Texans will always have a great sense of pride in where we live, often spurring friendly competition and teasing, but food seems to be bringing Austinites and Houstonians closer than ever.

Marcelo Kreindel, who owns Trentino Gelato, made a name for himself in the Houston food scene by making the kind of gelato he used to eat as a kid in Argentina and selling it to local restaurants and grocery stores. After the success of a chef series line featuring flavors created by Houston chefs such as Monica Pope, Kreindel decided to do a similar line in the Austin market; it launches next week. He asked eight local notables including Bill Norris of the Alamo Drafthouse, Parkside’s Shawn Cirkiel, James Holmes of Olivia and Iliana de la Vega of El Naranjo to come up with gelato flavors that he would then make and sell in pints. Starting next week, you’ll find the gelatos — which come in flavors such as honey jalapeño, apple bleu cheese and coconut basil — at both Austin locations of Central Market.

Trentino Gelato Chef Series Austin

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How sweet it is: Marcelo Kreindel makes the move from software manager to gelato master

Houston Culture Map

Trentino Gelato – Profiles of innovation
BY CLIFFORD PUGH
08.22.11 | 07:30 pm
Ten years ago, Marcelo Kreindel moved from his native Argentina to Houston to manage a software company. But he always had a yen to start his own business. So four years later, he created Trentino Gelato, a Houston-based company that makes handcrafted gelato like the kind he used to have regularly at home, with the best local ingredients “and a lot of passion,” he says.

He now supplies gelato to restaurants, coffee shops, hotels, catering companies, supermarkets and farmers markets and has a lot of fun doing it. “Gelato is for me something that makes people happy. If you want to eat gelato, it’s because you want to have a good time,” he says.

In the continuing series, Profiles of Innovation, Kreindel tells videographers John Carrithers and Douglas Newman how he returned to Argentina to learn the craft of gelato-making, how he put in practice in Houston and his plans for the future. “Our idea is to keep growing — slowly,” Kreindel says.

Italian Spumoni by Chef Nash D'Amico.: Melissa Phillip

Written by Greg Morago, 29-95 Monday, August 22 2011

Marcelo Kreindel, owner of Trentino Gelato, has worked with many passionate Houston chefs by creating gelato and sorbet to their specifications for their restaurants. His 5-year-old business — known for making the richest, silkiest, freshest frozen treats — is a favorite among local chefs looking for local gelato made with top notch ingredients.

Now Kreindel is returning that affection by giving a delicious shout-out to some of his favorite chefs. Trentino Chef Series Gelato offers pints of chef-inspired flavors bearing the likeness of Houston’s best cooking talents. The new line of gelato includes flavors inspired by Monica Pope (t’afia), Robert Del Grande (RDG + Bar Annie, Ava Brasserie, Pizzeria Alto), Anita Jaisinghani (Indika, Pondicheri), Ryan Pera (Revival Market), Nash D’Amico (D’Amico’s Italian Market Café) and Jonathan Jones (Beaver’s, El Xuco Xicana), all of whom have lent their names to Trentino’s new venture.

This week pints of gelato labeled with drawings of the chefs (each chef approved of his or her flavor and helped develop the flavor profile) will be available at Central Market to be followed next week by Whole Foods. Revival Market in the Heights will begin carrying it as soon as it gets inventory.

“He’s always done a great job, so when he approached me on it, it was a no-brainer,” said Pera, whose flavor is Sorghum Sea Salt — a vanilla gelato swirled with a ribbon of bold sorghum syrup from Yoakum and grains of sea salt from Galveston Island. The flavor perfectly captures Revival’s mission of showcasing local ingredients, purveyors and food artisans, Pera said.

Pope, who Kreindel says was among his first big supporters, echoed Pera’s sentiments, saying she agreed to do the project to help someone with a good reputation among local chefs. “He supports us and we support him; it’s simple,” she said. “It doesn’t just promote local chefs, it’s about local ingredients and local concepts. And it’s fun. It’s fun to see my ice cream in the store. It’s not an ego thing, it’s more like me getting behind him.”
Pope, whose flavor is mascarpone gelato with seasonal berries, will be sample scooping with Kreindel on Aug. 27 from 2 to 4 p.m. at Whole Foods Montrose. The pints have a suggested retail price between $7.50 and $7.99.

Kreindel said he’s had the idea for local chef-inspired flavors since he opened his small gelato operation in 2006. “But we weren’t ready. Now we think it’s the moment to make it happen,” said the 36-year-old Argentinean who gave up a career in software management information systems to launch his gelato company. He began small-batch scooping at Pope’s farmers market in Midtown and then attracting chef clients and staking out retail sales at Spec’s, Whole Foods, Central Market, Phoenicia Deli and Rice Epicurean.

