When it comes to ice creams, there aren’t any stops. Right from children to world leaders (George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, George Bush) to philanthropist-billionaires (Bill Gates), film stars (Jackie Chan, Eddie Murphy), there isn’t a single person who dislikes this delightful dairy confection…
Some even go over the top with it—Hollywood star Marlon Brando was seen buying five gallons at a time, while others like noted children’s writer Roald Dahl have been creatively inspired as in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, the lovable story where Dahl fantasised about an ice cream that never melts.
Today, ice creams are available in almost every conceivable taste, colour, flavour and texture. And if you’re thinking in superlatives, then European is what you should go with. There are no two ways about it—Italian and French ice creams are the best in the world. In France, Nice’s old town has Place Rossetti, where the Fenocchio Ice Cream Parlour opened in 1966. In the words of Francis Fenocchio, its proud owner, “In the pure tradition of the ice cream maker’s craft, we produce top-quality ice-creams and sorbets from the finest, carefully selected raw materials.”
The reason for this is the modern manufacturing methods employed by Fenocchio. The ice cream comes from a state-of-the-art laboratory that meets current hygiene and safety standards. And it’s a family enterprise all the way. Since the day of its inception, it has always been run by the Fenocchio family. Today, Francis and his wife Giselda are at the helm of this hugely successful business. A second outlet has opened in 1988, also in Nice’s old town, near Cours Saleya, at Rue de la Poissonnerie.
It’s really no surprise why this long-established ice cream parlour is so popular. Both are situated at choice locations, but what brings in the crowds is the huge range of home-made ice creams: there are 70 different flavours you can choose from. Old favourites like Café Liegeois and Peach Melba sit alongside more unusual flavours like Comte de Nice, or Mandarin ice cream with whipped cream, pine nuts and candied mandarins (oranges); or Negus, or six different chocolate flavours.
