Madisono's Gelato

Madisono's Gelato at The Golden Lamb

2012-01-27T09:00:00.000-05:00

The lobby at The Golden Lamb in Lebanon, Ohio

The Golden Lamb Inn in Lebanon, Ohio has a near 200 year history of offering delicious food and accommodations to travelers in the "Ohio Country". Now it serves one of the best (in our humble opinion) deserts to new visitors and travelers--Madisono's Gelato and Sorbet! We are really proud to be on the menu at this esteemed place in Ohio's history.

If you haven't been to The Golden Lamb, there is more than great gelato to lure you there. The Golden Lamb was first opened in 1803 as a public house and in it's near 200 years of hospitality it has served 12 presidents and countless statesmen and travelers through the "Ohio Country". It's the longest running business in the state of Ohio! Of course, you can't have a place open that long without some great stories, including tales of hauntings, financial drama and more. And with names like "The Dickens Room", "The Ulysses S. Grant Room" and "The Harriet Beecher Stowe Room", it's worth considering an overnight stay so you can soak up all the fun Ohio history. Just don't forget to have some gelato after your meal!

John Do Ya

2012-01-25T09:08:00.004-05:00

We thought you'd be interested in learning how to pronounce our newest seasonal flavor since you'll be asking for it over and over again after you've tried it.

The official flavor name is "Gianduja", which is a classic Italian Gelataria flavor of hazelnut and chocolate. Think of it as gelato in the flavor of Nutella.

Before this flavor was slated for pints, we diligently worked the recipe development process, adding different ratios of hazelnut paste and coco until the richness and flavor is just right in our judgement. But then it still has to pass the very rigorous and discerning expectations of our flavor tasting panel (consisting of our kids, families and any friends who happen to invite us to dinner during the development process) before we seal up the special recipe and start production.

We welcome you to give it a try when it hits the stores in February of 2012 and let us know if you love it as much as we do!

Madisono's at Ferrari's Restaurant

2012-01-19T10:22:00.002-05:00

If you're feeling like you need a mini vacation, you might consider visiting Italy at Ferrari's Little Italy and Bakery restaurant in Madeira, Ohio. We've been selling Madisono's gelato and sorbet there for several years and it's one of our favorites. When we enter the store for deliveries, we are always transformed to our "happy place" with the comforting aroma of fresh baked bread they offer from the bakery at the front of the restaurant. Seriously, is there a more comforting smell than crusty bread just out of the oven?

The delicious Northern and Southern Italian food is served family style in the restaurant, and after my wife eat dinner there we always leave with bellies full and hearts satisfied. When you go, save room for gelato, but if you opt for a crispy canoli confection instead, don't worry! You can pick up a pint of Madisono's on your way out to enjoy at home.

New Seasonal Flavors are Coming! Meyer Lemon sorbet

2012-01-17T11:56:00.000-05:00

Would you take a look at these beauties? These are very special lemons called Meyer Lemons. What makes them so special you say? Well for one, they are now a new seasonal sorbet flavor offered by Madisono's starting in February. We use a lot of hand motions and facial expressions in the shop to describe flavors, so this our best effort using words. It would help if you could imagine us making a sweeping gesture with our hands from our mouth to heaven above and looking like we are going to cry because the taste is so overwhelmingly beautiful. Got the image? Now for words: sweet, tart, lively, refreshing, bursting, clean, lemon-y, citrus, crisp, bright...

Meyer lemons themselves are very special, even before their life in our sorbet. The Meyer lemon is actually a hybrid between a lemon and a mandarin orange. This is why the rind has a dark warm yellow color and the flavor is less acrid and slightly sweeter than a typical lemon. The fruit originates from China and was brought to America by agricultural explorer Frank Meyer in 1908. You can purchase Meyer lemon trees and grown your own, but in our ever changing midwestern climate they are a challenge to keep alive. We actually tried to grow one at our house but our black thumb took it to fruit tree heaven a few months later. If you'd like to learn more, here is a link to an interesting article from NPR about the lovely lemon.

Here is a picture of how we get that gorgeous flavor into the sorbet. After scraping off the flavorful rind (which is entirely edible, by the way) and adding that to the sorbet base, we squeeze the juices out so that every delicious part possible of the Meyer lemon is incorporated. Can you imagine how great the shop smells after this? It smells really good. This flavor and 3 others will be soon available at retail locations in February of 2012.

Dulce De Leche Gelato recipe

2012-01-09T13:31:00.000-05:00

Photo by Amy Neunsinger

Have you tried Madisono's Dulce De Leche gelato yet? It is a sweet and creamy flavor inspired by the Mexican Dulce De Leche or "sweet milk" desserts. You might recognize the flavor as sweetened condensed milk but we don't use a can of sweetened condensed milk for our gelato, we do it old school buy boiling down milk until it is thick and caramelized. This takes over 7 hours (yes, 7 hours!) but we think that authentic flavor is what makes our gelato so good.

Here is a beautiful recipe from epicurious. Remember that you can use the "where to find it" tabs at the top to find retail stores that sell Madisono's Gelato and Sorbet.

Dulce De Leche Gelato with Mexican Chocolate sauce and strawberries

6 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped
2/3 cup whipping cream
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 pints Madisono's dulce de leche gelato
4 cups fresh strawberries (about 1 pound), hulled, quartered

Preparation

Place first 4 ingredients in medium metal bowl. Set bowl over saucepan of simmering water; stir until smooth.

Divide ice cream among 6 bowls. Sprinkle berries over. Spoon warm or room-temperature sauce over.

If you're in Oxford, Ohio visit Moon Coop Market!

2012-01-06T16:09:00.001-05:00

We are really excited to have Madisono's Gelato and Sorbet sold at the Moon Co-op Natural Foods Market (Miami Oxford Organic Network Co-op) located on 512 South Locust St. in Oxford, Ohio. A newly opened retail outlet for the 7 year strong coop, it showcases organic and natural products from toothpaste to spices, as well as locally grown produce in season. Our gelato and sorbet fits right in since it's locally produced, and uses all natural ingredients. My wife's family has big history in both the city of Oxford, as well as being Miami Aumni so this was a very important location to add in the tri-state region. She suggests to the Miami students that Madisono's Dark Chocolate Orange and Salted Caramello gelato would be the perfect finish to a Miami bagel from B&D and bag of Smartfood popcorn. If you haven't started your evening yet, be sure to get your pints (gelato pints!) now, so they'll be waiting when you come home which will be much, much later in the evening. I went to college, I know these things...

A little Florida sunshine today

2012-01-04T09:48:00.001-05:00

It's quite a chilly day out today so we are warming up our hearts with some gorgeous fresh red grapefruits from Florida. These will be used in the pink grapefruit sorbet we are making today along with some ruby red grapefruit juice. These fresh ingredients are the life-force behind the sweet-tart citrus flavor so many people love. Can you feel the warm sun now? Try a pint and you'll see what we mean...

Happy New Year from Madisono's Gelato

2012-01-02T09:22:00.002-05:00

We're excited to start this new year off right by replacing the old computer that took an impossible 60 seconds to load a page is now replaced with a current and speedy model. It takes a little time to install everything but man, it's worth it!

Installing a new computer is just a part of the fun we're having today. The other part is making some sorbet. Ruby Red Grapefruit sorbet to be specific. We developed this special flavor exclusively for Executive Chef Cristian Pietoso for Nichola's (top rated Zagat in 2011) and Via Vite restaurants here in Cincinnati. It is featured in the signature scroppino drinks served there and one patron recently reported to me that this drink is "the best alcoholic drink ever!".

If you're finished with the New Year's wine and champagne, here is a recipe for the refreshing Italian drink adapted from this recipe. We suggest you try this one and then have one of Chef Cristian's for a full taste test and report back to us later...

*to find Madisono's pink grapefruit sorbet, check our "Where to find it" page on this blog.

Ingredients

1 pint pink grapefruit sorbet

1/4 cup Prosecco or sparkling wine

1/4 cup vodka

Method
Pour ingredients into a blender, clamp on the lid and buzz until the ingredients are fully incorporated and frothy, 30 to 40 seconds.

Lunch on the land 2011

2011-09-19T15:02:00.016-04:00

This past Sunday, September 18th, marked the third Lunch on the Land Findlay Market fundraiser. Held at Turner Farm in Indian Hill, the event was a collection of Cincinnati's finest restaurant talent and those dedicated to preserving Historic Findlay Market. Madisono's has been a participant in the event since the beginning and every year it gets better. The Tillers provided the music, Amy Tobin served as MC and the chefs provided some great food. 150 people attended the event. Scarlet Oaks culinary students helped out for service and prep. I have included several photos of the event.

This year I wanted to do something different. We have been making Madisono Mad Pops for about year so to make that anniversary, I decided to serve a Mad Pop. My direction was to look for farm related foods that could work in a pop. I settled on an apple carrot and beet pop. Niemeyer Farms provided the apples. I froze them in 3 separate stages so that each flavor could be experienced, it also added a nice stratification to the pop. Thanks to all of you who attuned this year.

Thanks for supporting Madisono's

Matt

The making of a Madisono Mad Pop

2011-06-24T15:19:00.007-04:00

The making of a Madisono's Mad Pop. A year ago in July I started running recipe tests for a concept, real fruit pops made with simple ingredients, that tasted good. I had some pops that were purchased from a local store that were a big disappointment. They were weak in flavor and had very little fruit in them. We were already doing fun experiments with fruits and juices in the shop so why not offer them to our customers? We made them available to Madison's at Findlay and the response was fantastic. This year the Mad Pops have returned to Findlay Market and the response has been great.

We are offering Strawberry Mango, Blackberry Lemon, Orange Cream, Cherry Berry, Red Raspberry, and Cranberry Pomegranate.
The Findlay store sells them out front under the blue tent on the weekends and in the store during the week. Mad Pops are only available at 110 W. Elder St. There is another pop vendor at Findlay Market called Street Pops. They have some unique flavor concepts. We may compete for sales but anyone who makes pops is ok in my book. Our pops are sold for $2.00 each or 3 for $5.00. Compared to Street Pops at $3.00 ea. Madisono's is a great deal when you go for the 3 for 5 deal. Let us know what you think.

The pictures above show how they are done. We start with lemon juice, blackberries from our family farm in Adams County Ohio. They are pureed and then poured into the pop molds. One two and three. Once frozen we remove them and overwrap with an FDA approved food package, heat seal and then send them to Findlay. Thanks for supporting Madisono's

Matt

Cincinnati Ride June 2011

2011-06-11T18:06:00.002-04:00

This is the 4th year that Madisono's has scooped up some gelato and sorbet for everyone who comes out to the Cincinnati Ride Celebration to raise money for breast cancer research. Please visit their site via the link. The event is held at Yeatman's Cove and I hear that the weather is going to be excellent. We missed out on Zoo la la last night due to the weather. It will be set for another day. Madisono's will be at the Zoo on June 23rd for Wild about Wines. We have been very busy the past weeks making gelato and sorbet. The high temps always creates a demand for something cool. We are also making a great selection of Mad Pops for sale at Findlay Market. The current flavors are as follows: Cherry Berry (dark cherries and blueberry puree) Cranberry Pomegranate, Red Raspberry, (this is crazy good!) Blackberry lemon (made with blackberries from our family farm in Adams County Ohio), Strawberry and Alphonso Mango, (the most popular so far), and Orange cream. If you are anywhere near Findlay Market they are worth a special trip. Thanks for eating Madisono's Gelato and Sorbet!
Matt

Midwest Culinary Young Chef Competition

2011-03-19T14:41:00.015-04:00

I spent today in the company of many talented people. The Midwest Culinary Institute MCI, held the regional young chef competition. These young chefs are in the running to compete at the national level and then international level. As out of town guests, MCI offered the chefs and their families lunch featuring all local products. Wines, beers, and foods. Madisono's was invited to serve gelato and sorbet. The lunch also featured LaRosa's, Montgomery Inn and Skyline. Madisono's is a Cincinnati favorite. Each of the chefs were given a box of vegetables and fruit and the choice of leg of lamb or fish. They had to write a menu, prepare 3 dishes and do it within a certain time limit. Can you say pressure! A couple of these photos are blurry but to be honest these guys were moving so fast it was hard to keep up. They are judged on how they worked, what they saved, threw away and all kinds of things. Chef Jean Robert and Chef Chris Ropp from Kenwood Country Club were part of the judging panel. The chefs had to come up with a show plate and 3 others for the judges to eat from. I saw one of the young chefs finish with less than 5 seconds to spare. It was a great experience. Madisono's will be a part of One Night 12 Kitchens this year and we are looking forward to it. Here are some photos from the event.
Thanks
Matt

Spring flavors and a new look

2011-03-05T08:42:00.014-05:00

The Spring flavors are finally here. I have 4 new flavors to tell you about. You might be wondering where can you buy them? Great question. All are available at Findlay Market and are making their way day by day to our retail locations throughout the city. It might take a little time but they will get there. Before I get into the details on the new flavors I want to let you know about the new packaging. We are using a clear pint container with a very firm fitting lid. It is a # 2 recycle plastic and it is great for left overs. The most important part of this new packaging is that they are extruded in Streetsboro Ohio. That means Ohio workers produce and truck them which means a lower carbon footprint.
Our new label keeps the Madisono's look alive but now you can see into the gelato from the outside. You can see the vanilla bean specs, whole fruit and the zest peeking out. All new flavors and some of the others will get the new package. Eventually all flavors will be in the new package. So what are they?

Cherries Jubilee Gelato: Escoffier’s original dessert and served to royalty, Madisono’s version starts with our Madagascar vanilla base, Michigan tart cherries and Kirschwasser. We blend the cooked cherries into the finished gelato by hand for a marbled finish that is beautiful and delicious.

Honey Lavender Gelato: What’s all the buzz about? Local honey from The Beiersdorfer family farm in Guilford Indiana, real lavender and Madisono’s neutral gelato base yields a gelato that is so creamy and smooth it could be called royal jelly.

Lemon with Candied Ginger Gelato : Imagine if you started with 2.5 gallons of neutral gelato base made from scratch. Add the zest of 10 lemons, the juice from those lemons and a whole bunch of candied ginger from the famous Ginger People. Freeze it and put it into packages where you could see all of that goodness from the outside. What would you have? Madisono’s Lemon with Candied Ginger Gelato.

Coconut with Lemongrass and Cilantro Gelato: We thought about calling this gelato Siam Dream but then reconsidered because we did not think that anyone would know what that meant or what was inside. Once you taste it though you will be dreaming. Everything always works out in the end. We use Whole Foods 365 brand coconut milk which contains no sulphites.

