Lamonte Gelato Brings a Taste Of Italy to Pensacola

by Darien Hardy

Welcome to lamonte Gelato, the newest Italian gelateria in the East Hill neighborhood of Pensacola, located at 1010 North 12th Ave., Suite 133, inside the historic Sacred Heart Hospital building. Following the closure of their popular pop-up fine dining experience, TROUBADOUR, husband-and-wife team, Alex and Ashley Lamonte, promised to introduce a new concept following their October wedding.

Delivering on that promise, the couple recently opened this small-batch gelato and coffee shop to bring a little piece of Italy to Pensacola. They were inspired to bring fresh, handmade gelato for Pensacola locals to enjoy.

“I worked in a bunch of fine dining restaurants, and got exposed to Italian food and culture,” Alex said. In his undergraduate studies, Alex studied abroad in Italy, where his eyes were opened to the culinary world. “Gelato is a huge part of the community there. When you’re walking down the street, there’s five gelaterias everywhere you go, and I thought it was so cool how it could enhance a neighborhood, especially a close-knit community. Then, when Ashley and I got married, we went to Italy on our honeymoon, and it was such an inspiration.”

The Lamontes are proud to make their gelato in-house daily from scratch using high-quality ingredients and machines that are found in Europe. Guests are invited to enjoy their gelato piled on one of their house made waffle cones. Lamonte Gelato also serves locally roasted coffee, loose-leaf tea and even a pint to take home to the family.

“We are definitely super inspired by the lifestyle of Italy—the culture and the community,” Ashley, Alex’s wife and co-owner of Lamonte Gelato, said. “I think there is something so special about sharing your love through food. Sharing gelato is so much like ‘I love you. Eat sweet things. It’s so good.’ But in general, I want to make you happy with good food, and that’s kind of what we want to share with everything we do.”

The owners hope to curate an experience that is special to Pensacola, while promoting local artisans within the shop. They hope to develop a courtyard experience where visitors can come to spend the day enjoying themselves, walking around, and finishing with a gelato and a coffee. Lamonte Gelato’s coffee is roasted locally by Alla Prima Roastery. The gelateria’s house blend coffee cannot be found anywhere else. Their syrups are also made in-house with the highest quality ingredients.

For those who would like to try another signature treat, Lamonte Gelato serves Belgian waffles and chocolate truffles, both of which pair nicely with the gelato. Through the simplicity of the concept, Lamonte Gelato customers enjoy high-quality treats.

“We put our names on everything down to the wafers that top the gelato so that we can make sure that everything is always up to par. It keeps us involved, keeps us on our toes and keeps us making sure that everything’s always on point,” the Lamontes explained.

Ashley’s top flavor recommendation for Lamonte Gelato visitors would be the gianduja, which is a chocolate and hazelnut combination that is like if ferrero rocher and nutella had a baby. She pairs it with a lighter gelato such as the pistachio or caramello flavors. This combination is inspired by Northern Italian cuisine. Similarly, Alex’s favorite flavor is a combination of Lamonte Gelato’s high-quality Belgian chocolate and the aforementioned pistachio gelato, which is made with a rich pistachio butter folded into the base to create the soft, buttery, nutty and sweet flavor.

The Lamontes are driven by the idea of creating an exceptional product that is both healthier and fresher than the alternative. They believe in chef-crafted recipes that taste good and, in turn, make their customers feel good. Lamonte Gelato caters to a variety of dietary restrictions, with a quarter of the flavors being vegan and dairy-free, and nearly all flavors made gluten-free. While not vegan, Lamonte Gelato makes all the waffle cones in regular and gluten-free options. They are currently experimenting with different sugar substitutes to curate a sugar-free flavor.

The Lamontes want their shop to be the destination for the best quality gelato in Pensacola. The historic Sacred Heart Hospital building is the shop’s backdrop for date night, a get together with friends or even a calm place to study with a cup of joe.

“We wanted [Lamonte Gelato] to be a blend of Italy meets local culture,” Ashley said. “So, very much like Pensacola, but Italian-inspired Pensacola. When we saw this space, it really reminded us of the beautiful historic old architecture that we saw in Italy. There’s really not that much of that in Pensacola, so we wanted to take that idea and translate it into the space and make it feel like you’re kind of in Italy, but still in Pensacola.”

Lamonte Gelato is located inside of the historical Sacred Heart Hospital building, and elevator access is located on the Gonzales side next to Ozone Pizza Pub. To access the shop, take the elevator down to the first floor and follow the signs through the following hallway. Guests may also enter the shop from the DeSoto side of the building, where they will find the main entrance beyond a lively courtyard.

For hours of operation and shop details, visit lamontegelato.com, or check out the shop’s Facebook (@Lamonte Gelato) and Instagram (@lamonte_gelato) pages.