During the pandemic, we have had so many businesses close in the greater Coral Springs area that it became difficult to recall the passing of every store. However, few have had the emotional impact on me that Glyk Gelato did in Parkland, which shut its doors in February 2021.
Opened in August 2016 by Jaime and Samuel Kelerstein, former technology industry engineers, the shop was the lifelong dream of the father and son team to open their own ice cream parlor. But not just any ice cream parlor, an authentic Italian gelateria that made gelato from scratch.
Before opening the shop, the two went to special schools in Bologna/Verona and Calabria, Italy, to learn the trade. Gelato is different from American-style ice cream in that it is made from a higher proportion of milk, not cream, doesn't use egg yolks, and has virtually no air overrun. This gives it a lower butterfat content and a creamier, silkier texture than other frozen desserts.
Glyk's founders took a different approach to gelato production than other shops in South Florida as well. Instead of producing gelato from a pre-pasteurized commercial base, including flavorings, Jaime and Sam chose to make artisanal gelato from scratch.
The family spared no expense on equipment and decor and made their gelato products with a Silicon Valley level of attention and detail. Each flavor of gelato was made a single batch at a time, in a labor-intensive process, just as it is done in the best shops in Europe.
The shop's visible behind glass gelato "lab" had a single pasteurizer unit in which the dairy and nondairy ingredients and all-natural flavorings (such as Belgian Callebaut chocolate, freshly roasted nuts, nut butter, and fresh fruit) were combined and cooked to temperature. After pasteurizing, each batch of "batter" was passed through a single gelato freezer unit and then dispensed for sale.
After it was made, Glyk's gelato was stored in a special freezer designed to hold the product at an exact temperature so that it did not crystallize.
Unlike other gelato or ice cream shops, there were no flavors on display; all the gelato for serving direct to customers was kept underneath insulated metal covers so as not to cause thermal leakage and to prevent the product from melting and refreezing -- this is how it is done at the most traditional stores in Italy. But although you could not see the gelato, Jaime and Sam were happy to let you taste whatever flavors you wanted, listed artistically on a framed chalkboard.
The result of their exacting and meticulous efforts was nothing short of spectacular. My favorite flavors were the Italian classics, such as dark chocolate, pistachio, and gianduia (hazelnut and chocolate). But because of the family's Mexican-Jewish heritage, Glyk also experimented with Latin American gelato flavors such as Sweet Corn (my wife's favorite), Avocado, Banana, Mexican Chocolate, and Dulce de Leche. Mango and Mexican Lime sorbets were also on the menu.
And since Glyk had a dual E61 group Rancilio espresso machine, the shop could make cappuccinos. But my personal favorite was an affogato -- your choice of gelato "drowned" with espresso. Mexican Vanilla is a traditional pairing, but dark chocolate or having it with dulce de leche is fantastic.
I was, of course, devastated to hear about their closure back in February. But Sam and Jaime kept the hope of reopening alive, saying that when things got better and could optimize some of their processes, they would be back in business. Naturally, I was skeptical.
I'm delighted to say that Glyk has announced that they reopened on August 1, 2021.
In addition to the store's products now being Kosher dairy and pareve certified by the Orthodox Rabbinical Board (ORB) of South Florida, they have introduced pre-made gelato cakes (hazelnut, dulce de leche, dairy-free cookies and cream, and dairy-free chocolate strawberry), as well as party boxes of mix and match individual flavors of frozen mini gelato pops or gelato scoops. There's also a new selection of vegan flavors available as well. read more