We will produce these flavors through May. After that we will offer up our Summer flavors and from there Fall/Winter. These flavors are also offered at The Dorothy Lane Markets in Dayton Ohio. Deliveries will start there this coming week. My goal is to continue to offer new flavors for you to enjoy. Some flavors that we have offered in the past have not been as creative. That's not to say Cookies and Cream tastes bad, but using an Oreo cookie (which contains all kinds of extra stuff) is not where we want to be. You can see in the photos that our process is small bath and hand crafted. We will continue to develop flavors that include superior ingredients, feature local sources and make the best tasting gelato & sorbet. Thanks for your support of Madisono's
Matt

Dorothy Lane Market Vendor Honor Roll

2011-02-26T11:18:00.012-05:00

We all look forward to Friday. Why? It's the end of the work week, it might be pay day for some and it might be casual dress day for others. Regardless of the reason Friday's are special. At Madisono's Fridays come with much anticipation for the above mentioned reasons but it also means that I get to head to The Gem City. For the last three years Madisono's has been producing gelato and sorbetto for The Dorothy Lane Markets in Dayton Ohio, under their label and Friday is their delivery day. As soon as I hit the Cincinnati Dayton Rd. exit I turn my dial to 91.3 WYSO. Niki Dakota plays the most amazing assortment of music and at noon I look forward to Fimically perfect for the ride home. Most of the time I make Springboro the last stop and while I'm there I order up a cup of Boston Stoker coffee. The Stoker is Dayton's gourmet coffee roaster and each DLM store has a full service coffee bar inside. Keep in mind that DLM has had this going on way before anyone from Kroger ever considered the Starbucks thing. DLM leads the grocery industry in so many ways it's hard to count. Others can only try. They are "the store that accomodates."
This past Friday I hosted a meeting of grocery managers, and other in the DLM organization to discuss our new Spring flavors and bring them up to speed on developments at Madisono's. I sent Joe, my production manager, to The Gem City for the delivery run. I stayed behind and prepared for the meeting. When we had finished our discussions and sampling Tom Winter presented me with the DLM Vendor Honor Roll award much to my surprise. I also received a letter from Calvin Mayne the President and CEO. Here is how it reads
Dear Matt
Much of the success of Dorothy Lane Market over the years has been due to the close cooperation of vendors such as you, vendors who have gone above and beyond the call of duty in order to serve DLM. In 1991 we instituted the DLM Vendor Honor Roll award in order to recognize outstanding vendors for their excellent service.
This is the 20th year for our award and we are pleased to present you with the accompanying plaque as a token of our appreciation for your support, service, and loyalty. You help make it possible for us to be "the store that accomodates." Thank you and congratulations.
It is an honor to receive this award. The plaque and official letter will be on display at Findlay Market. If you are feeling like a mini food adventure consider heading to the DLM Springboro store for some great shopping and eating. It is not that far from Cincinnati and you will be impressed. Consider getting lunch and eating upstairs while a real piano player plays music. They are a full service store and you might find some new favorites. Unlike many other stores where their store brands are cheep knock offs to the real deal, DLM holds their brand to a much higher standard. Their store brands are better than the national labels. They use Madisono's for their gelato and sorbetto and you all know how good that is. If you do go let them know you are visiting from Cincinnati and that Madisono's sent you.
Thanks for supporting Madisono's and Dorothy Lane Markets
Matt

Mended little hearts

2011-02-10T20:46:00.005-05:00

About a week ago I headed north to The Hills Market in Columbus Ohio. They are a great customer of mine and I love their market. If I lived nearby I would most certainly be shopping there. Throughout the store there are tags on the shelves pointing out all of the local products. Their commitment to the local community is goes beyond supporting food producers. My reason for the visit was to serve our black raspberry sorbet at the Mended Little Hearts benefit. The Hills Market hosted the event which featured more than 20 local food producers. Madisono's was paired with Jam Jar sweet shiraz. I believe there were more than 200 in attendance. Thanks to everyone who sampled and took the time for some great conversation. Madisono's will be back next year.
Matt

Chris Roswog Pastry Chef The Iron Horse Inn

2011-02-09T21:34:00.013-05:00

While selling gelato and sorbet to Cincinnati's top restaurants I have been fortunate to meet some very passionate and unique individuals. Most of the time my routine is one of quick pace and structure. Deliver the goods and get on to the next stop. Very few kitchens are quiet past 11:00am. While preparing for service not many people have time to BS but sometimes they do and I always learn something cool when we do. Chefs and others in the kitchen work weird hours. If I deliver early in the morning they are not even on site. So the other day I invited Pastry Chef Chris Roswog to stop by for an formal interview. I want to get to know the people who use Madisono's on a daily basis, those who make the decisions when it comes to feeding your sweet tooth. Chris is the pastry chef at The Iron Horse Inn located in Glendale. It is located just across the street from our production commissary. This is the first interview so stay tuned for more in the future.
When Chris entered the kitchen he was carrying a unique box. It looked like a little James Bond/ Super Spy/ Techno thingy. When he opened it up it contained a small part of his watch collection. Chris loves watches and we spent some time looking them over. His collection is very impressive. I asked Chris a few scripted questions and here is what he had to say.
1. Why pastry?
Chris has been cooking since he was 5. When he entered culinary school he knew he wanted to do pastry. "Pastry keeps you off the line." Chris conveyed that pastry/dessert allows you to get the last word in so to speak. It is a farewell to the dining experience and he wants you to leave on a high note. Pastry allows him to express that.
2. What is your favorite tool?
"My hands" "You can experience everything from temperature to texture." These are very important in pastry. So much relies on this that nothing cab substitute the hands.
3. What are your favorite ingredients?
"Chocolate, nuts and good eggs." "Eggs are essential in what I do every day." Chris loves the versatility of eggs and the use of nuts, especially macadamia nuts.
4. What was you most inspired creation?
After a short pause Chris shared with me a creation he did at Prima Vista for Valentines Day. Two pieces of puff pastry cut into rectangles with homemade French Vanilla Ice Cream and Red Raspberry sorbet. He has also found inspiration in birthday cakes. He is especially fond of The Cake Bible by Rose Levy Beranbaum. Chris has spent years coming up with unique cake creations of his own. Often times it cannot able to be shared on a restaurant menu but with family and friends.
5. Where has pastry been and where is it going?
"Pastry has never been better due to the ever increasing availability of ingredients." "There are so many more options like single origin chocolates." Chris feels that it has come a long way do to this explosion of ingredient options for chefs and will only continue to get better. One thing that he is not sure of is the trend of meshing ingredients that just don't go together. There are tendencies for chefs to use these ingredients to a creative end that is questionable in Chris's opinion. He thinks that the classics are safe and will always have a place in pastry.
6. If you were not a pastry chef what would you be doing instead?
"I would be a race car driver."
7. What are your personal ambitions outside of your pastry profession?
"Home ownership"
8. What are some compelling reasons why someone should not skip the dessert course when dining out?
"We desire things in life. Like dessert." "We crave the sweet so fill that need." Dessert is part of the dining experience and without it isn't complete. "There are always healthy options on most menus so don't skip just on calorie counting or diet concerns." Chris conveyed to me that there are things in life that you might not be able to make at home due to lack of time, skill, or resources and dessert is a chance to experience those things. "If you are to full consider boxing it for later."
9. How do you use Madisono's?
At the present time Chris is offering 3 gelato flavors served individually in mini espresso cups paired with cookies. The flavors change every 10 days or so. The also have a brownie dessert that is served with the French Vanilla gelato. Chris assures me that as the seasons change so will the dessert options. That the best way to find out what he is doing with Madisono's is to stop by the Iron Horse Inn for dinner, or lunch.
I had a great time getting to know Chris better and I am grateful that he chooses to serve Madisono's with his customers.
Thanks for supporting Madiosno's
Matt

Say so long to corn syrup

2011-01-22T16:54:00.009-05:00

We have some great news. On January 17th Madisono's began producing all of our gelato base mixes without corn syrup! In addition to removing the corn syrup we have also removed xanthan gum from our stabilizer blend. This is also a corn based product. It will take several weeks to move the old inventory out. Why? Over the past year, while doing demos, I encountered many people who either had a corn allergy or knew someone that did. The number of ice cream producers that use corn syrup is very high. A survey of ingredients on the grocery store shelf will confirm that. Wouldn't it be nice to have a product that could be enjoyed by everyone? Well now it can be. So all of our gelato bases are 100% natural.
You might be asking, "why did you use it in the first place?" This is a great question. Here is why. For those of you who follow my blog you know that we make all of our gelato and sorbet bases from scratch. No one else in Cincinnati does this. I have a complex set of equations that calculate butterfat, milk solids not fat, and many other factors that create a great gelato base mix. Gelato has much less butterfat than ice cream. In order to create a creamy smooth texture without all of the fat that comes in a high butterfat ice cream mix, corn syrup can add texture to a low fat mix. It can also help to stabilize the mix. We spent some time running the numbers and producing some batches with adjustments in the formula and without corn syrup. We are thrilled with the results and you will be too.
Madisono's will also debut a new package design and label in the coming weeks. In addition to new labels we will have 4 new Spring gelato Flavors. These should be out around the 2nd week of February. We are going to leave some flavors behind as we move forward. I apologize in advance if one of your favorites is on the list. With my new set of flavors we will be able to offer you more choices over time. It will also be easier for our retail customers to offer all of our flavors. I have heard from disappointed customers that were looking for a particular flavor from a retail location and were unable to find it. I hope to have all of our retail customers offering all the flavors in order to remedy this.
If you looking for a place to purchase Madisono's please look at this list. Raymond Sonof put this together for me. He has a web design business here in Cincinnati. He updated my parents site for Findlay Market. Thanks Raymond for your help. Above is candied ginger which is an ingredient for one of my new flavors. When they are ready to hit the stores we will tell you what is coming. Until then you will just have to wait.
http://madisonsmarkets.com/madisonos_gelato_locations.html
Thanks for supporting Madisono's
Matt

Meyer Lemons

2011-01-15T16:52:00.007-05:00

Winter provides some great opportunities for foods. This past Thursday (Jan 13) I had an incredible meal at Nectar. Chef Julie Francis hosts dinner clubs at her restaurant with a unique theme. She comes up with an ingredient finds a local producer or supplier of that ingredient and builds a menu around it. Madison's @ Findlay and Madisono's are this months sponsors for Meyer Lemon. Chef Julie asked Madisono's to produce a Meyer Lemon Sorbet for the menu and so we did. You can see the order in which we set about doing that in the photos above. Have you ever had a Meyer Lemon? They are very different from the regular lemon. Please follow the link for more information on Meyer lemons.
Please see the link for Nectar and get consider signing up for her dinner club announcements. Nectar will host another Meyer Lemon menu on January 20th and there are a few spots open. I intend to produce some pints this coming week to have at Findlay. The menu featured 5 courses with Meyer lemons and at the end of the meal everyone received a Meyer lemon compliments of Madison's @ Findlay. The calamari and fried Meyer lemons were the table favorite. WoW! If you are looking for fresh Meyer lemons stop in to Findlay Market. Look for the sorbet next Saturday. I would also like to invite you to visit Madison's @ Findlay Market new web site. There are some great links there. The store has been opened up to create a comfortable shopping experience with fast check out. Since Keller's IGA closed last week consider picking up your Madisono's gelato there as well as many other staple items.
Thanks for supporting Madisono's
Matt

Sugar Plums

2010-12-23T19:51:00.005-05:00

I would like to take this moment to wish all of our customers a very merry Christmas. It's hard to believe that this year is almost gone. If was not for our dedicated chefs, restaurant owners, store owners, buyers, department mangers, and customers like you who knows what would be in your freezer right now. It is because of your purchasing decisions that allow us to continue to make handcrafted gelato day after day.
Many of you know that we made a Sugar Plum Gelato for the Cincinnati Ballet. It has been selling at Findlay Market and selling well. I have included a few photos of the ingredients prior to mixing. My concept for sugar plum was to keep the ingredients whole or larger than what would be used if we made real sugar plums. In order to make a real sugar plum these ingredients would be chopped fine and then rolled into balls and covered with powdered sugar. I felt that something would be lost in that approach. The idea of biting into a large walnut, soft and chewy dates, candied ginger was to tempting. The result is a great tasting gelato with complex flavors and textures. We will continue to make sugar plum throughout the winter months.
The other photo is of my eggnog base. We start with bovine growth hormone free milk and cream, egg yolks sugar and a few other items for all of our gelato bases. The eggnog base contains Meyer Dark Rum, and nutmeg (shown in the photo). We legally pasteurize the base and when it is done we have eggnog. We then add a wee nip of Armagnac before we batch freeze. Don't worry there is less than one half of one percent of alcohol in the finished product. (required by law) but the without these flavors there is something missing. When we finished removing the base from the Vat Joe and I each reserved a little for ourselves. It is better than any eggnog out there. If you want to try an all natural eggnog gelato get down to Findlay Market (Madison's at Findlay 110 W. Elder St.) and pick up a pint.
Thanks for supporting Madisono's
Matt

Best of the City 2010

2010-12-06T20:09:00.009-05:00

Last week Madisono's Gelato was invited to participate in the Best of The City party held at the Cintas Center. There were more than 450 people enjoying the best that Cincinnati has to offer from fine foods, Lego Toys, and much more. I had a great time serving Dark Chocolate Orange Gelato, Hazelnut Gelato, Butternut Squash with Sage and Date Gelato, Alphonso Mango Sorbet, Candy Cane Gelato and Caramello with Sea Salt Gelato. I had a chance to talk with everyone that stopped by to sample our handcrafted gelato and sorbet. One question that kept coming up was this. "What is the difference between your gelato and the other gelato around town?" The "What is the difference between ice cream and gelato?" question still comes up but not as often. Many of you who read this blog know that I have talked about what makes Madisono's unique and quite often I continue to reinforce the fact that Madisono's makes all of our own bases from scratch. This is a key point that is the foundation of why Madisono's is a true artisan gelato. Did you know that we make 5 different gelato bases? We make a neutral base which is used in fruit and nut flavors, a milk chocolate base, a dark chocolate base, a cinnamon base, and an eggnog base. All of our sorbet bases are also made specifically for each sorbet flavor. We are the only producer of gelato and sorbet that is a licensed milk processor registered and inspected by the Ohio Department of Agriculture in Cincinnati.
We have a HACCP plan, and because we make all of our own base we must conduct legal pasteurization according to the PMO (pasteurization milk ordinance). This allows us many advantages over gelato that is made from who knows what. First, Madisono's is in control of the small batch process from the very beginning and in charge of the chemistry. This begins with sourcing our ingredients. Secondly we use NO PRESERVATIVES! If other gelato producers are not making their own base that that means they are buying something from someone else and that means the use of preservatives and chemical additives that don't need to be there. Some examples of this would be calcium sulphate (also found in drywall) and mono diglycerides of fatty acids (cheap substitutes for egg yolks) Why not just use real egg? There are many more ingredients found in commercial ice cream mixes that are there as preservatives and most vanilla ice cream bases come with vanillin. Vanillin is a banned food ingredient by Whole Foods Markets. Thirdly, we can age our base. When we pasteurize our bases we allow them to age before use. Some gelato companies try to sell mechanical aging devices that shorten the time required to get a good base but that again is selling the process short. A good baker would never rush the proof. Why rush the base?
There are many cottage food producers and most focus on creating a product that is uniquely their own. Some have grown into household names like Amy's or LaBrea. A food artist creates something from scratch, or uses an old recipe, a food producer just produces. For some of you Madisono's is already a household name and for that I thank you.
The picture above is my dark chocolate base in the vat pasteurizer. The white is the fresh cream swirling around the agitator. That base is cooked for about 90 minutes which allows all of the solid chocolate to mix while undergoing legal pasteurization.
Thanks for supporting Madisono's
Matt

Custom and Creative

2010-11-29T18:41:00.010-05:00

I have written about this process in previous blog entries. The chance to create new flavors for customers is always a highlight. When I started my research for Madisono's in 2005, I came across gelato shops that had more than 350 flavors. How could anyone produce 350 flavors? Not at one time of course, but over the coarse of several years I can see how that would be easy to do. Creating flavors is not hard, getting people to buy them is.

