create Week (MSCW, June 2017)
Co-founder Josh Davis gave a presentation about building a small business from a local shop to a national presence at Maine Start-up and Create Week.

Gelato Fiasco Old Port named Portland’s best (Portland Phoenix, April 24, 2017)
Readers of the Portland Phoenix voted Gelato Fiasco Old Port as Portland’s Best Ice-Cream Parlor for the sixth consecutive year. Read more.

2016

University profiles summer intern (UMaine News, September 19, 2016)
The University of Maine’s news service debriefs our summer intern at the Flavor Foundry. Read more.

Food & Wine declares Top 10 (Food & Wine, August 2016)
The magazine includes Maine Wild Blueberry Crisp Gelato and Brown Butter Pecan Gelato on its review of “standout” ice cream flavors. Read more.

USA Today highlights Gelato Fiasco Old Port (USA Today GoEscape, Summer 2016)
USA Today’s travel magazine features our Old Port store and notes, “The batches at this shop are so small and the flavors change so often that if you don’t check out a zany flavor, you might never get the chance again.” Read more.

Gelato Fiasco voted Maine’s Best Ice Cream (Down East, July 2016)
Readers of Down East gave top billing to Gelato Fiasco for the fourth consecutive year.

Boston Globe notes sofi Award (Boston Globe, June 6, 2016)
The Boston Globe noted Gelato Fiasco’s sofi Award for Outstanding Ice Cream, Gelato, or Frozen Treat. Read more.

Verdana draws on Caramel Sea Salt Gelato (Veranda, June 2016)
Veranda, the premier interior design magazine from Hearst, includes a pint of Caramel Sea Salt Gelato in a feature on interesting items for home.

Gelato Fiasco named Portland’s Best Ice Cream Parlor (Phoenix, May 12, 2016)
Readers choose Gelato Fiasco Old Port as Portland’s top sweet stop for the fifth consecutive year.

Wall Street Journal reviews “Maine’s finest gelato” (Wall Street Journal, April 2, 2016)
The Wall Street Journal names Gelato Fiasco’s pints and home shipping service to The Off Duty 50, its list of great products, styles, trends, and recipes for spring. Read the review.

Mainebiz declares Small Company Business Leader of the Year (Mainebiz, March 21, 2016)
Maine’s business weekly names Gelato Fiasco CEO Josh Davis as its Business Leader of the Year for the small company category. Read the profile.

Yankee Magazine puts Maple Sap Tap on “sap bucket list” (Yankee, March 2016)
In a timely late-winter feature, Yankee Magazine highlights our signature maple flavor as one of the “best five” ways to discover local maple syrup in New England. Find an issue of Yankee for more.

Bangor Metro calls Gelato Fiasco “sustainably delicious” (Bangor Metro Magazine, March 2016)
The Bangor Daily News’s magazine features Gelato Fiasco and interviews co-founder Josh Davis about our sustainability practices, northern Maine dairy, and flavor development. Read more.

2015

House Hunters couple snags a treat in Brunswick (HGTV, September 2015)
Red Spoon Society members seeking a home in southern Maine make a stop at The Gelato Fiasco Flagship Store on an episode of “House Hunters” on HGTV. See more.

Big Country visits Old Port store (Travel Channel, September 2015)
The Travel Channel’s Andrew Zimmern brings his guest, Lisa, to our Old Port store during a visit to Portland in a web video. Watch.

Press Herald features vegan flavors (Portland Press Herald, September 2015)
Josh is interviewed about our popular sorbetto choices. Read.

O Magazine picks Ripe Mango Sorbetto (O: The Oprah Magazine, August 2015)
O: The Oprah Magazine chooses Ripe Mango Sorbetto in its “editors’ picks” for best ice cream and sorbetto flavors available nationwide. See more.

Readers say: Maine’s Best Ice Cream (Down East, July 2015)
Readers of Down East Magazine vote for Gelato Fiasco as Maine’s Best Ice Cream for the third consecutive year.

Google clicks Gelato Fiasco for Maine (Economic Impact Report, July 2015)
Google chooses Gelato Fiasco as its Maine business to feature in its annual economic impact report. The report profiles businesses that make good use of digital media. Read more.

NJ paper: “A gelato you can’t refuse” (The Record, May 17, 2015)
A northern New Jersey family of newspapers features our Mascarpone Pistachio Caramel Gelato at Fairway Market. Read more.

Gelato Fiasco named Portland’s Best Ice Cream Parlor (Phoenix, April 29, 2015)
Readers choose Gelato Fiasco as their fave for the fourth consecutive year. Read more.

2014

Travel and Leisure lists top Portland dessert spots (T&L, October 2014)
Article names Gelato Fiasco, Duckfat, Piccolo, Central Provisions, and Maine Pie Line as Portland’s top dessert spots. Read more.