If the current chef flavors become popular with customers, Kreindel said he may launch a second round of flavors with the existing chefs and/or add other Houston chefs to the collection. He also hopes that other Texas cities might be interested in a chef series of gelato; and perhaps other big cities in the country. Kreindel said he’d be happy to make them.

Phil Myers, Central Market general manager, is impressed by the range of flavors and the stark, black-and-white packaging (drawings were done by Emily Grenader). “It’s absolutely unique, especially with the chef’s portraits,” he said. “They’re all different and as unique as each chef is.”

At the moment there’s no compensation for the participating chefs, Kreindel said. “Without their help it would be impossible for me to do it,” he added.

But Pope said it’s not about making a profit. “That’s not a concern for any of us,” she said. “When he came to me with this it was, ‘whatever you need.’ ”

That camaraderie is what makes the local food scene special, Kreindel said. And it’s why he created the series with some of his favorite clients and friends.

Plus, Kreindel added, gelato is special — so special he added his own flavor to the Chef’s Series: almond fig.
“It’s not something you have to have to live, but it’s something that will make you happy,” he said. “I like that.”

TRENTINO GELATO CHEFS
Monica Pope — Mascarpone with Berries: Rich mascarpone studded with raspberries, blackberries, strawberries and blueberries.
Robert Del Grande — Sundae Sermon No. 1: Chocolate and coffee with smoked almonds.
Jonathan Jones — Peanut Butter Chipotle: Nutty peanut butter with a smoky chile kick.
Anita Jaisinghani — Saffron Spice: Saffron base with the perfumed flavors of cardamom, fennel seeds and rose water.
Nash D’Amico — Italian Spumoni: a combination of chocolate, house-cured cherry and Sicilian pistachio.
Ryan Pera — Sorghum Sea Salt: Salty, sweet and crunchy with a ribbon of local sorghum syrup.
Marcelo Kreindel — Almond Fig: Lush fig and ground roasted almonds.

Trentino Chef Series Gelato Now Available at Central Market Houston

Houston citizens are among the luckiest in the world, because they share a town with Trentino Gelato, makers of award-winning, premium, artisan gelato. Gelato master Marcelo Kreindel works with chefs to create fantastically unique flavor profiles—all made with fresh ingredients found at the farmers market and purchased from local purveyors.

Trentino has upped its own ante by launching the Chef Series—pints made with Houston’s best chefs, including Monica Pope (T’afia), Robert Del Grande (RDG + Bar Annie), Ryan Pera (Revival Market), Jonathan Jones (Beaver’s), Nash D’Amico (D’Amico’s) and Anita Jaisinghani (Indika and Pondicheri). The packaging feels as special and handcrafted as the gelato inside, thanks to the black-and-white rendering of each chef, as well as an explanation of the inspiration behind each flavor. The gelato is made with organic and local ingredients, per the chef’s directions. Kreindel also contributed to the series, with almond fig, which he calls a heavenly blend of roasted almond with a special fig spread.

Perhaps most exciting, Central Market is the first to market with these gelatos, which are available at the Houston store only starting August 18. To tease your taste buds, here’s a preview of some of the flavors:

Mascarpone With Berries, by Chef Monica Pope
After falling in love with pure white gelato on a recent trip to Italy, Monica created this gelato spotted with seasonal berries using mascarpone from Sicily.

Peanut Butter Chipotle by Chef Jonathan “JJ” Jones
Smokey, sweet, nutty, creamy, cold and spicy—this kick-ass flavor combination was inspired by JJ’s early experience with peanut-driven mole. Una fiesta en la boca!

Italian Spumoni by Chef Nash D’Amico
Houston’s only authentic Italian spumoni combines three flavors in one pint—made-from-scratch chocolate, house-cured cherry and Sicilian pistachio.

Sorghum Sea Salt by Chef Ryan Pera
Jurassic sea salt found on Galveston Island is the original flavor and inspiration for this gelato. Salty, sweet and crunchy—the boldest creation in any frozen food section!

View the blog here

Shortly after sampling St. Arnold Spring Bock, I found out about Trentino Gelato’s sorbet version. Don’t ask me how it took me until now to realize that Houston’s best gelato maker was using some of Houston’s best beer. I don’t know, either. The point is, I got some as soon as I knew I could.

I must have looked semi-mad checking out at the downtown Spec’s, what with my full cart of gelato. I figured that, while picking up the Spring Bock Sorbet, I might as well pick up an extra pint or two. Or ten. There were a lot of flavors, man. I couldn’t choose. Regardless, the Spring Bock was my primary target.

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. I’ve had beer ice creams before, with mixed results. I can tell you from experience that Shiner Bock makes terrific ice cream, while Guinness just doesn’t work. You can’t even really tell what the finished product is going to taste like, based on the flavor of the beer itself, as the process transforms the flavors significantly. Would Spring Bock Sorbet taste toasty and citrusy like the beer, or would it be something completely different?