This past month Pho Lang Thang opened at Findlay Market. Three brothers have been working the entire summer and longer to get this place open and at last they are. They have received rave reviews and have had full tables ever since. When David (pictured above) approached me about creating some flavors for the restaurant I knew I would be in for something good. I met with Duy to discuss some concepts which then took us to Saigon Market. We combed the iles for some unique fruits and products that would deliver an authentic Vietnamese profile. After working up several samples we met again for the taste testing. We settled on Durian and Lychee. I had some experience with Durian and Lychee but I had never made a Durian gelato. Why would I? And if I did who would buy it? The flavor of this fruit is super exotic and the aroma is unique. As we sampled the Durian I knew this was going to be a hit and the guys were excited about sharing this with their customers. The Lychee is smooth and sweet and the Durian captures everything the Durian has to offer. Everything! These two flavors will be available in pints from my parents store in the coming days so look for them.

If any of you keep up on the more creative chefs in Cincinnati, then Owne Maas would be high on your list. Owen asked me to do a root beer sorbet using the finest root beer available. For that we chose Virgil's of course. It is all natural and provides a robust root beer body needed for a sorbet.

The chance to take a concept and turn it into something you can touch taste and smell is what keeps us going at Madisono's. Sure we like to make chocolate and vanilla, but there is nothing like making a Durian gelato. There just isn't. Thanks for supporting Madisono's

Matt

Kenwood Country Club and a Taste for Life

2010-11-22T18:57:00.010-05:00

This past Saturday morning started off with a heavy fog outside my window and a pressed coffee in hand. I had a plate of hard rolls from Dorothy Lane Market with generous portions of Nutella spread in the split centers. I finished my Fruhstuck and headed down to my office to begin the ritual of data entry for the previous week. All invoices, expenses are entered into Quickbooks, and then I focus on the coming week. Most of the time I can get through everything in about 2 to 3 hours. With Pandora Radio set to Cocteau Twins or The National it is actually an enjoyable event. Thank God for Pandora!
This past Saturday I spent my night serving gelato and sorbet to more than 350 people who came out for a Pancreatic Cancer fundraiser at The Kenwood Country Club. Chef Chris Ropp from Kenwood assembled and all star cast for this event. Pancreatic cancer happens to be part of my family so I spent some time thinking about that. There were some incredible packages to bid and some compelling words from a doctor who is committed to his research to help fight pancreatic cancer. In addition to some of Cincinnati's finest chefs we also had the pleasure of working with some of The Midwest Culinary Institute's students. The dishes served by all of the chefs were incredible. Madisono's proudly served our Dark Chocolate Orange Gelato, Caramello with Sea Salt Gelato, Lemon Basil Sorbet and Candy Cane Gelato to the pleasure of everyone in attendance. The event raised a substantial amount of money for the research to continue. Thanks to all of you who attended and took the time to speak with me on Saturday. I had a great time. I have included some photos of the chefs who were cooking that night. Not all of the chefs are pictured here. Some pictured are Chef Tom from Polo Grille, Chef David Cook, Daveed's, Chef Robert The Summit, Chef Jean Robert, Jean Robert's Table Chef Jack Iron Horse Inn, Chef Paul, DeSha's, Chef Dave Taylor Laposte, and Gordon with wife Sandy from Heidelburg.
Thanks for supporting Madisono's
Matt

Peppermint Stick Gelato

2010-11-18T20:00:00.008-05:00

When I started Madisono's 4 years ago I was captivated by this concept of creating authentic gelato. Initially I focused on using products that only came from Italy. I thought this was the only way to do it. There exists a dilemma with this state of mind and mode of operation. Authentic gelato is so, because in Italy they use local ingredients that are made or grown in Italy. How can I produce authentic Italian gelato if I am not in Italy? I can't. Importing products from Italy could be a solution but it does not solve the dilemma. In order to produce authentic Italian gelato I must look locally for inspiration, flavors, textures and be willing to to seek out what is around me in order to satisfy my desire to produce the best gelato. Italian or not. After all is this not what they do in Italy?
I contend that one of my best "Italian" gelato flavors will be Madisono's Peppermint Stick/ Candy Cane Gelato. Why? Because I am using one of the best candy canes you will ever taste in your life. Like some rich provincial cheese or balsamic vinegar, the candy canes we are using are from Cincinnati's very own Doscher's Candies. They twist and bend the hooks by hand! They have a texture that surpasses every other candy cane on the market. The ingredients are simple. We are also using the highest quality extract available on the planet. We proudly use Nielsen Massey Peppermint extract. This company is from Waukeegan Illinois and you might already know them for their fine vanilla extracts.
We start with local milk and cream and build on it from there. The reason Italian gelato tastes so good is because they use what is available to them locally. The more I use local ingredients in Madisono's the more authentic it tastes and feels.
The peppermint sticks are crushed by hand in order to get the perfect size pieces for the final gelato. It delivers a satisfying crunch of real candy cane in every bite. It is now available at Carl's Deli in Hyde Park and Madison's at Findlay. We will add more listings on the Facebook page as we go.
Thanks for supporting Madisonos's
Matt

Taste of the world

2010-11-14T08:48:00.003-05:00

During the year Madisono's partners with several charity events to provide gelato and sorbet to the guests. Some start in April and May with bike rides and races and other take us into the holiday season. For the past three years it has been my pleasure to participate in the Taste of The World event. Held at the Newport Aquarium, this event has an incredible offering of food, wine, beer and spirits.
I was stationed in the coral reef room, which now hosts an octopus display. I happened to be positioned in front of the Japanese Spider Crab display. Very cool creatures! I started serving Madisono's Alphonso Mango sorbet and Dark Chocolate Orange gelato. I then moved to Chai, Lime Cilantro sorbet and finished with a round of Lemon Basil sorbet and more Dark Chocolate Orange. I enjoyed talking with each and everyone of you who stopped by to sample and I thank you for your kind and sincere compliments on Madisono's. Thank you all for coming out to support the event and I look forward to seeing you all next year. Please stay in contact with Madisono's via my Facebook page or Twitter, or follow my blog. The photo is of Pastry Chef Armin from Frieda's Bakery in Madiera. Thanks for supporting Madisono's
Matt

What's it really like?

2010-11-06T15:45:00.005-04:00

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

Mango Mango Mango

2010-10-28T13:59:00.006-04:00

Most of the time I come to work I have a pretty good idea of what needs to be done. I prepare the next day the night before, look at pending orders, inventory and then come up with a production plan. Yesterday was no exception. Alphonso Mango sorbet was running low in pints and tubs so we decided to commit a large part of the production to just that. Have you ever tasted Alphonso Mango? It has a unique flavor and aroma that is different from any other mango you might have had before. I have included this link on them for more information but they are hands down the best mango in the world. Grown in India, they give the mango lassi it's unique flavor and mass appeal. At Madisono's we use Alphonso mangoes in our sorbet. The color is dark like an egg yolk, the flavor is intense and the texture is silky. You can use Madisono's Alphonso Mango sorbet or gelato, because we use Alphosnso mango in that as well, to make your own mango lassi. Try mixing some plain yogurt with the sorbet/gelato and you will have a great dessert.

I have always been a champion of local but some things have to come from other parts of the world. If we could grow mangoes in this climate we would use them but we can't. That might be one benefit to global warming. Homegrown mangoes in Cincinnati. Let's hope not. If you have not tasted Madisono's Alphonso Mango gelato and sorbet consider picking up a pint. There are many ways to enjoy it, fresh fruit cups, exotic drinks and even if it is just scooped into a bowl. Please consider joining us on FB and Twitter. The links are on the blog page. I will keep posted with updates.

Thanks for your support

Matt

The Crush

2010-10-27T12:29:00.008-04:00

The crush is on at Madisono's. We received some beautiful concord grapes from Michigan as well as some Sangiovese grapes from California. We do everything the old fashioned way at Madisono's, like making all of our base from scratch. We never buy a premade mix with extra "stuff" added in for "stability".

We did not crush these grapes by foot but chose to do it according to health code and state law, but I have to admit the idea of crushing grapes by foot sounds like fun. I snapped a few photos along the way. We started with the fresh grapes, cooked them down, processed in the batch freezer and then packed the pints by hand. We never use artificial food dyes in any of our gelato or sorbet. This color is all natural. Everything shown here is what nature provided. The concord grape sorbet smells like a fresh bunch of grapes just picked from the vine. I had these grapes in the cooler for a few days while we got ready to process them. The aroma was intoxicating.

The Sangiovese grapes gave up some very flavorful juice that was quite sweet. I use brix values to determine my final sorbet recipe with every fruit. If you know about wine making you know that the brix value of grapes can change due to growing conditions. The color and flavor of these grapes provided for a great sorbet. I will look into some more options for next year's harvest. I think that using these wine varieties will make some stellar sorbet. We have also made concord grape gelato using the juice from these grapes as well. Try it with some peanut butter on a brioche. You will not be disappointed. Thanks for supporting Madisono's

Matt
PS I can not get this picture to turn around. They are the Sangiovese grapes.

When the time is right

2010-10-21T20:21:00.004-04:00

How do you know when the time is right? Right to start a new career path? Right to go to bed early regardless of the TV line up? When I farmed on our certified organic family farm in Adams County Ohio for 5 years there were many times when I asked myself, is the time right? Should I plant now or wait a week. Is there one more frost left or are we in the clear? Everyday I would ask myself, is it the right time? Every cloud could spell a pop up thunderstorm and ruin your chance of harvesting dry basil for the market, or making the soil to wet for planting, cultivating or weeding. The crazy part about all of that guessing and questioning is that there was never anyone to turn to to get an accurate answer. No one ever knew what mother nature had in store from one hour, one week or one month to the next. I think that had I known those things, small scale farming would not have been as much fun. I have always wanted to do a Butternut squash gelato but I have never felt like the was time is right.
The temperatures are dropping each night, the leaves are blowing and my urge to consume more is starting to kick in. I find myself craving hot chocolate, wanting root vegetables and my favorite squash, butternut. This week I got some great local butternut squash from my parents store at Findlay Market. Beautiful orange on the inside and brown on the outside. They represent the end of the season for the farmer. This was the last crop we would harvest at Madison's Ridgeview Farm and for me they represented the relief of making it through another farming season. I think that the time is right for making butternut squash gelato.
How does Butternut Squash with Sage and Dates sound? We roasted the squash and made a smooth puree. I then created my own sage and date variegate with cream, brown sugar, dates and sage. Once we finished the butternut squash gelato we added the variegate by hand and packed the pints. This flavor will be another Findlay Market exclusive. There are so many flavors that I have put off making because I have never felt that the time was right. Today if felt great and tasted delicious.
Thanks for supporting Madisono's
Matt

Pints and Porsche

2010-10-15T08:28:00.005-04:00

Fast cars and Fine Food was held last night at the Porsche of the Village dealership last night. It was a benefit for the American Culinary Institute scholarship fund. There was some amazing talent represented and incredible food. I met Krista from Sugar Cupcakery in Milford and we talked about running a small business. Cup cakes and gelato do go together don't you think? Her business was featured on the Food Network. Wow! She is very passionate about her cupcakes and it shows. Erica was my assistant for the night. She is a student at the Midwest Culinary Institute. It turns out that we worked together years ago at the Chafer Caterer and Bakehouse Breads. It is a small world indeed. Thanks to all of you who stopped by and sampled. I enjoyed talking to all of you. I included this photo of some of the finer things in life. Thanks for supporting Madisono's
Matt

Special Request

2010-10-13T20:31:00.003-04:00

Yesterday Chef Owen Maas from Cumin calls and says he's looking for a new flavor for an idea he has. "What flavor?" I ask. "Concord grape" Owen replies. "When do you need it?" I say. "As soon as you can get it to me. Work your magic." As soon as I get of the phone the first person I call is my dad at 110 West Elder St. Madison's @ Findlay Market. "Do you have any concord grapes?" I ask. "Of course I do, how much do you need?" he says. That's how it is done at Madisono's. My parents store at Findlay is connected with so many fresh fruits and specialty items. I arranged to pick up the grapes with a bunch of butternut squash. I will be doing butternut next week and I can't wait.
I started this morning early, to get working on this grape gelato. Have you ever worked with Concords? The aroma is intense and when they start cooking it smells insanely delicious. Imagine being stuck in a jelly dream. This has a depth that goes way beyond the store bought jelly. It smells exactly how you imagine it to taste. Real, authentic, and full of flavor. These grapes were bursting with juice as you can see in the photo. To bad this is not a scratch and sniff. I prepared the grapes in a very specific and special way in order to capture all of their assets. The result is an amazing gelato, beautifully colored and full of concord grape flavor. You can find it at Cumin next week and at Findlay Market this weekend. Scooped fresh. We will package some more concord grape gelato into pints next week for everyone to take home.
Thanks for supporting Madisono's
Matt

What are we doing today?

2010-10-12T12:51:00.004-04:00

What are we doing today? What do we do every day? We make Cincinnati's best gelato and sorbet! Madisono's has the high honor of producing gelato and sorbet for The Dorothy Lane Markets in Dayton Ohio. This week we have several orders going out so we have dedicated much of our production time to fulfiling their orders. Grapefruit sorbet is one of those flavors and what better place to start? Start with Pink Grapefruits of course. I just finished cutting out all of the succulent fruit and preparing the base for the production run. Eye protection is required.

I stuck in this other photo of the Brick Auction from Sunday. I had a great time and enjoyed talking to many of you. Thanks to Howard Aine for his support of Madisono's. Madisono's will be back next year. You can see many of the photos of the bricks on their website.