Google cites Gelato Fiasco in eCity ranking (Portland Press Herald, October 17, 2014)
The company’s annual eCities report names Brunswick as Maine’s strongest digital economy and cites Gelato Fiasco’s web presence as a reason for our growing brand. Read more.

Saveur picks a top pint (Saveur.com, August 7, 2014)
The website includes Maine Wild Blueberry Crisp Gelato on its list of “our ten favorite store-bought ice creams.” Read more.

Bon Appétit enjoys Blueberry Crisp (Bon Appétit, August 2014)
Alongside other artisanal ice creams, the editors chose Maine Wild Blueberry Crisp Gelato for their feature on “the best boutique ice creams in the country” that are available in grocery store freezers. Read more.

Country Living features Gelato Fiasco (Country Living, July 2014)
The magazine chose Gelato Fiasco for its “Made in America: Great Finds from Every State” feature. Read more.

Down East readers say Maine’s Best Ice Cream (Down East, July 2014)
Awards season continues! Readers of the Magazine of Maine chose us for the second straight year. Read more.

Portland Phoenix names Portland’s best (Portland Phoenix, May 15, 2014)
Readers named our Old Port store as Portland’s Best Dessert Place and Best Ice Cream Parlor. Read more.

Boston Globe features Gelato Fiasco pints (The Boston Globe, April 23, 2014)
The “Short Order” column in the weekly food and dining section notes favorite flavors and availability around Boston. Read more.

Founders receive SBA young entrepreneur award (SBA, April 2014)
The Small Business Administration named Josh and Bruno as Young Entrepreneurs of the Year for both Maine and New England. Read more.

2013

Jersey paper raves about Gelato Fiasco pints (The Record, November 26, 2013)
The review considers flavors available at Fairway Market and Kings Food Markets. Read the review.

Down East savors Dark Chocolate Noir (Down East, October 2013)
Down East Magazine calls out Dark Chocolate Noir Sorbetto as a favorite flavor from “Maine’s ice cream renaissance” in the magazine’s “Where to Eat Now” guide. Read the feature.

AP food editor stops in Old Port shop (Associated Press, August 6, 2013)
The Associated Press’s national food editor says to grab dessert at The Gelato Fiasco Old Port after dinner at Duckfat and a grocery stop at Micucci. (It’s the ultimate collision: Duckfat makes milkshakes with our gelato and Micucci offers our gelato in pints, too!) Read the story from the AP.

Food Network Magazine places Gelato Fiasco on top list (Food Network Magazine, July/August 2013)
The magazine chose the affogato as Maine’s favorite ice cream treat it its “50 States, 50 Ice Cream Treats” tour of the most delicious desserts in America. The magazine chose one dessert from every state. View the online version.

Gelato Fiasco named Maine’s Best Ice Cream (Down East, July 2013)
Readers of Down East Magazine chose us as the best ice cream for the annual “Best of Maine” issue. Read more.

Gelato Fiasco a spot on Portland’s first Dishcrawl tour (Press Herald, May 8, 2013)
The Gelato Fiasco Old Port included in the first Dishcrawl in Portland. The Press Herald reports on all the stops, including dessert. Read.

Old Port store named Portland’s Best Dessert Place and Best Ice-Cream Parlor (Portland Phoenix, April 2013)
Noting the variety of flavors and “crazy-friendly” service, we’re given the top spot in the Phoenix’s annual “Best Of” awards. See the results.

Seed capital credit program hits its cap (Mainebiz, March 4, 2013)
Maine’s business magazine reports on The Gelato Fiasco’s use of the Seed Capital Tax Credit Program and includes an interview with co-founder Josh Davis. Read the story.

2012

James Beard Foundation includes as a top Portland place (JBF Blog, September 18, 2012)
In its Trip Planning story, the James Beard Foundation’s blog recommends The Gelato Fiasco Old Port as one of five spots to visit in Portland. Read the story.

Media report on planned White House visit (Bangor Daily News, September 17, 2012)
The Bangor Daily News, Mainebiz, and WMTW reported on the Empact100 award for which Josh and Bruno will be recognized at the White House at the end of the month.Read the Bangor Daily News’s story.

MSNBC airs story on The Gelato Fiasco (MSNBC, September 16, 2012)
The national cable channel interviewed Josh and Bruno about how they found financing for our Portland store in a tight lending market. Following a six-minute package, two commentators gave their thoughts about the business from the show’s New York studio. Watch the story.

Pat Whitley Restaurant Show interviews Josh (WRKO, September 2, 2012)
On WRKO in Boston, Pat Whitley says of our Dark Chocolate Noir Sorbetto: “I have never tasted anything that good. I have pictures of me with a big cone sitting in some small town in Italy up in the mountains someplace. That was the best gelato I ever had… And this was even better than that, it was so good.” Listen to the interview.