As it turned out, it’s somewhere in the middle. The sorbet has a pleasant malty sweetness, but the toasty flavors of the beer come out tasting like coffee in this frozen form. The citrusy hops notes give way to a more floral palate, and the nutty and browned-butter flavors live on.

It didn’t immediately remind me of the beer, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. The added sugar and textural elements bring out a different side of the beer. It tastes deeper and bolder, but also manages to find some lighter notes not readily apparent in the beer, itself.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t sure I liked it. Compared to the beer, it came across as a bit unbalanced. As I tasted it, it jumped somewhat wildly between earthy and floral flavors. It was actually kind of disconcerting. One second, I was tasting caramel-tinged espresso, and the next taste filled my mouth with potpourri. Then again, those contrasts are kind of interesting. In the name of thoroughness, I decided to finish the pint…

Houston Press Article Here

Like it or not, it’s warm again outside. (At least for now.) Drinking that toasty pint of Saint Arnold Oktoberfest just isn’t the same when it’s approaching 80 degrees and 95 percent humidity. But what if some genius soul turned that beer into a frozen dessert? Artisanal gelato master Marcelo Kreindel is that genius. The man behind Houston’s own Trentino Gelato — the place that supplies gelato and sorbets to many of Houston’s best coffee shops and restaurants — routinely collaborates with the folks at Saint Arnold to create sorbets from the Bayou City brewer.

A sign of quality...even in gelato!

This fall, you should see pints of Trentino’s latest creation on Spec’s freezer shelves: Saint Arnold Oktoberfest sorbet made with the beer itself. Inside the simple, white cardboard container with only a small Oktoberfest label to identify it, the sorbet is a very light amber color and thicker than you’d expect. I could certainly taste the Oktoberfest brew in the scoop I made for myself: caramel, sweet malt and warm spices. But there was also a slight and unexpected lemony flavor as well. I’ve had Oktoberfest several dozen times and it never tasted lemony before. Was my palate deceiving me? Was I having a weird stroke, like how people smell eggs right before they have an epileptic seizure? Turning the top of the carton over to read the [blissfully sparse] list of ingredients, I saw it: lemon juice. Refreshed in the knowledge that I wasn’t losing my mind, I polished off my scoop with satisfaction. Satisfaction for a still-functioning palate and satisfaction for a sweet and fitting means of enjoying a spicy fall brew in muggy, non-fall weather.

Houston Press Article Here

For every Houston restaurant still using Sysco biscuits, there’s a local vendor who’s gnashing his teeth, ready to jump in if given the chance. Yes, the “little guy” local trade has grown steadily and profitably over the past few years as more and more chefs and patrons want to know both the source of the foods they purchase — and the makers, themselves.

Thanks to conscious cultivation by Houston’s amiable food community, we now have outstanding outside vendors at many of the best restaurants and markets in town. Here are a few of our favorite local vendors.

Trentino Gelato

WHAT: Marcelo Kreindel, owner extraordinaire of Trentino Gelato, came to Houston from Argentina nine years ago and immediately noticed a dearth in his favorite dessert. So he did what any entrepreneurial soul would do: created a plan to freeze the problem. Kreindel, who started Trentino four years ago, rooted his business in the local food scene from the beginning. Chef Monica Pope was the first Houston chef to offer a hand, helping Kreindel source local ingredients, giving him space at the Midtown Farmer’s Market, and connecting him to various chefs around town. From the beginning, his mission has been to create the best handcrafted, locally-made gelato Houston has ever had — and he’s doing so on a daily basis. Perhaps that’s because Kreindel features a little something for everyone — all the basic flavors, plus interesting ventures like strawberry lavender, Nutella, chile chocolate, and wild Texas honey.

WHERE: You’ll find Trentino Gelato by the scoops at Crickets Creamery, Coffee Groundz, the Saturday Urban Harvest market and the Sunday Discovery Green market. Or order if off the menus at t’afia, REEF, Pappasitos, Yia Yia Mary’s, Pronto Cuccinino, Grotto and Arturo’s.

Houston Press Article Here

Marcelo Kreindel’s greatest wish after moving to America from Argentina eight years ago was that he would once again be able to enjoy a gelato like he used to love at home. And four years ago, he decided to make that dream come true. Kreindel founded Trentino Gelato, which has steadily become the most sought-after supplier of gelato and sorbet in Houston. His dazzling selection — aside from the standard dulce de leche, he also creates flavors like fig with walnuts, wild Texas honey, caramel popcorn and guanabana — and use of local and seasonal ingredients make his gelato the best indulgence in town (and it’s healthier than ice cream, to boot). Although without a traditional store for now, Trentino Gelato can be found at local farmers’ markets, shops like Coffee Groundz and Cricket’s Creamery and stores like the Midtown Spec’s, as well as high-end restaurants like Glass Wall, Reef, The Grove and t’afia.

Houston Press Article Here