I spent the morning making vanilla base for Madagascar Vanilla Gelato. What better place to start Madagascar Vanilla? Madagascar Vanilla beans! Once I had my ingredients measured out I opened the bag of beans and was instantly taken by the sweet fragrance of vanilla. It is hard to explain how good these things smell when you have hundreds of them in a room. For those of you who cook with real beans you know. Multiply that smell you get from one bean by a factor of 10 and it is dreamy. I gently cut the beans in half and then add them to the sweet milk and cream mix for cooking. The aroma fills the kitchen all day. (as I type this) Once the cooking is finished I will remove the vanilla base and it will be ready for freezing. That is what we will be doing tomorrow. And so it goes. Fruits, vanilla beans, fresh herbs, fresh milk, it never gets old or boring. The sights and smells change everyday with every flavor we make.

By the end of the day we will have made pink grapefruit sorbet, lemon basil sorbet, mango sorbet, and pumpkin gelato.

Thanks for supporting Madisono's

Matt

Weekend update

2010-10-09T12:29:00.003-04:00

Here is a photo of Zoo brew. For 1 and a half hours I did nothing but scoop gelato and sorbet! It was a blast. We were set up in the Manatee house and next to The Pickin' Pig. Randy Amann was picking a fine selection of classic rock and roll and did a great job. Pink Floyd, Niel Young and many more kept the room festive. You can see the masses of people behind me. It was a zoo. It looks like this was the Alphonso Mango sorbet, Dark Chocolate Orange and Caramello with Sea Salt line up. Three great flavors. The cups I used just happened to nest in the mini Samuel Adams beer glasses which made eating much easier.
This Sunday I will be at the Brick Auction which benefits breast cancer. I will have a great selection of gelato and sorbet on hand so if you don't have any plans stop by the auction and check out the art. Follow the link.
I am coaching my daughter's soccer team this year. It was our turn for snack so, because of the warm temperatures, we decided to do Mad Pops. Strawberry Lemonade. The parents were asking for them as well. This is a great flavor and they are available at Findlay Market. Thanks again to all of you from Zoo Brew if you see Madiosno's on the shelf think about taking home a pint.
Where to find it?
Bigg's Stores
Cork and Bottle locations
The Party Source
Whole Foods
Sunshine Foods
Carls Deli
Keller's IGA
Dillionvale IGA
Reading IGA
Pipkins
Garnish Catering
Luigi's International Market
Jungle Jim's
Coffee Emporium
Lookout Joe
Silverglade's on 8th
Kremer's Market Buttermilk Pike
College Hill Coffee Shop
Wyoming Wines
Wyoming Meat Market
Piazza Discepoli Wines Glendale
Bluebird Bakery Glendale
And the top restaurants in Cincinnati
Thanks for your support
Matt

Zoo Brew and Huckleberries

2010-10-07T14:19:00.005-04:00

Tonight I will be serving gelato and sorbet to more than 1000 people attending the Zoo Brew. This is a fundraising event that benefits CREW (Center for Conservation and Reproduction of Endangered Wildlife). There are several restaurants breweries, wines and other items for people to enjoy. The forecast for tonight is perfect. Madisono's will be set up in the Manatee house so if you are planning on attending please stop by and say hi. The picture here was taken yesterday. The beautiful rich color or pure Huckleberries is quite tempting. My parents had some left over huckleberries from their store at Findlay Market. My dad said, "is there anything you can do with those?" Well here it is. I cooked the berries, balanced the ph and then added them to our neutral gelato base. Our gelato bases are made from scratch. Not everyone does this by the way. The result is a very unique flavor that is 100% huckle berry. I have attached a link for huckleberries if you are interested in reading more about them. If you have never had them then please consider picking up a pint of this very seasonal flavor at 110 West Elder St. (Madison's) We only have a limited amount of huckles on hand. We also have a new Mad Pop flavor, strawbery lemonade.

Thanks for supporting Madisono's

Matt

Catching up......

2010-10-01T11:44:00.003-04:00

This is a photo of the dessert served on September 19th for the Findlay Market benefit, Lunch on the Land. I used a mini brioche from Skirtz and Johnston and a scoop of blackberry gelato. The blackberries came from Madison's Ridgeview farm. Serving gelato on brioche is a Sicilian way of serving gelato. Madisono's is now serving the Lexington Wholefoods as well as Sunrise Bakery. I made an appointment with the owner of Sunrise Bakery, Steve. I showed up with several pints of gelato and sorbet. As we talked he brought out a freshly baked tray of brioche. Each one measured 3 inches in diameter and smelled divine. Steve told me then that he was going to serve the gelato in this manner and that it is very common in Sicily. He then proceeded to cut one open and carefully scooped in chocolate, french vanilla and pistachio, folded it over and tucked it into a wrap. The warm brioche against the cold gelato was and incredible combination. I knew then that this would be the perfect way to serve Madisono's for the Findlay event. It required no plate, spoon or anything. I think it is fair that Sunrise get credit for this concept, not that they invented it but that he has put it into practice. In the four years that I have been making gelato, none of my restaurant customers have ever served it in this way. Thanks Steve for the inspiration. The event was huge success. The participation of so many talented chefs, the scenic location (Turner Farm) and the weather made for a perfect day. Jay Erisman from The Party Source was resident Smilier and Amy Tobin was master of ceremonies.

All of us had a great time assisting each other on the line and I believe the guests had a good time as well.

Madisono's is still making Mad Pops and will have a new flavor at Findlay this week. Strawberry Lemonade.

Thanks for supporting Madisono's

Matt

The mystery of flavor

2010-09-16T20:46:00.002-04:00

This morning I started my day with a cup of tea and a bowl of Kashi cereal, the kind that tastes great with honey. The flavors of honey, milk, tea and a neutral cereal was pleasant. Each flavor was well balanced and complimented one another. What is the speed of flavor? Fast, slow, zig zag, or head on? In the frozen dessert business, flavor is the number one issue I consider everyday. Texture is a close second, but without the right balance, or intention, flavors can be slow, to fast, or wind up in a dead end. "Where do you go from there? No where." (Nigel Tufnel)
Today, one of my employees said he tried the Alphonso Mango gelato and did not favor it over the previous recipe. We began talking about flavor and how this mango gelato is different from the previous one. The Alphonso mango has a unique flavor. It is highly esteemed in the culinary world for it's texture and bold flavor. When you scoop into a pint of Madisono's Alphonso Mango gelato the full flavor of the fruit prevails. This new recipe is our neutral gelato mix(made from scratch at Madisono's) and Alphonso Mango. The simpler the better. But the flavor is different and I understand what he was saying. This flavor is fast by design and delivers a unique profile similar to a mango lassi. Try it with some cardamom on top, you will not be disappointed.
This weekend I am participating in the Findlay Market Fundraiser, Lunch on the Land. I have used Madison Ridgeview Farm blackberries to create a blackberry gelato. It will be served on a mini brioche from Skirtz and Johnston. I started by making a concentrated syrup from many pounds of frozen berries. The plan was to incorporate this pure syrup into the neutral gelato mix and process. The color of the syrup was a very deep purple and when mixed with the gelato mix turned a beautiful purple. Despite attempts to get this flavor into the fast lane it just refused to be hurried. I would classify this as a slow flavor, a single gear so to speak. Is this bad? My intention was to create a head on blast of blackberry, but the reality is that despite the volume of syrup added to the mix this will never happen. The use of all natural fruits and purees for flavoring gelato and sorbet is a challenge at times. So the solution is to embrace the reality of the flavor and accept it. What I decided to do was to process the blackberry gelato according to recipe design and then compliment it with puree as a swirl. The result is that I have a much more visually appealing gelato due to the marbling of the dark purple puree against a soft purple gelato. The puree adds a second gear to the flavor but does not corrupt the texture of the finished gelato. In the end I was pleased and I think that you will be as well. It will be available at Findlay Market this weekend while supplies last.
Thanks for supporting Madisono's
Matt

A beautiful Saturday at Findlay Market

2010-09-04T18:06:00.005-04:00

When I woke up this morning and the breeze was blowing a cool 6o degrees or so through my window the birds were chirping, and the sun was beginning to shine. A good day for Findlay. I had a bowl of oatmeal, some mangos and a pressed coffee. I arrived to scoop gelato from 10 t0 2:30 and had blast! We offer over 15 flavors of gelato and sorbet at the dipping station and today was the official debut of Madisono's Mad Pops. The response to the Mad Pops was great. We had three flavors, Alphonso Mango with pineapple, Redraspberry with strawberry, and Blackberry lemon. My wife designed some great stickers and we started using the impulse heat sealer on some new bags. The packaging looks great. Thanks Margot!
Madisono's is excited to be the first to bring this unique treat to Cincinnati. Lately, I have been introduced to many new music groups. I am lucky in that, I can listen to music all day long as loud as I want. We generate lots of noise in the production facility with blenders, batch freezers, and compressors running everywhere. It doesn't pay extra, but the benefit of music all day is worth something. I always want to jump into Wikipedia, Myspace or websites to get more information on these bands but time does not always allow it. I find that flavors are like music. Complex or simple arrangements that have emotion, depth and purpose. There just is not enough time to explore the abyss of flavor. So what is there to do?
Take a breath and slow down. Rome was not built in a day. Some bands may break up but their music will last. It will be there. Flavors will be there too. They are not going anywhere. Sure there may be a season to wait but for the most part they are there like notes waiting for placement. The introduction of Madisono's Mad Pops will give us many more flavor notes to compose with. It is my hope to bring to all of you a sweet melody on a stick.
Here is a band that I have taken the time to look into. I hope you enjoy it. Mexican Elvis,

Thanks for supporting Madisono's

Madisono's Mad Pops debut at Findlay Market

2010-09-01T19:54:00.003-04:00

Those of you who follow this blog know that posts do not show up regularly. I would like to say that I am working on doing a better at this. I hope to post at least once a week and maybe more. There are some great things happening at Madisono's and I love to talk about it.
What is a Mad Pop you ask? A Mad Pop is a frozen fruit pop, made with real fruits and madisono's sorbet. Imagine Alphonso mango sorbet with pineapple or Madiosno's lemon sorbet and blackberries, or red raspberry sorbet and fresh strawberries. Each fruit batch is made from scratch and then poured into the molds. Everything about this concept is done by hand and in very small batches. I think this would qualify as artisan. Once frozen they are removed and then packaged. This idea has been brewing for a long and I am finally able to introduce some initial products for people to try and get some input on them. I have been overwhelmed at flavor possibilities. So many flavors and so little time.
Pops are nothing new, we all had them as kids but they were just frozen juice, with fake food colors and artificial flavors. Even today they are still made with crappy ingredients. Mad Pops is offering something very different. There is so much fruit in these you can feel it. The lemon blackberry is made with blackberries from Madison's Ridgeview Farm in Adams County. We froze many pounds of berries just for Mad Pops. The inspiration for pops is found in the Mexican Paletas. My sister in law is from Panama and all through Latin America paletas are everywhere, made with real fruits and simple ingredients. Paleta shops are showing up in places around the country and now they are available here. We have some big plans for Mad Pops here in Cincinnati. More on that later. If you get to Findlay Market stop in to Madison's for a Mad Pop and let me know what you think. Have a good holiday weekend.
Thanks for supporting Madisono's Gelato
Matt

NPR Pitango Gelato Story

2010-08-31T20:21:00.002-04:00

This morning I was snoozing through a 5:30 am wake up. I am not sure which cycle it was, maybe the first or second, but the alarm clock started up just as a story came on about Pitango Gelato. Steve Inskeep introduced the story and needless to say I was awake! Click on Pitango for the NPR story. At the end of the story something resonated with me. The venture capitol person being interviewed said that they are trying to figure out if artisan can become mainstream. The interviewer then follows up with a summary of the concept of whether or not high quality ingredients can be used and then sold at a high price.
Will artisan go mainstream? This poses an interesting argument. What is artisan and what is mainstream? I can think of several artisan companies that are in the mainstream. LaBrea breads from the west coast, and many of the fine cheeses produced domestically and abroad still maintain a method of production that is not much different from when they started out. The difference is that they just make more. There are many craft beers on the market today and many chocolate companies that use rustic techniques to produce their products. Small food companies make quality food using techniques that they have to use, because they can't afford the alternative. They may also believe that certain techniques produce the best quality product. Most of the time ingredients and technique are what make things taste better than the mass produced stuff. I am not sure that the issue is whether or not artisan can go mainstream or not it is whether or not the artist can produce enough to be in the mainstream.
The other issue brought up in the story was whether or not high quality ingredients can be used and then sold at a high price? Recently the New York Times ran an story from Julia Moskin on the price of artisan ice creams. How can they justify the $10.00 pint? Price is based on many factors. The use of high quality ingredients commands a higher price at the end. There is no other way about it. The issue is will people pay for it? When I ran a small shop I used to make cranberry chicken salad. People placed orders in advance for weddings and parties. It was very good. We used the highest quality ingredients available. When food reps would come in and notice that I was using Hellman's they would always offer their product for half the price with the slogan, "they will never know the difference." The other brand was cheaper and would increase my profits but it was not as good as Hellman's. And my customers could taste the difference. I had an offer to use already cut celery, and chopped onions, but in the end the cheaper foods would never amount to a better product, just a cheaper one. I never had to try these products because I already knew. You can't use cheap products and then charge a high price. Not many people run food costs at home or do the math on potion costs when they cook a meal. Bacos or bacon? I think we all know that you can't fake the real thing and it is worth every penny.
I got up, had my tea and breakfast then headed off to make more gelato. I'm not worried about artisan going mainstream. I just hope that there is not the same silly debate over artisan as there was over organic. Remember that? At first it was organic then certified organic and then biodynamic, and now it has settled on local. Which has always made more sense. Let's leave the titles out and just enjoy good food, made with quality ingredients, that are made locally.
Thanks for supporting Madisono's

Blueberry, Peach and Nectarine at Findlay

2010-08-11T10:33:00.002-04:00

I spent a good part of Tuesday processing fruit from my parents store for some new flavors. These will be dipped at findlay and served at Prima Vista restaurant. Don't look for them in pints but if you want a pint to take home just ask. The Findlay staff will be happy to assist you.
Many of you know that Madisono's is a partner with Sustain Brands. Sustain brand foods are popping up all over town. Many of them are sold at Madison's @ Findlay 110 W. Elder St. They have salsa, fresh salsa and some soups. If you click here, there is a link about Sustain Brands if you want to know more about them and their philosophy on foods.
Thanks
Matt

Big Award for Madisono's!