State drops a mention (Slate, August 20, 2012)
Apologies to Matt Damon: Slate.com spots The Gelato Fiasco and suggests that our name become the title of a Robert Ludlum-style flick. May we suggest a tagline: “The mission? Just desserts.” Read the story.

Coastal Collection on NBC affiliate (WCSH, June 22, 2012)
Co-founders Joshua Davis and Bruno Tropeano met up with News Center’s Kathleen Shannon at the Old Port store to create a batch of Strawberry Rhubarb Sorbetto. They had a blast, and created a really good dessert! Watch the segment.

The Gelato Fiasco sweeps awards season (June 4, 2012)
For the second consecutive year, readers of the Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram named The Gelato Fiasco Maine’s Best Ice Cream Shop. Earlier in the spring, readers of the Portland Phoenix chose The Gelato Fiasco as Portland’s Best Ice Cream Shop and Portland’s Best Dessert place.

Reuters reports on The Gelato Fiasco (Reuters, April 3, 2012)
The global news wire interviews Gelato Fiasco Co-Founder Josh Davis and Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz about Create Jobs for USA. Read the story.

News Center reports on Sweet Resurgam, Portland (WCSH, March 24, 2012)
WCSH 6, the Portland NBC affiliate, visited The Gelato Fiasco Old Port to report a story on Create Jobs for USA and Sweet Resurgam Gelato. Watch the video.

“Maine Things Considered” interviews The Gelato Fiasco’s founders (MPBN, March 16, 2012)
Maine’s NPR affiliate reports on The Gelato Fiasco’s Create Jobs for USA loan, and our planned release of Sweet Resurgam Gelato, a flavor celebrating Portland and Create Jobs for USA. Read or listen to the story.

CNN Money reports on The Gelato Fiasco Old Port’s financing (CNN Money, February 16, 2012)
The Gelato Fiasco Old Port was financed by a low-interest loan made possible through the Create Jobs for USA program established by Starbucks and the Opportunity Finance Network. CNN Money featured The Gelato Fiasco’s story, and also interviewed Josh Davis via Skype from the Portland store for a web video.

Bloomberg interviews Starbucks’ Schultz and The Gelato Fiasco’s Davis(Bloomberg, February 16, 2012)
The business news wire reports on how The Gelato Fiasco benefited from the Create Jobs for USA program. Read the story.

News Center 6 reports on the Frozen Code (WCSH 6, January 4, 2012)
Portland’s NBC affiliate runs a story on our Frozen Code discount, with appearances by team members Ian and Emily. Watch.

Maine Magazine takes a trip to Brunswick (Maine, January 2012)
In a 48-hours feature, the magazine says that “a trip to Brunswick is not complete without a scoop” and highlights our Frozen Code winter discount. Read.

2011

Josh Davis named 2011 “Newsmaker” (Times Record, December 28, 2011)
The Brunswick Times Record named co-founder Josh Davis a 2011 Newsmaker. The story details the company’s history and Josh’s perspective on The Gelato Fiasco. Read.

Boston Globe mentions The Gelato Fiasco (Boston Globe, December 1, 2011)
In a Travel section feature on Brunswick, the newspaper says, “The glass case is crowded with exotic flavors: espresso chip made with locally roasted coffee, toasted coconut with coconut cream and flakes, chocolate cinnamon with plenty of cinnamon.”Read.

Fortune magazine features The Gelato Fiasco (Fortune, November 7, 2011)
The national business magazine Fortune profiles The Gelato Fiasco in its Davis vs. Goliath column, which profiles start-ups taking on big companies. Read.

“Fiasco stirs the gelato pot” (Portland Press Herald, October 19, 2011)
Press Herald food writer Meredith Goad reports on our plans to build a store in the Old Port and examines Portland’s dessert renaissance. Read.

Associated Press teletypes praise (AP, August 25, 2011)
The AP’s national travel editor tours Maine summertime art exhibitions and takes a diversion to our store. She writes, “Don’t miss Brunswick’s Gelato Fiasco at 74 Maine St., with flavors like baklava, blueberries and cream, gingersnap and dark chocolate noir.” The article is carried by ABC News, MSNBC, the Huffington Post, the Washington Post, and dozens of other news organizations. Read.

Press Herald readers: Best Ice Cream Shop in Maine (Portland Press Herald, August 2011)
Readers of the Portland Press Herald, Maine Sunday Telegram, Kennebec Journal, and Morning Sentinel have named The Gelato Fiasco as Maine’s Best Ice Cream Shop in the newspapers’ 25th annual reader survey. Read on.

