Nice Ice, Baby

From the day Cristiana and Ugo Ginatta opened Paciugo Gelato in 2000, customers asked for an “Italian ice cream” called spumoni. Trouble was, the Ginattas, both natives of Italy, hadn’t heard of spumoni. Rumored to have originated in Naples, this rich, layered, almond-scented ice cream blossomed in the ’50s on the streets of Brooklyn and in little Italian restaurants where it was served by the slice. The most common recipe combines chocolate, cherry, and pistachio ice creams; others use vanilla and strawberry, and some fold in cherries and nuts. Pints from Stucchi’s, a superb ice creamery in Michigan, have become a bestseller at Central Market. Spumoni is also a hot lick at Henry’s in Plano. And now, at last, it’s at Paciugo, too. Paciugo: 5509 W. Lovers Ln. 214-956-7979. Multiple locations. Henry’s: 2909 W. 15th St., Plano. 972-612-9949. Central Market: 5750 E. Lovers Ln. 214-234-7000. Multiple locations. —TERESA GUBBINS