2010-08-09T20:23:00.003-04:00

The sign says it all. A big thanks to Cincinnati Magazine for the award. I am grateful for such and award. Did you know that we make our own gelato bases from scratch? This means that all of the ingredients are mixed and then pasteurized at the plant. Did you know that we make four different gelato bases? They are neutral, chocolate, dark chocolate and cinnamon. The sorbet bases are also made from scratch. Each sorbet has it's own recipe. This is why Madisono's tastes so good.
This past weekend was quite busy. Saturday morning I set up for the Lady Distance Classic 5k/10K run in Blue Ash. The morning was cool and crisp. We sampled mango sorbet, lemon basil sorbet, dark chocolate gelato, French vanilla gelato, and caramello with sea salt gelato. Thanks to all of you who stopped by for samples. We will be back next year with some new flavors. If you shop at Whole Foods you would know that this past week was local week and that means demos. I traveled to Columbus on Saturday to the Dublin store and sampled to the masses. What a great event! I brought home some organic dog treats and met some great people. Sunday was another demo at the Upper Arlington store which turned out to be a great day too. Thanks to all of you who sampled and purchased Madisono's. Yes the Maple Nut with Brown Sugar is crazy delicious. I am looking forward to lunch on the land in September.
On Tuesday of this week I am going to make some peach, nectarine and blueberry gelato. I got some great fruit from my parents store at Findlay Market and can not wait to offer them to all of you. They will be available for dipping this weekend. Thanks again to Cincinnati Magazine for the award.
Thanks to all of you for your support.
Matt

Cincinnati Ride June 13 2010

2010-06-13T07:21:00.003-04:00

Today I am serving gelato and sorbet at the Cincinnati Ride for Breast Cancer Research located at Sawyer Point. The weather looks good and I am looking forward to it. Thanks to all of you who took part in the event and to those of you who stopped by to sample!

Here is a list of locations where you can find Madisono's Gelato and Sorbet

Bigg's Hide Park
Bigg's Mason
Bigg's Anderson
Bigg's Pleasant Ridge
Bigg'sDelhi
Whole Foods Mason
Whole Foods Rookwood
Pipkins Market Blue Ash
Garnish Catering Blue Ash
Ferrari's Little Italy Maderia
Cork and Bottle Buttermilk
Cork and Bottle Covington
The Party Source
Madison's At Findlay Market (Dipped Fresh in the store )
Sunshine Foods Hyde Park
Carl's Deli Hyde Park
Coffee Emporium Downtown
Luigi's Market Mason
Pitrelli's Mason
College Hill Coffee Company
Keller's IGA
Dillonvale IGA
Meiner's Meats Bridgetown
Servati's Western Hills
Wyoming Wines
Wyoming Meats
Please consider purchasing Madisono's from one of these fine retail locations. My sorbet is dairy free and did you know that Madisono's is made with 8% butterfat and fewer calories than regular ice cream?
Thanks
Matt

Cincinnati Flower Show

2010-03-10T19:50:00.005-05:00

I am proud to announce that Madisono's is teaming up with Chef's Choice Catering to offer 8oz individual serving cups at the 2010 Cincinnati Flower and Garden Show. My new flavor, Honey Lavender, will make it's debut at the show. Made with honey and real lavender, this flavor is incredible. The texture is like nothing I have ever made before and I can not wait to share it with all of you. Chef's choice will also offer Lemon sorbet and Chocolate Gelato in 8oz cups. These 8oz single serve cups are now available at the following locations:
College Hill Coffee Shop,
SilverGlades on 8th,
Madison's At Findlay Market,
Angelo's Pizza in Montgomery,
Abby Girl Sweets on 5ht St.
Lookout Joe Mt. Lookout
The cups are available in the following flavors. Chocolate, Vanilla, Strawberry, Dark Chocolate Orange, Honey Lavender, Chocolate Chip, Lemon Sorbet and Red Raspberry Sorbet. Honey Lavender is just now coming out so give that a week or so before it is available in those locations, but don't forget to ask them for it.

Madisono's is now available at Madison's Market 110 W. Elder St. dipped by hand Tuesday through Sunday. Last week was the soft opening and it was anything but soft! Thanks to all of you who bouht a cup. Madisono's offers a huge portion for just $3.00. Compared to other offerings of gelato around town this is a great deal. Just because Madisono's bases are made from scratch with local milk, all natural ingredients, just because we use the finest ingredients available and just because it is made is small batches does not mean that it has to be expensive. We will offer fresh cut strawberries as a topping this week and will debut our Sorbet Fizz menu very soon. Thanks for your support
Also try my new Caramello with sea salt. Only available at Madison's or Via Vite.

Matt

Soapbox Cincinnati

2010-03-10T19:26:00.003-05:00

Last week I had the great pleasure of talking with Elena Stevenson from Cincinnati Soapbox. She had called to set up a time to do a phone interview about Madisono's Gelato and we were able to connect last Thursday. Elena had some great questions. I say this all the humility in the world but I love being interviewed. Let me explain. I spend all day, all night thinking about my business. I even dream about it. Sometimes they are good dreams but most of the time they are anxiety based for one reason or another. Owning and running a small business is hard, regardless of what the business does. While thinking about my business, be it about finances, new flavor names, pricing, sales, inspections, sales leads and everything else, there rarely comes a time when things are in real perspective. When being interviewed, the questions cause me to think about my business in a different way. I recalled my days at the Findlay market farm shed, working on the farm 9 years ago, selling shiitake mushrooms, and all the great milestones since I founded Madisono's. I would never, in a normal day have time or the reason to take all of that into account within a 10 minute stretch. For me, the interview is like looking back on a scrap book with fond memories. It also helps me to see just how far I have come and how much work has gone into where I am now. Sometimes I get caught up in the details of the now and forget to look at the real picture. Interviews help me put it all back into a framework that despite the immediate challenges of the day, I am doing what I love to do. Create. I am excited about dipping fresh gelato at Findlay Market. I am excited about the warm weather and I have much more to share with all of you. For now here is the link to the interview.
Thanks
Matt

Hand Dipped at Findlay Market

2010-02-25T16:17:00.002-05:00

Well folks it is official!
Madisono's will be available at Madison's @ Findlay Market dipped by hand starting in April. On Monday I deliverd the dipping case and my Dad has made some changes in the store to accomodate it. The dipping will take place in the front of the store. I am using a traditional dipping case which I feel will deliver a better texture and better quality. I will offer toppings and am very exicted about using all of my parents fresh fruits as toppings as well. In the summer time they get some amazing quality blueberries from Michigan and in the late summer the best tasting red raspberries from the same farm. Can you imagine fresh red raspberries served over Madisono's vanilla? Wow! I think the options are endless. I will be offering a great portion at a great price. If you in the store you will not be able to miss it. It is my expectation to offer several flavors of gelato and sorbet and rotate different flavors each week. I can not wait for warmer weather. Please let your friends know that Madisono's is coming soon to Findlay Market Fresh!
Thanks
Matt

Madisono's and Sustain Brand

2010-02-25T15:57:00.002-05:00

I have bloged about Sustain Brand before and I have some great material to share. Sustain Brand is an part of Kennedy Creative, a local company in Cincinnati. Matt Kennedy, the founder, has developed Sustain Brand in an effort to help small producers get larger market oppertunities and bring the local awareness to their products. Here is a link to a video. There is another video on Matt delivering salsa to a local IGA. You may know Cactus Pear Salsa? It is at the bottom of the video. Matt also had some great news in Soapbox. Here is the link to that. Right now Sustain Brand Gelato and Sorbet is available at Jungle Jim's and Rivertown IGA. There are two new flavors coming out for that label and they are Black Raspberry Sorbet and Sumatran Java Gelato. The unique part of the Sustain relationship is that producers do not lose any equity in their brand. My story is told on the backside of the label. I am looking forward to working with Matt in on many more markets.
I hope all of you have enjoyed the snow. I have. It is not the best time to sell gelato and sorbet but that is fine. Spring is just around the corner.
Thanks for all of your continued support!
Matt

Findlay Market Tasting

2010-01-23T17:00:00.002-05:00

I want to thank everyone that stopped by today at Findlay Market. By the looks on your faces, the new flavors were a big hit. Thanks for all of your support. When I started it as fast approaching the mid 50's and sunny but by 1:15 the grey clouds, wind and falling temps were keeping the gelato cold and me as well. I had great time and enjoyed talking with folks I had not seen in a while. I am very excited about Findlay Market and have many things planned for the new year. My parents store, 110 W. Elder St. will have many more flavors to offer than most so consider Madisons at Findlay for your total flavor fix. I hope to have the website worked on in the next month or so. I still have a couple of new flavors that will be out in March and those are going to be good. More to come on that later. Thanks for your support.
Matt

New Flavors At Last

2010-01-18T12:53:00.002-05:00

Today is a great day at the Madisono's production kitchen. I started production on some of the new flavors today. What are they you ask?
Gelato
Burnt Sugar with Star Anise
Sumatran Java
Julia's Favorite Mango is now made with 100% pure Alphonso Mango
Sorbet
Black Raspberry
Alphonso Mango
I have waited 3.5 years to produce Black Raspberry sorbet and now it is happening. Why the wait? I had always tried to work with fresh or frozen berries. The problem is the seeds. There are just to many and that upsets the texture of the finished sorbet. I have finally found a domestic source of Black Raspberry puree that is incredible. When you taste this sorbet it is like eating a bowl of fresh berries. There are so many options for this flavor it makes my head spin.
The Alphonso Mango is just an incredible mango. I always thought that my mango sorbet was good but this new flavor is over the top. The color, aroma and texture of this eats like a perfectly ripe mango. It still holds the name Julia's Favorite Mango.
Burnt sugar is one that I have been looking at for a while and now I am pleased to share it with you. I burn my own sugar in house and have a special process by which it is made into the gelato. I have always liked working with the savory and Star Anise is a great compliment to this dynamic flavor. If you like creme brulee then you will love this new flavor.
How long will it be before you can get these new flavors? Well we are delivering all of them to Findlay Market this Week and many other customers. It may take a little time before everyone has them. There are still some pints of the the previous mango sorbet on the shelves and that will need to be sold before they order the new. All of our independant customers will be adding them over the next few weeks. They will not be available at Bigg's or Whole Foods just yet. We are starting with the independants first. Let us know what you think.
Matt

Cupcakes and Gelato in Downtown

2010-01-06T14:55:00.002-05:00

I just returned from a trip downtown. Delivered a few flavors to Via Vite and delivered a new freezer to AbbyGirl Sweets. They are moving from Oakley to Downtown next to the Hilton on 5ht street. There is at least 20 feet of windo display wich is decorated with real cupcakes. They are set to open on Thursday, just in time for the big snow. The exciting news is that Madisono's and AbbyGirl are working together to offer something unique in Cincinnati. The first cupcake shop that serves gelato. We have all had cake and ice cream but cupcakes and gelato is it! They will offer French Vanilla and Chocolate to start and we will add more flavors very soon. The portions will be prescooped on site and put into authentic gelato cups imported from Italy.
The location is just one block away from the Square and is perfect for a quick visit. There are few tables and chairs as well. They will be offering coffee also. We will dilver the first order next week and should be ready to go by 15th.
AbbyGirl is owned by Nathana and Andrea, a husband and wife team and named after thier daughter Abby. Check out their website for more information. I need to say that they make an icing that is like no other. Seriously. You have never had one like this before. Stop in and say hay, get a cupcake and get ready for gelato.
My labels are due in this week and that means new flavors will be coming soon.
Matt

Happy New Year

2009-12-29T20:48:00.002-05:00

I am sitting here at the keypad eating Haribo Gummy Bears and counting the days to a new year. This is alway a fun time of the year for me not just because of the holidays, but it is the end of year and that means data!. More data to review and look at. I am a numbers nerd and love looking at the "final" run of sales data, sales by flavor and everything. It is like looking back on a project or paint job that is completed and saying "wow can you believe we did that?" That feeling of accomplishment. Reviewing the numbers is like that for small business owners or for me at least. With January eveything is a clean slate. Everything is fresh.
I wrote earlier about new flavors for the new year and I just finished two more today in the gelato lab. I do wish I could say what they are but I should wait until everything is set. I can tell you that I made an Earl Grey Tea Gelato for Via Vite and will deliver that on Thursday. It is quite good. I was thinking of making some sandwiches using some McVities' Digestives for the cookie part and filling it with the gelato. If you have never had a McVitie digestive I suggest you try them. They are available at Jungle Jims in the England section. The new flavor offerings are going to give you a chance to explore some great new combinations and flavors. I hope you all have a great new year and thank you all for your support of Madisonos
Matt

New Flavors are coming New Flavors are coming!

2009-11-28T09:33:00.003-05:00

It is hard to believe that there is one month left in this most memorable year. Good riddens (sp?). Even though this year has been hard for many of my restaurant customers many are optimistic for 2010 and through careful planning have managed to stay in business. This past year I decided not to introduce any new flavors to the mix. Why? I wanted to refine my process from start to finish. I looked at everything and built models that would allow me to focus on the prinicples of Madisono's. Introducing new flavors disrupts that process. Madisono's is moving in a positive direction with respect to ingredients and process. It is my goal to offer the most natural product possible. I am please to say that this years work is paying off. I have some great new flavors that are moving out of the R&D mode and into production very soon.
What are they? Well I can not say right now but I can tell you that they are going to rock your taste buds! Look for them at Findlay Market as that is where I will make their debut.
I also wanted to mention that this year Madisono's will be at the Ballet for the sweet shop on Dec 20th. My friend Jay Kalagayan from The Know Theatre, is now the Director of Development for the Ballet. Congrats Jay. I should also note that in the most recent issue of Express, Jay includes Madisono's and Coffee Emporium as his guilty pleasurs. I will be at the sweet shop serving up all kinds of flavors and should have a sneak peak of some of those new flavors. I hope all of you had a good turkey or tofu day and enjoyed some Madisono's gelato with your meal.
Matt

Spiced Chai for the holidays

2009-11-23T11:29:00.002-05:00

Once again I am making the spiced chai gelato. It is a combination of cinnamon, clove and cardamom spices mixed with my cream gelato base. It is a great compliment to any apple dish, pumpkin or coffee. I always feel like warming up with a hot cup of coffee and a scoop of spiced chai gelato regardless of the temperature in my house. There is something about the flavors that is warming. Look for it at College Hill Coffee Company, Whole Foods Mason, and Madison's at Findaly Market.
I also want to let you know about a new place that just opened. It is called Meals to Go. They are located on Winton Road Finneytown, 8592. The telphone number is 521-meal and everything is made from scratch. They focus on family dinners and corporate lunches. Madisono's has a freezer there with 11 flavors so you can get some good food to go and some gelato as well. Thanksgiving us fast approaching and soon the new year. I hope you all have a great holiday and try some cinnamon gelato on your pumpkin pie.
Thanks
Matt

November 9th already!!!

