Update 5 (To-Go):
We had manged to get in a couple visits to Bulgarini Gelato before the pandemic, and then we wanted to show support for this wonderful artisan Gelateria during the pandemic.
While Owner and Gelato Master Leo Bulgarini’s standouts are his Handmade Gelato, his Handmade Pastas are some of the best in the city.
Pappardelle al Pesto:
Leo Bulgarini’s Handmade Pesto was outstanding on this visit, fragrant, earthy, nutty from the Basil and Pine Nuts and the Handmade Pappardelle had a nice light bite to it, pliant and toothsome.
Handmade Focaccia:
Crunchy exterior, quality Olive Oil and Sea Salt on top.
(Specials) Spaghetti Carbonara:
New Pasta alert! On this visit, Leo had a Special Pasta for the day, Spaghetti Carbonara!
Taking a bite, COME ON!
Intensely porky, so fragrant, the Guanciale (Cured Pork Jowl) Leo uses was sourced from a specialist after Leo searched for almost a year to find one he was satisfied with (of course he did). The Pecorino Cheese is from a dairy farm outside of Rome, Italy, and makes a huge difference, and Leo’s masterful cooking.
The Carbonara Sauce was rich and eggy, stunning in its porkiness and nice Pecorini punch with some Black Pepper, and the Spaghetti on this visit was perfect! One of the best Carbonara Pastas we’ve had in years! Do not miss! (@J_L @PorkyBelly @TheCookie @attran99 @A5KOBE @beefnoguy @paranoidgarliclover @Ns1 and others.)
Time for Dessert.
Cioccolato All’ Arancia (Chocolate Orange) Gelato:
Stunning as usual! Intense Dark Chocolate notes and beautiful fragrant citrus notes from the Orange zest and fruit infused within. Wonderful!
Nocciola (Hazelnut) Gelato:
To understand how great Bulgarini’s Gelatos are, look no further than the Nocciola (Hazelnut). Taking a bite:
It’s truly stupid how GREAT this is! Even if you don’t like Hazelnut, Leo’s Hazelnut Gelato will make you a fan. It’s like the ultimate concentration of an entire vat of Roasted Hazelnuts, but even better, more fragrant, more intense, sweet and airy, but never saccharine.
Another Visit:
Handmade Focaccia:
Leo just finished a new batch of his Handmade Focaccia. Crunchy, beautifully seasoned with quality Italian Extra Virgin Olive Oil & Sea Salt.
Pappardelle al Sugo di Carne:
Leo sold out of his Tagliatelle, but that didn’t stop us from enjoying his incredible Housemade Meat Sauce. Leo spends over 4 hours to slowly cook down his Sugo di Carne Meat Sauce, and you can taste the love he puts into it. There’s a beautiful meatiness and rich savoriness that produces one of the best Pastas in the city.
(Specials) Spaghetti Carbonara:
Wanting to make sure it wasn’t a fluke, we had come back to try his Specials board Spaghetti Carbonara again a 2nd time.
It wasn’t a fluke.
Every slurp of this Spaghetti Carbonara is bathed in a rich, deep porcine flavor that puts to shame all of the Carbonara offerings we’ve tried from LA’s more hyped restaurants over the past few years (no hyperbole). It is incredible!
The Pecorino, lovely egginess in the Sauce, the Spaghetti once again perfectly cooked! SO GOOD!
Nocciola (Hazelnut) Gelato:
Outstanding. Intensely nutty, it is probably my favorite Gelato at Bulgarini, surpassing his legendary Pistachio Gelato. (@TheCookie @hanhgry @attran99 and others!)
Cioccolato (Chocolate) Gelato:
Incredible!
Most Recent Visit (During Pandemic):
We were hoping Bulgarini was still open during the shutdown, and thankfully they are open!
Social distancing is in place. Leo Bulgarini will greet you at the door personally, with mask and gloves and let you know what the flavors are for today. He will still give you samples, but it’s a bit more of a hassle (he has to run back inside, get a sample, run back out to you to deliver the sample, so try not to ask for too many during this time.
Gelato Time!
Tiramisu Gelato:
Ridiculous. It tastes like the most concentrated, beautiful Tiramisu Dessert you’ve had, distilled in Gelato frozen form! Beautiful Coffee and Cocoa flavors not overly sweet, lovely.
Pear, Greek Mastika, Blood Orange Gelato:
This was OUT OF CONTROL! Gorgeous intense Pear flavors, infused with Greek Mastika (what Leo describes as sap from the Mastic tree from Greece), and Blood Orange. The flavor combination tasted natural fruity, not too sweet, finishing with a Spring-like citrus finish.
Cioccolato Di Firenze al Sale (Florentine Chocolate with Salt):
Leo’s amazing Dark Chocolate Gelato infused with Sea Salt. There’s barely any sweetness, so it’s rich, chocolately with a saline edge.