MaineAhead profiles The Gelato Fiasco (Maine Ahead, June 2011)
The Maine Ahead magazine profile says, “The twenty-something owners of The Gelato Fiasco in Brunswick are building a frozen treat empire using time-tested methods, quality ingredients, and a customer-centric philosophy—plus a large scoop of digital marketing.” Read.

Behind-the-scenes at The Gelato Fiasco (Times Record, April 6, 2011)
The Times Record picks co-founder Josh Davis’ brain about building a business. Read.

Rachael Ray’s magazine lists The Gelato Fiasco as top spot (Every Day with Rachael Ray, October 2010)
TV host’s magazine says our gelato beats 98 percent of that in Italy. (We think it’s a rounding error.) More.

2010

Down East features The Gelato Fiasco (Down East, September 2010)
Magazine chronicles The Gelato Fiasco’s story and says we are “Maine’s premier Italian gelateria.” Read.

Five lessons from Gelato Fiasco co-founder Josh Davis (Bowdoin Orient Express, September 2010)
In a guest column, Josh Davis provides students his advice for starting businesses or non-profits. Read.

Wine and gelato a “match made in heaven” (Portland Press Herald, September 5, 2010)
Five-star review of our partner, Old Vines Wine Bar, recommends a shot of Pedro Ximenez Sherry on our gelato found on the restaurant’s dessert menu. Read.

Boston Globe gives a shout-out (Boston Globe, August 4, 2010)
On a trip to Brunswick, the Boston Globe says to save room for a “scrumptious treat.”Read.

Creamy, delicious Italian ice cream hits the summer spot (Sun Journal, August 2, 2010)
The Sun Journal visits The Gelato Fiasco. Read story and watch video.

The Gelato Fiasco named one of Maine’s best ice cream shoppes (Portland Press Herald, June 6, 2010)
The Press Herald named The Gelato Fiasco one of the top two ice cream shoppes in Maine. The poll was part of the newspaper’s annual audience survey, which reviews favorite summertime spots. Read.

Maine Mag raves about The Gelato Fiasco’s service (Maine: The Magazine, May 2010)
The magazine’s reviewer says, “I’ve never been disappointed with the gelato here, but what really impresses me is how friendly the service is.” Check the May issue of the magazine for a review of Brunswick’s culinary scene.

The Gelato Fiasco’s Josh Davis interviewed about health care reform (WCSH 6 NewsCenter, April 1, 2010)
Co-owner Josh Davis talks about retaining the best employees. Watch the video.

Charitable gift the cherry on top of ‘Frozen Joy’ (Portland Press Herald, February 11, 2010)
The Press Herald looks at the unique pay-it-forward gelato freezer at Farmer’s Fare in Rockport. The freezer features private-label Farmer’s Fare gelato produced exclusively by The Gelato Fiasco. Read.

2007–2009

Gluten-free foods may take time, but are worth it (Portland Press Herald, October 18, 2009)
Co-owner Josh Davis writes to the Portland Press Herald about the success that The Gelato Fiasco has had by working to meet customers’ dietary restrictions. Read.

Milking success (Mainebiz, September 21, 2009)
Mainebiz goes behind-the-scenes at The Gelato Fiasco in this cover story about the company’s development. Read.

Sweet success (Bentley Observer, Summer 2009)
The Bentley alumni magazine interviewed Joshua Davis and Bruno Tropeano for a story about The Gelato Fiasco’s founding. The story also links to an audio slideshow that features Davis describing how gelato is made. Read.

Fudge shop carries The Gelato Fiasco (Seacoast Online, July 21, 2009)
In a story about Roly’s English Fudge’s new location in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, the store’s owners discuss their new line of Gelato Fiasco gelato. The shop is The Gelato Fiasco’s first out-of-state partner.

Gelato Fiasco owner assesses economic downturn (The Bowdoin Orient, April 10, 2009)
In a story that analyzes the economic recession’s impact on Brunswick businesses, Gelato Fiasco co-owner Joshua Davis describes the company’s continually increasing sales. Davis says, that the downturn isn’t keeping customers away from “a treat that, while not cheap, is affordable.” Read.

Gelato Fiasco’s blue skies during economic downturn (Brunswick Times Record, January 15, 2009)
In a story about the nation’s economic problems, The Brunswick Times Record examines businesses on Maine Street and says that The Gelato Fiasco is “bucking the trend.” Read.

Eats: The Gelato Fiasco (Review in Sun Journal, August 10, 2008)
In a review, well-traveled reporter Maggie Gil-Austern says The Gelato Fiasco is “the world’s best gelato.”

Cool gelato is hot (The Maine Switch, September 9, 2007)
Bruno Tropeano grew up eating gelato on family trips to Italy. Because of his early exposure to the real deal, he’s been continually disappointed with the quality of gelato served up in this country. Read.