2009-11-09T13:59:00.002-05:00

Yikes,
I just sat down to do my blog entry and realized that it was September 25th since my last entry. It is not that we have not been busy at Madisono's. Spice Chai is now available at Madison's at Findlay, Whole Foods and College Hill Coffee Shop. This is a great winter time favorite. I use my own blend of cinnamon, clove and cardamom to create this sweet delivery that actually warms me up. Yes sit down and warm up to an ice cold bowl of spiced chai gelato. I thinnk it has to do with the seasons. I always had hot chai made with milk over the years around the holidays and durring the cold weather. This is that memory in a bowl. Last Thursday I took part in the Dorothy Lane Market Fall Wine show and got to sample out some great flavors for all of the DLM customers. I also had the chance to meet Jenni and her husband Charles from Jeni's ice cream in Columbus. Her brother who is also in the business was there as well. They were very nice and we had lots to talk about. I love Jeni's ice cream and respect what she does in a big way. I have been eating her creations for some time now and have always loved her combinations.
Madisono's is starting at the Bean House in Covington on Tuesday. They will offer pints and pre scooped cups for eating on site. The end of October marked my one year with Bigg's and we are pleased at the response so far. I hope to have our products in the Colrain store in the next week or so. Thanks for all of your support over the last few years. We would not be here if it was not fro all of you guys.
Thanks
Matt

Make A Wish

2009-09-25T20:26:00.004-04:00

This weekend is action packed for Madisono's Gelato. I need to tell you about a really cool thing that has happend. Madisono's is now packaging our gelato and sorbet under the Sustain Brand Label. This is a very unique concept started by Matt Kennedy of Kennedy Creative. Please see the links for more information. The concept is this Sustain Brands works with in a designated food web and sells the products only within 300 miles of the production location. They helpt cottage producers who are looking to build their business but find it hard to do so as a small vendor. The package not only tells the sustain brand story but it also tells about the producer of the food product. Madisono's does not loose any identity in the process. It is now being sold in the grocery department at Jungle Jims and at the New Richmond IGA. Sustain Brand will be at the Covington Food Fair this weekend with samples.
Madisono's is also proud to be a part of the Make A Wish Foundation fund raiser this weekend at ShakerRun Golf Club in Lebanon, Ohio. This is a great organization that has made a big difference in many peoples lives. We are offering our Madagascar Vanilla, Belgian Chocolate, and Lemon sorbet. These are going to be paired with a hand painted cookie that is shaped like a maple leaf. There is a person that makes these cookies and paints each one by hand! She is making 300 of them. Is is an honor to have been asked to participate. Thanks to all of you who took part in that very special event. I hope you enjoyed the gelato and sorbet.
What else? Well Midpoint music festival is going on and you can find Madisono's being served at Coffee Emporium and at their mobile gelato cart as well. I know the weather is not the best for cold treats on a rainy cool night but just think about that with a hot cup of espresso. Yum.
Matt

Lunch on the Land

2009-09-24T16:24:00.004-04:00

I added these photos from the Findlay Market site. Check out the link for more info and pictures.

This past weekend I spent in the country. Not far from city lights but in Indian Hill on Turner Farm for the first Lunch on the Land fundraiser for Findlay Market. I felt as though I was back in Adams County. For those of you who do not know I lived there for 5 years farming small fruits, shiitake mushrooms and vegetables. I could go on for hours about this event. I will look for a link to share. It was documented by a real production company and it will be aired on Channel 5 in a few weeks. I will get up as well. I had a great time with all of the chefs. The food was spectacular and the attendance was sold out. 160 people at one long table eating family style. I can not say enough about the organization and the spirits of all involved even while it rained. I partered with Summer Gimanetti from the Palace. We did a sudae with sweet corn gelato, homemade toffee popcorn, blueberry compote, and fresh whipped cream from Snowville Creamery. It was paired with a blueberry wine. Thanks to all of you who attended. I would write more but I have to get the kids from the bus. More to come later.
Matt

Local 127

2009-09-15T16:33:00.002-04:00

Tonight marks the opening of the new Local 127 on 4th Street. Chef Steven Geddes from Las Vegas has been shopping at my parents store working on recipes for the last month or so. Today Madisono's delivered 3 custom flavors for the gran opening. Bourbon, made with Woodford Reserve, Malted Milk, and a French Vanilla with cracked black pepper. They are also serving my Lemon Basil sorbet. I am eager to get there soon to try out many of the local ingredients they will be serving at Local 127. It is the dedication of chef's like Steve that make a food community work. Good luck to everyone at Local 127.
Matt

Whispering Beard Festival

2009-08-25T15:30:00.003-04:00

Shhhhhhh...... Quiet...........I think I hear a whispering beard!

Madisono's will be offering gelato and sorbet at the Whispering Beard Fesival.

Matt Williams a buddy of mine, he is the produce manager at Whole Foods Rookwood, is one of the founders of the Whispering Beard Folk Festival. Madisono's is excited to offer our all natural vanilla and chocolate gelato along with the lime cilantro sorbet and lemon basil sorbet. Both of which are vegan. I will be there Friday Saturday and Sunday. It is a three day event with camping, a lake and much more. Please check out the website for more information. I am sure this is going to be a big festival in years to come. This is the first year it is open to the public so come on down to the farm and say you were at the first ever Whispering Beard Folk Festival and had some of Cincinnati's First Gelato Company, Madisono's while taking in the sounds of Peter Rowan, Rumke Mtn. Boys and many more.

Cool Nights

2009-08-25T15:15:00.003-04:00

I have been enjoying the cool nights. On Sunday my family enjoyed a fire pit in our back yard. the temperature and breeze was just perfect. Over the summer Madisono's has been using local basil for my lemon basil sorbet. These cooler nights and shorter days are beginning to show on the basil that is coming in. The leaves are no longer big, bold and meaty. There are more flowers on the tops, which have to be dicarded, the leaves are 1/1o the size of the early pickings. I farmed for my parents 5 years in West Union Ohio. The farm was certified organic through OEFFA and basil was one of my crops. We sold to several restaurants and to QueensGate Foods. At the peak of the season we would harvest 100 pounds a day. Observing the basil now it brings back fond memories of those days and also anxiety for my local basil farmer. I know and she knows that the first frost day is just around the corner. These cool nights are a tease for that and when it hits the basil is the first to go. It will not take even a nip. When that happens the harvest and cash flow stops. I tried covering with remay cloth but we had so much it was next to impossible.
When the basil stops I will seek out basil from the south and at some point it will be coming from California. We are all connected to these cycles some more than others. Many have lost their jobs from the current depression but farmers always lose their jobs when Jack Frost rolls around. I hope that you have had a chance to enjoy my lemon basil this summer. I expect the outlying areas will see one sometime late September or early Ocotober if we are lucky.
Matt

College Hill Coffee Company

2009-08-14T18:30:00.002-04:00

College Hill Coffee Company is going strong. It may be that Tina is charged with espresso or maybe she just likes to share good things with her customers. We placed a freezer there about 4 weeks ago and she is doing a great job. They have a great lunch/ dinner menu and have some great music on Fridays and Saturday's. Chris Collier is playing tonight. Please see the link for more information.
If you have not been to the shop it is located at the corner of Hamilton and Northbend.
Matt

Room For Gelato

2009-08-14T17:46:00.000-04:00

Congratulations to all of the gelato businesses featured in Polly Cambell's article on Wednesday! I was not aware of the location in Dayton KY. I can not wait to go for a gelato there. I have included the link for you to visit the site and read the article. Click here to go. This week has been a busy one. I will be delivering 3 new flavors to Oxford Ohio on Monday. 45 East and Tonic Sushi Bar will be serving Madisono's. The new flavors are Ginger Gelato, Bourbon Vanilla with Cherries and Tea with Lemon Sorbet. This one is really good. It tastes just like sweet tea with lemon but creamy and smooth. We brew the tea, add the lemon and use Madisono's sorbet science to create a remarkable textured sorbet. They are going to use it at the bar. I would like to thank Chef Paul Sturkey for helping out with this. He has been consulting and contacted me about flavor development for 45 East. I have always respected Paula and Pam for their contributions to our great city. I used to sell him mushrooms from the farm as well as blackberries when they were in Wyoming. That was a few years ago and we are still connected through food. Some bonds are hard to break. I will be doing a demo at Findlay Market on Saturday and one at Bigg's Hyde Park on Sunday. If you are in the neigborhood stop buy.
Matt

Whole Foods and Local

2009-08-12T10:10:00.000-04:00

Yesterday I had the oppertunity to smile for the camera. No one asked me to "work it" but Joe and I had a great time. Did you know tha Whole Foods has person that goes around and interviews their local vendors and takes pictures of them for display in the store. In about a month or so pictures and a brief bio will be displayed in the Whole Foods locations that serve Madisono's. Kate was a joy to work with. The two hours she was here went by very fast. I know she also met with Kinkaid Ridge Wines, Five Star Foodies and Snowville Creamery. It means alot to a small company that they are taking the time to do this at their cost and on their time. When people buy local products they are buying someone's passion and dream. Not to say that large brands do not have a place but local food products serve the local market. I buy from a local label company. I use local milk from a local dairy and so on. This helps to support other small businesses here in Cincinnati and in the surrounding area.
I am always impressed with Whole Foods at every level. I thought you might want to know that.
Matt

City Beat and Madison's @ Findlay

2009-08-02T19:54:00.000-04:00

A quick announcement. Please go to the link at this City Beat link for a great interview with Bryan Madison, my dad, on local foods available at their store. Check out the article in this week's City Beat on the use of the "local" link big business is trying to use on consumers. As a side note many of you may or may not know but in 2003 I came up with the Madison's Ridgeview Farm slogan. It was "Madison's Your Source for Local Flavor" I even had T-shirts made up. I had a nice quote from Ghandi on the back "To forget how to dig the earth and to tend the soil is to forget ourselves" That was done when I ran the certified organic farm in Adams County.
It was not long after we started wearing and selling those shirts at Findlay Market that Cincinnati Magazine ran a cover story called Local Flavor. They have been on the cutting edge of promoting local for years and so has City Beat. Keep supporting local products, local music and shopping in places where the owner is also working in the store. It makes a difference.
Matt

Siverglades

2009-08-01T15:16:00.000-04:00

Madisono's is now being sold in pints at SilverGlades on 8ths St. I will get the flavors on this blog early next week. Stop in and tell Craig thanks for supporting local.
Matt

Madisons at Findlay Market

2009-08-01T15:08:00.001-04:00

My parents shop, Madison's at Findlay Market, 110 W. Elder St. continues to be our number one selling retail independent location. Madison's Shoppers buy more gelato and sorbet than any other retail location! As a big thank you to all of you Madisono's is providing a discount price to my parents so they can offer all of our flavors at $5.00. This is a $0.50 savings! I will be doing two demos this month and durring those demos we will be offering double stamps on our Pint Passport program. If you are not familiar with this program here it is. Buy a pint of gelat and get a stamp on your card. As soon as you buy 12 pints the 13th one is Free when you redeem your card!!!!!! I have some other extras for you that you will just have to see when you come down to Findlay Market. I hope to see you there. I will twee you all for the dates of the demos. If you are not following Madisono's on Twitter please consider it. I will only send you information that is important. Have great day. Also, my children are growing some great tomatoes in our back yard which my parents are selling for them. We are harvesting each week so ask for them.
Matt

Fleet Feet Lady Distance Classic

2009-08-01T14:43:00.001-04:00

I do not know about many of you, but as an independant business owner long hours are just part of the gig. Today my alarm was set for 5:30 am and as usual I always spontaneously awaken a few minutes before it goes off. My wife is greatful. Saturdays are still an early to rise day for me but today was the Lady Distance Classic 5K and 10K race in Blue Ash sponsored by Fleet Feet. Vendors were to be set up by 6:45. Last year I had a summer time employee do it for me as I was out of town. I can say that I will not pass that job on to anyone else as long as I am in town. I had a great time! The morning was beautiful, the walkers and their families were a delight to serve. I have can not express how excited I was to be there. The energy just kept getting better and better as more people came to the tent to sample my gelato and sorbet. I started with Lime Cilantro Sorbet, Maple Wanut, Strawberry, Lemon Basil, Chocolate P-nut Butter Chunk, Lemon Sorbet, and finished with Banana Caramel Praline.
There were at least 75 other booths at the festival, food, fashion and information. The festival was held at the Blue Ash Civic Center on Cooper Rd. The walk raises money for womens health and fitness. Please consider stopping in to Fleet Feet for some great gear. Thanks to all of you who stopped by today. I hope you will consider purchasing a pint or two of Madisono's gelato and sorbet at a location near you. I will see you next year!
Matt

College Hill Coffee Company

2009-07-29T21:54:00.000-04:00

I have never seen a customer get so excited about selling Madisono's! Tina has done a great job in merchandising and letting her customers know about Madisono's. Tina is selling pints, making some money for her store and bringing smiles to her customers. I am going to get some photos to share with all of you. If you have not been to the shop it is located at the corner of Hamilton and Northbend. Stop in and see for yourself.
Matt

Back from some time off

2009-07-28T09:53:00.000-04:00

I just returned from some time away. No internet connection. So no blog entries. A couple of announcements. Madisono's will start selling to the Front Stree Cafe in New Richmond on Thursday. They will offer pints and scoops. Check out thier web page for more information. It is not far away and has a great view of the Ohio River.
I am also pleased to announce that Andy's Mediterranean Grille will be serving our Pistachio gelato and an exclusive flavor, Pistachio Baklava. Made with Andy's Baklava. The new menu is being printed and we expect to start serving in two weeks.
Pistachio and Lime Cilantro are now available at all of our Bigg's locations so stop in and pick one up, tell your friends and neighbors. I have had many comments as to the application of the Lime Cilantro and Margaritas. Try it.
Matt

College Hill Coffee Company

2009-07-15T08:08:00.000-04:00

Madisono's Gelato is excicted to announce that College Hill Coffee Company will now carry a fine selection of gelato and sorbet. I think they are going to offer it on the menu. I am excited about this development for many reasons. I grew up in College Hill and since Piazza Wines closed no one else could carry it. I think the concept of gelato and coffee is one that is a perfect match. Coffee shops here have not realized this. I am planning on installing the freezer today and pints should be available for sale tonight. So stop in to the coffee house and take in a slow cup and on the way out grab a pint and tell your friends and family if they live in the area. Your support will help two small owners who are passionate about what we do.
Matt

Where to find Madisono's near you?