Vaniglia (Vanilla) Gelato:
To understand the greatness of Leo Bulgarini’s Gelato, look no further than the seemingly simple Vaniglia (Vanilla) Gelato. I made the mistake years ago of overlooking this flavor, but then one taste and you’ll be kicking yourself for not having tried it sooner.
INTENSE, real Vanilla flavor in every bite. It puts to shame any Vanilla Ice Cream in the city. It’s not even close. HIGHLIGHT!
Fragola Sorbetto (Strawberry Sorbet):
Antico gets a lot of love (rightfully so) for its Strawberry Ice Cream with Harry’s Berries, but it’s banal in comparison to Leo’s Strawberry Sorbet. Yes, it’s a different animal, but after you’ve had the intense crush of fresh, in-season Strawberries (even if they aren’t Harry’s Berries) in Leo’s Strawberry Sorbet, other Strawberry frozen desserts feel muted in comparison.
OUTSTANDING!
Mandorla (Almond) Gelato:
While Leo Bulgarini’s Pistachio Gelato is his most famous, he takes the same exacting care with his newer Mandorla (Almond) Gelato: He sources these Almonds from the same farm in Sicily, Italy that he does his Pistachios. It may sound like an extreme measure, but take one bite and you’ll understand.
It’s like your eyes have become open to what a real “Almond Dessert” is supposed to be like: The most glorious Roasted Almond flavor, delicately sweet, not overly fatty like Ice Cream, nutty, intense, glorious! HIGHLIGHT!
Strawberry Gelato:
The Strawberry Gelato (bottom scoop in the pic) turned out to be nowhere near as intense as the Strawberry Sorbet. In this case, Antico’s Strawberry Ice Cream had more of a Strawberry flavor and was more enjoyable, but this was still good.
But go for the Strawberry Sorbet for the best frozen Strawberry Dessert right now.
Macadamia Nut Gelato:
If your only impression of “Macadamia Nuts” is from those Hawaiian packages, Leo Bulgarini’s Macadamia Nut Gelato will transform your world view on them. I have no idea how he’s able to intensify and distill down the flavors so beautifully, but take a bite and it’s like you’ve experienced Macadamia Nuts for the first time, the right way.
Beautiful, distinctly fragrant like only Macadamia Nuts can be, delicate, lightly sweet. Wonderful!
Cioccolato (Chocolate) Gelato:
Do not sleep on this. How incredible is this?
Leo Bulgarini starts with an 85%(!) Cocoa Valrhona Dark Chocolate base, and the result is truly one of the most intense and glorious Chocolate Desserts I’ve ever had! This is for Chocolate Lovers everywhere!
Crema al Limone (Lemon Cream) Gelato:
Wow!
If you ever wanted to have a great Lemon Frozen Dessert, you get beautiful Lemon citrus notes, but tempered and tamed, with a light creaminess and just the right bit of Sugar (not too sweet) to create another stunning offering! HIGHLIGHT!
Pistacchio (Pistachio) Gelato:
And finally, Bulgarini’s most famous flavor. A big thanks to @J_L for the original report, Leo Bulgarini is so obsessive about the quality of his ingredients, and especially Pistachio Nuts for this flavor, that he only makes this Pistachio Gelato when he can source them from a specific farm in Sicily. He will fly out personally to Italy to sample from the farm and then if it’s good enough, he’ll bring the batch home. Once it sells out, it’s gone.
Taking a bite…
You will understand why this Pistachio flavor is more expensive than his other offerings (he charges $1 more for these individual scoops). Intensely nutty and savory, barely sweet, his Pistachio Gelato is like nothing you’ve experienced before.
With the heat wave, and just to support one of L.A.'s great treasures, consider a trip out to Bulgarini Gelato. Once there, choose from the greatest selection of Gelato in L.A. All of his flavors are distinct, so intense, so distilled in essence, it becomes perfectly clear why Gelato is more expensive than Ice Cream, and why Bulgarini is worth it.
We did a bang x bang with Antico Ice Cream, and Bulgarini has ruined us from Ice Cream forever. There’s no comparison: Antico (and other Ice Cream) have too much milkfat, air, filler for my tastes. Bulgarini’s Gelato is flavor intensified, so pure, so distilled, so focused, it is stunning and brings you utter joy. (Thanks again @J_L @Porthos kevin @PorkyBelly @paranoidgarliclover @A5KOBE and others for the recommendation!)
Here’s to hoping Bulgarini pulls through the pandemic.
Hours (during Pandemic):
Tues - Sun, 1:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Bulgarini Gelato
749 E. Altadena Drive
Altadena, CA 91001
Tel: (626) 791-6174
https://bulgarinigelato.com/