Cremalosa, a shop from gelato master and acclaimed Atlanta food writer Meridith Ford, will open this fall at 2657 E. College Avenue in Decatur, Georgia. The menu will highlight flavors from local ingredients spun according to time-honored Italian techniques, including a seasonally driven selection of made-from-scratch gelato and other sweet treats. In addition, Cremalosa’s Decatur shop will serve as a hub for the business’ wholesale operations, and the gelato will be available to restaurants, grocers and more around Georgia.

Cremalosa will showcase around a dozen flavors of gelato, all spun in-house on a Cattabriga gelato machine imported from Italy. Crafted from local cream and simple, farm-fresh ingredients, flavors will change with the seasons and include a mix of traditional Italian options, such as stracciatella and pistachio, and creative offerings uniquely inspired by Southern desserts and iconic American cakes, cookies and penny candy––think banana pudding, malted milk ball, gingersnap cookie, hummingbird cake, snicker bar, strawberries & cream, lemon meringue pie and peach cobbler. For events from kids’ birthday parties to weddings, Meridith will be available to create special order by-the-scoop gelato, gelato cakes or gelato popsicles. Each cake can be topped with Meridith’s signature, whimsical designs including flowers and hearts playfully sculpted from icing.

In addition to scooped gelato, layer cakes and popsicles, Cremalosa will also serve boozy shakes (like “The Elvis,” with banana pudding gelato, peanut butter, bourbon whiskey, vanilla wafers, whipped cream and bacon), adult affogatos, canned beer and wine by the glass or bottle. Everything from the brownies in the dark chocolate fudge brownie to the caramel in the sea salt caramel gelato will be made from scratch. Add-ins, from local berries and fruits, will be preserved at the shop to create delicate and balanced fruit options. Meridith will import special nut pastes from two regions in Italy: pistachios from Bronte, Sicily, and hazelnuts from the renowned nut-growing Piedmont region.

Located on the plaza level of Cortland Decatur East, a new mixed-use development on East College Avenue, Cremalosa was designed by local architect Brian Finkel and will be constructed by local contractor Ben Lassbeck of LCM INternational, with interior design from local designer Scott Long. Just under 1,000 square feet, the cozy spot will feature a cheery and welcoming interior with colorful robin’s egg blue walls and rich chocolate brown millwork. Here, guests will be able to enjoy the view from the gelateria’s high-top window seating or opt for a sweet treat and glass of rosé on the outdoor patio, which will overlook a neighborhood green space and the Stone Mountain Bike Route.

Cremalosa is from owner and Atlanta native Meridith Ford. Meridith started out as a pastry chef and earned her pastry degree from Johnson & Wales University, where she taught for seven years. She served as The Providence Journal’s dining critic and head food writer for over five years, and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s dining critic and food writer from 2004 to 2010, where she earned a James Beard Award nomination for food criticism. Most recently, she worked in pastry for owner Riccardo Ullio of Sotto Sotto, Fritti, Escorpion and Novo Cucina, where she developed the latter’s gelato program and studied with Italian masters who taught her Italian techniques. The name “Cremalosa” is a play on “Crema,” the Italian word for cream, and the heart from the shop’s logo was Meridith’s daughter’s favorite doodle to sketch as a child.

“Cremalosa is the culmination of many years of big dreams, gelato-making research, practice and lots of love,” says Ford. “I’m thrilled to share a new take on gelato with our neighbors in Decatur.”