2009-07-11T08:17:00.000-04:00

I am working on getting a fixed location on the web for the store list, but in the meantime travel to my website Madisonogelato.com for the link to the list of customers. You are just a few clicks away. Thanks
Matt

Take the Cake

2009-07-08T16:28:00.000-04:00

Madisono's Gelato is now offered at Take the Cake. I would encourage you to visit their website for more information. They are in a new location, still in Northside, and have a unique space. They now offer sandwiches as well as pastry and cakes to be eaten on site. Madisono's is kept behind the counter so you have to ask for it. We have 11 of our best flavors there. The next time you are there pick up a pint to go or ask for a spoon and eat it there.
Matt

Market Wine Tasting With Info

2009-07-08T12:47:00.000-04:00

I had a great time yesterday! As you know I did tasting with Mike from Market Wines. The response was great. We had around 45 patrons. I had a great oppetunity to talk with everyone which is something that I do not get to do. What did we do?
Here it is. The first tasting was a Prosecco with Lemon Basil Sorbet. Many people enjoyed the two mixed into their glass, others just had the sorbet on the side. The second was St. Germaine liquor. This is unique in that it is made with Elderflowers. The partnering whith these two flavors was very well recieved. The last offering was Frambois Lambic with chocolate gelato. A beer float! It sounds, well a little strange, but this by far was the favorite. Mike and I are going to plan another tasting for August and his next tasting on Tuesday is going to be french. It is Bastille Day. Thanks to all who came, and tell your friends about market wines. All of Madisono's sorbets and gelatos are available at Madison's at Findlay. 110 W. Elder St.

Market Wine Tasting

2009-07-07T12:33:00.000-04:00

Today from 3 to 6 I will be at Findlay Market. There is a great wine store there called Market Wines. It is a new additon to the Market. It is located on W. Elder St. just a few doors down from my parents store, Madison's at Findlay. Many people have been mixing our sorbet with different prosecco and alcoholic beverages and sharing these pairings with my parents. My Dad was talking with the owner, Mike, about putting together a tasting and here it is. I will be sampling lemon basil sorbet, pink grapefruit sorbet and chocolate gelato with a combination of beverages. Tuesday is also the farmer's market day at Findlay so if you are not doing anything you might want to stop by. Please check in at Market Wines for there wine tastings. I believe they do them on Saturday from 11 on and durring the week. I will post the exact mixes used today after the event so stay tuned.
Matt

Twitter

2009-06-29T21:44:00.000-04:00

Madisono's Gelato and Sorbet is now on Twitter. I have to say that I am not realy sure exactly what that means. I think it is a way for me to bother a bunch of people at the same time or for them to bother me. I like being bothered so pleas follow Madisono's and send me tweets. I have to say that I quite like the name too. Summer is in full swing and so is our production. We have two new flavors going into Bigg's on July 13th. They are Pistachio and Lime Cilantro sorbet. The professional staff at Margot Madison Creative Stationarery has designed another set of labels for the full wrap around pint. They contain the nutrional labels, bar codes and two new factoids. If you have not noticed it each of our dedicated labels for a flavor contain a cool factoid about the flavor inside. Check them out sometime, you may learn something like cocoa pods only grow 15 degrees north or south of the equator!
I want to share a cool site with you. Robert Zins, who is part of the Madisono's team has a new project with his wife Julie. It is called Food Fight. It is a full blown production(you thought I was going to say food fight didn't you.) Check it out and let them know what you think.
In the next day or so I will let you all in on a special flavor that we have been working on for a great restaurant here in Cincinati. You will have to go there to get it. The chef and I also have plans to develop a few more flavors that will be unique. Stay tuned.
MAtt

Destiny Cruise and Gelato

2009-06-18T14:34:00.000-04:00

Last night I had the oppertunity to board the Destiny Cruise Yacht and tour with 75 friends of Public Radio. WVXU and WGUC had their thank you to many of the contributors of the stations. I am a public radio patron myself. Echoes on 91.7 has been part of my nocturn ritual every night. WGUC is background at home and what would life be like without NPR news? Anyway, I offered to donate gelato to the station durring the fund drive and Naomi said she had a better idea. How about serving on the Yacht Destiny? How could I resist? Everyone was a joy to talk to and it was a beautiful night. If you have not heard of Destiney Yachts please check out the link. The owners Mike and Sean are great. Their mom's help out as well as Mike's wife. The food was fantastic. The Wine Merchant provided wine and everyone had a good time. If you need a unique place for an event consider the Destiny.
I want all of you to know that Bigg's is offering a $0.50 off all pints of Madisono's until July 6th.
Matt

Ride Cincinnati

2009-06-16T07:49:00.000-04:00

Sunday June 14th was a beautiful day for a bike ride. That is what 1800 people did in an effort to raise money for breast cancer research. Cincinnati Ride was started by Allison Gordon who was a good friend of mine in high school. She lost her mother to breast cancer a few years ago and she was also diagnosed with the cancer as well. The event was at Sawyer Point/Yeatman's Cove on the river. They had many food companies there providing food for the riders and their families when done with the ride. Madisono's gelato set up and sampled gelato and sorbet to the delight of everyone there. I had some much needed help from another rider who helped me keep up with the demand. Thanks Karen! She is also involved in the Tour de Montgomery so if you want more information check out the link. Thanks to all who stopped by I hope to see you next year.

Bigg's Discounts for June

2009-06-03T21:48:00.000-04:00

Bigg's offers Madisono's at 7 stores. They are Hyde Park, Mason, Highland, Florence, West Chester, Delhi, and Sky Top. Madisono's is offering $0.50 off the purchase of any flavor pint of gelato and sorbet starting June 6th and running through July 5th. The discount will scan at the register. If you find yourself at Bigg's pick up a pint or three and tak advantage of the savings.
Matt

Gelato King

2009-05-30T09:18:00.000-04:00

The City Beat "Hot" issue is out and they have given me the noble title of Gelato King! Thank you City Beat and thank you to all of the City Beat readers. If you have not had a chance to check out the issue pick one up today. It is loaded with good stuff.
This weekend is loaded with cool Gelato and Sorbet news. Let me first review last week. On Saturday I traveled to Colombus Ohio to Hills Market for the Annual Salmon Roast. Wow! what an event. I have no iedea how many pounds of salmon they had but it was much. I had the great pleasure of sampling over 500 portions of Dark Chocolate Orange, Mocha Chip and Lemon Basil Sorbet to all who waited in line. I also met a really cool owner of a comapany out of Colombus called Little Rosie's dressings and marinades. http://www.littlerosies.com. Pam was serving her dressings on a mini salad. Very cool.
This week we are sending some gelato and sorbet down to the Know Theatre. The Fringe Festival is in full swing this week. Madisono's has been a proud partner of The Know Theatre. For each opening we donate gelato and sorbet so people can have a sweet treat at the end of the show. It is a great way for people to taste my products and it also allows the theatre to offer something with out additional expenses. I am delivering a fine selection today, so if you are down there be sure to get a scoop.
Sunday night I am providing gelato and sorbet to the annual meeting of Maiytres Cuisiniers De France. This is a delagation of chefs, pastry chefs and food professionals from Canada and France. Every year they meet and this year it is Cincinnati. I have been asked to speak at the meeting and I am looking forward to it. I will let you know more about after the event.
Matt

Eclectic Curio Coffee House

2009-05-21T20:36:00.000-04:00

Friday is fast approaching thank goodness. This has been one busy week. I want to let all of you know about a great coffee shop in the Eastgate area. It is the Eclectic Curio Coffee House. It is owned by Sherri and Brian. They love the shop and it offers some unique items including furniture. Please see the link for more information. I dropped off a tub of French Vanilla, Lemon Basil Sorbet, Mocha Chip and Chocolate Gelato. They will be offering it to their customers for free as a way to introduce it to them. They will also start with pints in the next week or so. I am excited to work with them. If you get a chance stop in for a cup. From State Rt 32 going East turn right on Glen Este and then turn left into the strip just past the Golden Coral.
This Saturday I will be in Columbus for the Hill's Market Salmon Roast. I will be sampling Gelato and Sorbet. This is the first year for me and they say that the crowds are huge. If you are in Columbus stop by for some free salmon. Check out the link for more information.
Matt

Findlay Market

2009-05-16T16:03:00.000-04:00

Did you know that Madisono's is available at Findlay Market? My parents Bryan and Carolyn own and operate Madison's at Findlay Market. It is a small specialty food store featuring many local products, organic produce, all kinds of fresh and dried mushrooms and the only source for Lookout Joe Coffee. I stuck in this photo of some blackberries from the farm. They should be available in July. I started working with my parents at Findlay 12 years ago. The beginning was with a 3 x 3 cardboard table. I sold organic produce from the farm and the business has grown since then. The store was firebombed in the riots. The Current location is 110 W. Elder St. This was the new location as the old one was toasted. Madison's at Findlay offers the larges selection of Madisono's Gelato and Sorbet in the City! They also offer small individual cups ready to eat. I would like to invite you to visit my parents store and Findlay Market as well. With the farm season is full swing you are sure to find a local farmer, or cheese maker that will have a great story about the products they sell. My mom always says to customers that Madisono's is made by her son. I hope to get to Findlay for a demo as soon as the soccer season is over. I hope to meet you there some day.
Matt

Dorothy Lane Markets Dayton Ohio in Full Swing!

2009-05-13T21:12:00.000-04:00

Dorothy Lane is running a special on the gelato and sorbet. They are moving alot of product which means that we are making alot. We have been very busy keeping up with the orders. All of us have enjoyed the extra pressure and excitement of serving a great customer. Just when you think you have everything figured out it always changes. That is why I love my job and my business. Everyday is an adventure!
Matt

Dorothy Lane Pastry Show 2009

2009-05-10T20:17:00.000-04:00

In April I had a great oppertunity to participate in the Springtime in Paris Pastry Show at Dorothy Lane Market in Springboro. This was the 2nd year participating in the show. We debuted the private label DLM Gelato in April of 2008 at the show! Since that time we have added three new flavors and very soon we will be adding Pistachio. I must direct you to the web site for DLM and check out the pastry show information as well as the wine show. If you love food and wine you must consider attending. The Dorothy Lane team is incredible. They are a one of a kind organization. Customers, quality and service are there priority and it shows. One step in any of their stores and you will know what I am talking about. It would be worth a trip to Dayton for the experience.
Matt

Martha Stewart Ice Cream

2009-05-10T19:38:00.000-04:00

Saturday May 9th, I had the pleasure of working with Rita Heikenfeld, Macy's Culinary Coordinator, Chef Deb Goulding from Chef's Choice Catering and two very special guests Marissa and Vickie from Martha Stewart Magazine. Marissa and Vickie flew in from New York to talk about the great products available from Marthat Stewart. They featured several table settings, picnic options and many fine products available at Macy's from the Marthat Stewart line.

I have worked with Rita many times in the past and have done three of these Macy's events to date. All of them are great fun. The first was with Chef Rick Bayless last year. I prepared Horchata gelato for his audience. Horchata is a Mexican inspired cocept of cinnamon and lime zest. In April I provided Dark Chocolate Gelat for Andrea Robinson. She was in town discussing wine parings and foods. This brings me to the title. In the spirit of keeping everythin Martha, I used her recipe from the web site and magazine for her Vanilla Ice Cream. I prepared the ingredients exactly they way the recipe called for and wound up with a very smoothe and creamy rich ice cream. I used Nielsen Massey two fold bourbon vanilla. I have to say that this flavor brought back many memories for me. This basic recipe is one that we all have had as kids whenever there has been a salt and ice ice cream maker used at family gatherings and picnics.

We served the ice cream in cups with mini cones to the delight of everyone there. I will get some fo the links over the next few days and add them to the post.

The picture is of Marissa, Chef Deb Goulding, Me, Vickie

Matt

Cincinnati Magazine Favorites

2009-04-22T13:17:00.001-04:00

In this month't issue of Cincinnati Magazine, Madisono's is listed under the Ice Cream Box. It states that in addition to several other brands of local ice cream there are pints of Madisono's Pink Grapefruit sorbe and Lemon Basil sorbet in the freezer as well. Choice is a good thing. I feel greatful that Madisono's is listed and excited about the fact that this is becoming a recognized brand! I would also like to share with all of you the excitement about Madisono's 3 year anniversary. Yes on April 20th of last year, some of the first pints of gelato and sorbet were made. It seems like not that long ago. It feels good to be Cincinnati's first gelato company.
Matt

WVXU

2009-04-19T17:59:00.000-04:00

Wow,
I had the great oppertunity to be a guest on Cincinnati Edition this morning. I had a great time doing the interview with Naomi. She had some great questions and I hope you all enjoyed the interview. I have an updated list of retail accounts for your review. Enjoy
Matt
Where to find Madisono’s Gelato & Sorbet
Retail locations
Madison’s at Findlay Market
Whole Foods Rookwood Plaza
Whole Foods Mason
Whole Foods Columbus Upper Arlington
Whole Foods Columbus Dublin-Granville
Whole Foods Louisville KY
Amazing Grace Whole Foods Louisville KY
Raisen Rack Columbus
Weilands Columbus
Hills Market Columbus
Carfagna’s Columbus
Keller’s IGA Clifton
Dillonvale IGA Amberly Village
Carl’s Deli Hyde Park
Sunshine Foods Hyde Park
Wyoming Wines Wyoming
Wyoming Meat Market Wyoming
The Wine Store Montgomery
Lookout Joe Mt. Lookout
Dilly Deli Mariemont
Meiner’s Meats Bridgetown
Pipkins Blue Ash
Luiggi’s Olde World Market, Pisgah
Keegan’s Seafood Anderson
Piazza Discepoli Wine Merchants Glendale
Ferarri’s Little Italy
The Party Source Belleview Kentucky
Jungle Jim’s
Kremers’ Market Crescent Springs Ketucky
Cork and Bottle Crescent Springs Kentucky
Pitrellis Mason
Dorothy Lane Markets (Private Label)Dayton Ohio
Inspiring Kind, Anderson Twp
Beacon Foods Clough Pike Anderson
Bigg’s Mason
Bigg’s Anderson
Bigg’s Highland
Bigg’s Hyde Park
Bigg’s Delhi
Bigg’s West Chester
Bigg’s Florence
Hilton Netherland Plaza (room service menu)
Remke Market Buttermilk Pike
Restaurant locations
Baressis Deer Park Iron Horse Inn
Boca Oakley Stone Creek Montgomery
Nicola’s Downtown Rue Du Maine Dayton
Via Vite Downtown Hyde Park Tavern
Nectar Mt. Lookout Quarter Bistro Mariemont
Ferarris Little Italy Madeira Lavomatic OTR
Embers Montgomery Nada Downtown
Pitrellis Mason L Auberge Dayton
Kokka Coffee Mt. Adams
Cincinnati Country Club Otto Covington KY
Essencha Tea House Oakley
Manor House Pompillio’s
Edge Cliff Room Prima Vista Price Hill
Nada Downtown Madison’s Bistro Dayton

Whewwwww!!!!!

