What's it really like?

First of all, Madisono's is now proudly served at Palomino! They offer our Caramello with Sea Salt and French Vanilla gelato. A big thanks to Chef Kevin Worthington, Stix, Allegra and the rest of the crew for taking us on. They are excited about offering a local product and we are excited to serve them.
I just turned 41 a few days ago, the new 17, and I am still catching up with old friends on Face Book and about town. Most of them know that I make gelato and sorbet as a profession and when we talk, people want to know what it's like. It is easy to talk passionately about Madisono's, about creating flavors for chefs, using local seasonal ingredients, shopping for the exotic and the chemistry behind the flavor. After all that is the sexy part of the job. I never seem to mention the other aspects of making all of those exotic and custom flavors and that is what happens at the end of the day. Dirty Dishes and more dirty dishes. In our case it is more than just dishes, it's tubs, tools, equipment and machines that all need to be cleaned and sanitized. The degree of cleaning in any dairy facility goes beyond anything you do at home. As a matter of fact there are laws written that outline how things are to be cleaned. When we finish, I keep a daily log of what was cleaned and how. Joe usually continues working the production while I start the preparations for another day of dish dogging. Very hot soapy water, sanitizer and a plenty of elbow grease are what we use each day.
We do have a commercial dishwasher, which you can see in the photo, but everything is scrubbed by hand using a brush before it goes in. I have always told my children to never be ashamed of doing honest work. In a way I look forward to doing the dishes. Each empty tub represents another fine batch of Madisono's gelato or sorbet that is ready to ship out. Lots of empty bowls represent a new creation or flavor. It's a good way to keep everything in perspective. It is one of the most important parts of our sanitation program.
Thanks for supporting Madisono's
Matt