Brodeto’s Soft-Serve Gelato Pairs Nostalgia and Italian Flavor
By Kyle Marie McMahon
When you walk into Brodeto—Scott Crawford’s Adriatic seafood-focused restaurant in Raleigh’s Iron Works—you might expect a wine list to remember or a delicate crudo to start your meal. But what you might not expect is the nostalgic joy of a towering swirl of pistachio soft serve, topped with Sicilian olive oil and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt.
And yet, for many guests, the gelato at Brodeto is the surprise standout of the meal. “We wanted to bring a little playfulness to the end of the dining experience,” says Conor Delaney, culinary director at Crawford Hospitality. “There’s something nostalgic about soft serve—but we wanted to do it with traditional Italian flavor profiles, using incredible ingredients and technique.”
Despite the name, the dessert isn’t technically gelato—it’s a soft-serve style version that sits below gelato and ice cream on the fat-content scale. Traditional American ice cream contains 10% or more of fat; gelato falls within the 5–8% range. Brodeto’s soft serve hovers around 3–5%, creating a cleaner flavor profile.
“Fat gets in the way of flavor,” Delaney explains. “With this style, the flavors pop.” The texture is rich but not heavy—and the lower fat content allows them to serve it straight from the machine without masking the ingredients. “Time is an ingredient,” Delaney says. “And freshness is everything.”
To maximize the ingredient of time to its fullest potential, Delaney and Crawford chose a Carpigiani premium Italian ice cream machine that features three hoppers—typically filled with vanilla, a rotating seasonal flavor and a twist of the two—and allows for 18 quarts of each to be prepared at a time. The mix is kept cold and in liquid form, which means the gelato is as fresh as possible when it hits your cup.
The decision to invest in such a specialized piece of equipment is part of Crawford Hospitality’s overall philosophy: no expense spared when it comes to creating food that resonates.
“If one dish can hit home for someone, it’s worth the investment,” says Delaney. “That’s something Scott [Crawford] really believes in.” For them, expenses matter less than flavor and texture.
The gelato program was Delaney’s idea initially, but it came to life through a collaborative atmosphere that defines Crawford Hospitality. “If the dishwasher has a great idea, we’ll listen,” he says. “It’s about getting the best out of everyone. And that is done through collaboration.”
Getting the formulation just right took months of testing. Delaney developed a custom base recipe to work with the machine and match the vision for the program.
“Too much fat and it doesn’t work in the machine. Too little and you lose texture.” This recipe is essential when changing seasonal offerings, as it allows them to start with a standard base and then tinker with the flavorings, using different sugars or ratios depending on the added ingredients.
The result is a soft-serve program that’s unlike anything else in the Triangle—and arguably beyond. While many restaurants outsource their ice cream or use powdered mixes, Brodeto makes everything from scratch, bringing in Sicilian pistachios and Videri chocolate and crafting fruit-based seasonal sorbets in-house. “People come back again and again just to try the new flavors,” Delaney says. “It’s a great way to keep things fresh and seasonal—even in dessert.”
Delaney’s personal favorite? Gianduja—a chocolate-hazelnut blend like Nutella, topped with Videri chocolate and hazelnut butter. It’s comforting but still has complexity. “One day I’d love to try a black sesame flavor, but we try to keep things through an Italian lens. We do try to push the envelope while still honoring tradition.”
Another past favorite is pumpkin with an oat crumble from the fall. Vanilla with Sicilian olive oil and sea salt is always on one handle. And a rich affogato made with espresso from Raleigh’s own Black & White Coffee Roasters is available with any of the pairings.
This year, Delaney was accommodating enough to choose a return to pistachio in July so our readers knew what to expect, but August will feature another fruit sorbet (flavor not yet known). Typically, summer flavors are fruit-based and dependent on freshness and availability. Last summer, July featured a ripe peach sorbet, while August brought a fresh melon flavor—both paired with thoughtful toppings.
Brodeto’s gelato is more than an afterthought—it’s an experience in itself. It’s playful, nostalgic, and just indulgent enough to feel like a treat, especially when the heat kicks up.