2009-04-15T07:52:00.000-04:00

It is hard to believe that one week has gone by and not one blog entry. For those of you who have been checking sorry for the busy signal. I really mean busy signal. With three kids in soccer and all kinds of things going on I sometimes just forget to update so here it goes.
In the last week we did a great demo at Hyde Park Bigg's for Earth Day. There were at least 15 local vendors sampling thier products among other attractions. Even a milk cow. A real cow! I debuted the Lime Cilantro sorbet at Findlay Market this past weekend to rave reviews. I also sent some to Kellers IGA in Clifton. If you want to try it stop in and pick up a pint. We also have individual servings at Findlay Market to eat on the go. We had our first demo at Whole Foods Dublin. Which if you have not been there is just an awsome store. I delivered some gelato to the store and stopped by The North Market to Pick up some Jeni's Ice Cream. I do like Jeni's. I have written about her before so look in the archive. The rest of the week we have been working on maintaining production as the weather gets warmer the sales go up. Yea. Stop by your local retailer for Madisono's and if anyone wants to try our new Pinenut gelato you can get it at Boca.
Matt

Concertnova

2009-04-08T07:40:00.000-04:00

Sunday nights are reserved for a relaxing night infront of the Television watching Masterpiece theatre sipping tea. I watch very little programmed television. I am a Masterpiece Theatre nerd. Little Dorrit is playin in 5 parts which means that for the next 4 weeks I am booked on Sunday. I broke from that tradition this past Sunday to serve gelato at the most recet Concertnova perfomance at the Metaphore building in OTR. The performance was a blend of theatre and music that was facinating. I am not going to dicuss the content but encourage you to go to Concertnova's website and find out for yourself. You will be amazed! I hope you would consider attending a performance in the future. Madisono's is going to partner with Concertnova for future events to serve gelato and sorbet at the end of the show. This past Sunday, many people lingered and talked while spooning Dark Chocolate Orange, Hazelnut, French Vanill and Pink Grapefruit Sorbet. I saw some friends I had not seen in a while and recognized many from Findlay Market. Please check their site for upcoming performances I beleive that there is one in May.
I missed Little Dorrit part 2 but the great thing about PBS and Masterpiece is that I can view on line and catch up for the next part. I just love PBS!

Best of The City City Beat 2009!!!!!!

2009-04-03T09:23:00.000-04:00

Thanks to everyone who voted in the 2009 Best of Cincinnati for City Beat. It is an honor. I know that Madisono's is valued by the readers and this proves it. It realy feels good to have something be recognized and I want to say congratulations to all of the other winners in this years Best of Cincinnati. Keep up the good work.
Matt

To Chip or not to Chip

2009-04-02T12:44:00.000-04:00

I have been working on a new flavor that I hope to debut sometime very soon. The issue is to include chocolate chips or not. I temper my own chocolate for all of our chips and they are mixed into the gelato by hand. This allows us to get the flake style chips that are unique to Madisono's. In my focus groups many people have said that they prefer a chip inclusion and other have said that it is better with out. What to do? It is not possible to offer both. I thought I would share that with all of you and I guess that when it is time to debut the new flavors only then will we know what it will contain. If you have any input please share.
Matt

Pistachio Recall

2009-03-31T13:05:00.000-04:00

I want to let all of you know that the pistachio recall from California does note effect Madisono's Pistachio flavor. Our ingredints are sourced from Italy and are tested. Thanks
Matt

A Whole Week

2009-03-31T08:16:00.000-04:00

Well, if you have been reading the blog I appologize for not posting for an entire week. A long weekend spen in the country un plugged from everything but a radio was nice. No gelato shops though. The best we got was UDF ice cream. The kids went for cotton candy. Do not expect a Madisono's cotton candy gelato anytime soon. We have been busy at work here working on catching up on production. Yesterday I had a visit from Chef Owen Mass and the bartender from Chalk. We talked gelato and sampled some. Chef Owen is at Cumin preparing all of the desserts. I think there will be some oppertunity to get creative. Owen has been known to serve pop rocks as well as deconstructed anything. I have much to do today so I will keep this short.
Matt

Hills Market

2009-03-21T18:33:00.000-04:00

I have just returned from one of the best sample days I have had in a long time. Late in October I ventured out to Columbus Ohio to meet with some unique stores in an attempt to grow my gelato business. One such place was Hills Market located on Olentangey Road just north of 270. I met with Preston, one of the managers there, and I knew this was a great place for Madisono's. The ice cream section has one of the largest selections of Ohio products I have ever seen. Throughout the entire store they had signs showing off local products. Needless to say they ordered 12 flavors on the first order!
Today I sampled several gelato and sorbet flavors for the annual Ohio Market Day. There were many vendors there sampling all kinds of products. I also had the oppertunity to share some recipes and tips on making gelato at home to a very attentive audience. Thank you all who took the time to learn today. (if you are looking for the recipes please contact me at this link and put Hills Market in the title mattmadison80@hotmail.com )
Demos are the only way I can meet customers and intoduce my products to new ones. So many people had a positive response to tasting Madisono's that I am sure we will be able to build the line. We offer many more flavors that what they stock currently. If you had a chance to sample and made a purchase, Grazie! and please tell your friends about us. I love to share a new find with friends. Madisono's is available at these Columbus locations as well. Whole Foods Dublin and Arlington Heights, Weilands, Carfanga's and Raisen Rack. I want to express my grattitude and appreciation to Hills Market for the invitation. We will be back for the Salmon Roast as well as The Wild Goose Event.
If you are new to my blog please go to madisonogelato.com for a complete list of all our customers in Cincinnati, Columbus and Louisville. See you soon.
Matt

Relationships

2009-03-19T12:34:00.001-04:00

Madisono's has had a long standing relationship with Chef David Faulk of Boca and Nada restaurants. Much of his culinary talent have been with him since the early days when Boca was located in Northside. I used to sell to Chef David at the Northside Farmers Market. He would shop the market with his crew and go back with some of the freshest ingredients in town. I used to provide them with squash blossoms for a dish they made there. They were filled with ricotta cheese, battered and fried. Now that I am in the gelato and sorbet business I always jump at a chance of creating a real flavor for my long time customers. I have been asked to create for other chefs and I am sad to say that their enthusiasm for unique flavors wanes when it comes time to purchasing their requested flavors. In my eagerness to please I am proud to say that I have been able to dicern who is for real and who is not. We do not do this for just anyone. So.... when Chef Mitch asked me to work on a new flavor for Nada I took the challege because I know they are serious. I can not disclose what the flavor is at this time but it is very good and quite uniqe.
In the same week another great customer, Chef Chris from Prima Vista called and asked for a new flavor. Chef Chris has been a great supporter of Madisono's. When I first went to talk to him about Madisono's he was already using a gelato supplier from out of state. He said he would consider my products if I would consider making a banana caramel praline. This is paired with their bread pudding and is quite famous there. At the time I did not make such a flavor but in my desire to please I did and Chef Chris agreed to use 100% Madisono's after that. So his request for a new flavor is sincere and I know he will use it. The flavor we are making for Prima Vista is Pinoccate or pine nut. I make my own paste for this flavor and all I can say is that it is a wonderful flavor. If eats like dream. Sorry there are no plans to package this flavor into pints so if you want to try it you will have to go to Prima Vista. It is not on the menu until some time in April.
I value my relationships with my chefs and my customers. It is my hope that you, my customers, will read this and know how much your support of Madisono's is valued. If we ever leat you down please let me know.
Matt

Garnish Catering

2009-03-17T13:40:00.000-04:00

Madisono's is proud to announce our first delivery of gelato and sorbet to Garnish Catering in Blue Ash. I have been looking forward to this for some time. Chef Kim Baretta has used our products over the last year for classes and events. Much of what they do at Garnish is to provide take out meals. The ability to compliment a dessert with Madisono's is now possible! I provided Kim a freezer with a decal on top and bottom. The pints are merchandised upright. This is my first attempt to use energy efficient freezers. They do not have glass tops or stand upright, but as long as people can see what is inside I believe it will work. If you have not ever been to Garinsh I encourage you to stop in. They are located at 9468 Kenwood Rd. Also check out their web page. Chef Kim has spent time abroad and has an impressive resume.
Matt

Art Work

2009-03-13T17:53:00.000-04:00

This week marked one of the busiest weeks this year. Actually it maks the one of the busiest weeks this year and a good part of last year. In Februrary I made a decision to raise prices on gelato and sobet pints. The cost increase was minor to the cost increases I have seen over the last year. This is the first cost increase to my customers since the Madisono's was founded in April of 2006! I always agonize over these kinds of decisions. When I started I could buy a 50 Lbs. bag of sugar for $14.50. They now cost $22.50. That is a 55% cost increase for an ingredient that we use in large amounts. Everything from paper pints, vanilla, milk, cream and our imported ingredients from Italy have all taken huge cost increases. I still have vendors that charge fuel surcharges despite the decrease in fuel prices.

Back to being busy. We are all very excited about the increase in sales in the retail and restaurarnt part of the business. I believe in my customers and I feel that they believe in me. I have always tried to deliver the best gelato and sorbet. The repeat business affirms that in some way that what we make is good and worth a repeat purchase. I find hope in this that despite the economic crisis people are still making purchasing decisions that support a local economy. I often wonder if people are buying more Graeter's instead of Hagen Daaz or Ben and Jerry's because the local economy needs it. The linkages to my business reach Ohio dairy farmers and many other small business right here in Cincinnati.

I started out to tell you about our new artwork so here it is. Look for the Madisono's Van on the road and if you see us honk 2x

Matt

Five Star Foodies

2009-03-12T16:10:00.000-04:00

As I continue to develop my business and my blog, I want to share other local food companies located right here in Cincinnati. I see this blog as not only your view into the Madisono's Gelato and Sorbet Company, but a window into the life of small food business. They are Five Star Foodies. They produce by hand, vegan and vegetarian foods that are sold locally and abroad. They can be found at Whole Foods and many other store in Cincinnati, Louisville, Columbus and now Washington DC. We are both frozen food producers so we have teamed up to partner on deliveries in an attempt to reduce our carbon footprints and create economies for our small businesses. We both sell to many of the same out of town store and Valerie Williams has been very helpful in providing leads for Madisono's. If you have not had thier products I suggest you go to the website for more information.
Matt

The perfect Peach

2009-03-12T10:03:00.000-04:00

As I develop my blog I want to include some photos and videos of what we are doing at Madisono's. My wife alsways seems to have the camera at her store, Margot Madison Creative Stationery. She also has a blog. Check it out. I think she wants to keep it so she can add photos on her blog. Maybe we need another camera. In these times of economic consolidation I don't think so. Why spend $150.00 on another digital camera? I just need to remind her to bring it home. With the weather getting warmer I though I would post these photos of the peaches we used last year. They were sweet and juicey peaches from South Carolina. We processed them and then used them in our peach proseccco sorbet and peach gelato. Tty not to drool. My mouth yearns for peaches like this.

Matt

Indiana Live

2009-03-11T20:28:00.000-04:00

Today and yesterday were spent producing gelato and sorbet for the Indiana Live! Casino in Indanapolis. They have placed another order with Madisono's and all of us at the plant are very excited about this. Joe has been doing an incredible job running the prodution while Robert tends to deliveries and inventory. We delivered to Columbus on Tuesday, Whole Foods Dublin and Whole Foods Arlington Heights. I should also mention that The Hills Market, Carfanga's, Weilands and The Raisen Rack also stock Madisono's Gelato. I will be at The Hills Market on March 21st from 12 to 2 participating in their Spring Demo Day. It is hard to believe that we are selling in Columbus. I can not wait to share more of our fine gelato and sorbet flavors with the people of Columbus. They have a great appreciation for ice cream. Check out Jeni's if you do not know about it. She does some incredible things with ice cream. I love her style. Today we delivered to Dorothy Lane Market in Springboro Ohio. I would also like to share with you my excitement about our magnetic decals for the delivery van. I will post a photo ASAP. Now everyone will know what is inside! Today also provided an oppertunity to make an old time favorite, ginger gelato for Embers. They are serving it with their pineapple upsidedown cake at the Wine Festival on Thursday. There are many cool things happening in the coming days so I will keep you informed. I was asked by Chef Henry Warman from the Savanah Center to provide our lemon thyme sorbet for the meeting of the American Culinary Federation this Sunday and Barrisis wants to use some of our flavor on the 12 chefs 12 kitchens event coming up in April. Thusday is chocolate and more chocolate
Matt

The Art of Food

2009-03-09T15:30:00.000-04:00

I spent Saturday night in the company of friends, foodies and some of Cincinnati's best culinary talent. The Art of Food was held once again at the Carnagie Arts Center in Covington. This event showcases local artist who make unique art from food as well as local chefs and organizations. At the invitation of Chef Cristian Pietoso from Via Vite, I came ready to serve the award winning Scroppino drink. This is the signature drink at Via Vite and Nicola's. It is made with Madisono's Ruby Red Grapfruit Sorbet (made exclusively for Chef) prosecco, and grapefruit vodka. In addition to the Scroppino Chef Cristian also served sushi grade scallops with a light olive oil, onion, carrot and parsley delivery. Many people commented on the fact that the scallops were the best dish of the night. They also thought the Scroppino was excellent.
Chef Chris Burns from Jean Ro was next to us as was Chef Gregg Gimanetti and his wife Summer. Lavomatic served up some home made cracklings with rabbit and Quarter Bistro had a great short rib. One highlight of the night was meeting the host of the Midnight Gourmet show on WCIN Chef Keith Tolbert. He was featured in this weeks CitiBeat. He has a realy cool story and is working on a cooking show at WCET. It is set to go national. He interviewed many of the chefs at the event and myself. It was a good time I encourage you to look for it next year. It is a great event.
Matt

The Art of Food

2009-03-09T15:24:00.000-04:00

Saturday night was spent in the company of friends, foodies and chefs. At the request of Chef Cristian Pietoso from Via Vite and Nicola's, I joined him at their table to help serve. They were serving sushi grade scallops with olive oil, onions, carrots and parsley. Many people said that this was the best dish at the event. We also served samples of the award winning Scrapino

Some times a picture is worth how many words?

2009-03-05T19:27:00.000-05:00

Dorothy Lane Markets Dayton Ohio

2009-03-04T12:53:00.001-05:00

Dorothy Lane Markets in Dayton and Springboro Ohio have been selling gelato and sorbetto under the Dorothly Lane Market label. Madisono's is the proud producer of these great produts. It even says so on the side of every pint. Calvin Mayne and the team at DLM wanted their customers to know that they were using the highest quality gelato and sorbetto avaialable and that it was made locally. At the present time Madisono's produces 11 flavors for the DLM label. We are proud to announce two more that will be available in April. They are Pistachio and Straccaitella.
The Pistachio is made with 100% all natura pistachio paste and our all natural cream gelato base. We are mixing in large pieces of pistachios for a unique taste experience.
The Staccaitella (chocolate chip) is made with our all natural gelato base and pure vanilla. We then add, by hand, our secret mix of chocolate to the frozen gelato for the perfect delivery of vanailla and chocolate. If you are in Dayton please stop in and pick up a pint of Dorothy Lane Gelato and Sorbetto.
Matt