12 January 12-18, 2023 miaminewtimes.com | browardpalmbeach.com NEW TIMES | MUSIC | CAFE | CULTURE | NIGHT+DAY | NEWS | LETTERS | CONTENTS | miaminewtimes.com MIAMI NEW TIMES | MUSIC | CAFE | FILM | ART | STAGE | NIGHT+DAY | METRO | RIPTIDE | LETTERS | CONTENTS | ▼ WYNWOOD V GELATO MAKES VEGAN GELATO THAT TASTES JUST LIKE THE REAL DEAL V Gelato chef-owner Eric Dorval loves to wait until his customers take the first taste of his frozen dessert before he announces that everything they’ve just tasted is 100 percent vegan. “Most of them can’t believe it. At least 50- 70 percent of people don’t even realize it’s dairy-free and vegan,” Dorval tells New Times. “I took it as a challenge to create a dairy-free gelato designed to compare to the traditionally dairy-based dessert with both its flavor and — perhaps, more importantly — texture.” Dorval first started making gelato in 2014 in his home country of Canada. After gradu- ating from the Institut de Tourisme et d’Hôtellerie du Québec with a professional pastry degree, he aimed his talents at perfect- ing the frozen Italian dessert, working his way from apprentice to head chef at Vancou- ver’s well-known Bella Gelateria. He further honed his skills at Carpigiani Gelato University, a school outside Bologna, Italy, dedicated to the art of frozen dessert making. Today, the award-winning chef has sev- eral titles to prove his dedication to the craft, including a gold medal at the 2018 Chicago Gelato Festival America. Dorval is especially proud of the bronze medal he took home at Florence’s 2018 Birri- ficio Angelo Poretti Beer Gelato Challenge, where he crafted a winning amber-ale-beer gelato that placed him among some of Italy’s most talented gelatieres. Although not a vegan himself, the chef quickly took an interest in creating plant- based gelato when his wife, Nanyi, later de- veloped a lactose sensitivity that required her to give up all things dairy. “It began with a mango gelato made with coconut milk. My wife loved it so much, she told me I should open my own shop,” says Dorval. “I’d always wanted to move to a warmer climate, so Florida made the most sense.” The couple relocated in 2022 and together opened V Gelato. Now, their three-month- old Wynwood gelateria is aimed at showing non-vegan customers that plant-based gelato can be just as good — if not better — than the dairy-based version. “At first, most people would turn away when they’d see the word ‘vegan.’ They wouldn’t even give us a chance to combat the stigma that plant-based is inherently bad or doesn’t taste as good,” explains Dorval. Today, thanks to his choice of top-notch equipment and a coconut- and oat milk-based recipe, V Gelato offers patrons a chance to taste Dorval’s take on non-dairy gelato that is spreadable, dense, and silky. “Texture is so important when it comes to gelato. The goal is to make the gelato as creamy as possible,” says Dorval. “And it should never have ice crystals that give that grainy consistency.” The most popular signature flavor is the chef’s take on dulce de leche, a coconut and sugar reduction he renders down in classic dulce de leche fashion, resulting in a rich, buttery caramel. More experimental flavors include a salted white truffle caramel gelato he made for Michelin-starred Hiden and a ja- lapeño and honey that changes from sweet to spicy and ends with a hint of honey. Recently, the chef has started experiment- ing with various spirits, offering adult-only, dairy-free gelatos. They include his “Ghost Coquila” — a coquito-flavored gelato spiked with Ghost tequila instead of rum, and a guava pink prosecco made with Zona pro- secco. “As a gelato chef who has built somewhat of a reputation making an award-winning beer gelato, I decided to continue the theme with our 21-and-older flavors,” sums up Dor- val. “Not being vegan myself, I work ex- tremely hard to make sure I’m using the right ingredients so people can trust we are 100 percent animal free, top quality, and without trigger allergens while offering them the same selection and quality you’d find with dairy-based desserts.” V Gelato. 317 NW 25th St., Miami; 786-452- 1080; instagram.com/vgelatomiami. Monday through Thursday noon to 10 p.m., and Friday through Sunday noon to 11 p.m. NICOLE DANNA ▼ FLORIDA TIPS FOR A SUCCESSFUL DRY JANUARY This weekend, Miamians will join the world in ringing in a new year. As we say goodbye to an old year, it’s tradi- tional to leave some bad habits behind and make resolutions for the new year. Resolu- tions can be as simple as walking more each day or switching to oat milk for your coffee, or they can be life-altering, like deciding to move to a new city or further your studies. A popular resolution is to observe “Dry January,” in which you resolve not to imbibe | TASTE TEST | ▼ Café Photo courtesy V Gelato V Gelato is making Miami’s best vegan gelato.
