The inside scoop: Davie’s Argentinian gelato shop

By Francesca Abarca •

PHOTO BY ROSE JEAN-PIERRE
Più employee talks about the different flavors of gelato in the restaurant while customers decide which one they want.

Davie-resident Jackelynn Leones and her family moved from Argentina to South Florida two months ago. They have been looking for restaurants that offer Argentinian food to help them feel closer to home.

Più Argentinian Ice Cream was the first restaurant they found where the owner and all the employees are Argentinian and make gelato the way it is made at home.

“When someone moves out of a country, the first thing they miss is the food because that’s what they grew up with, and [at Più] as soon as I heard their accents, I knew we had found the place that could be our connection to home,” Leones said in Spanish.

On April 13, Più Argentinian Ice Cream opened its doors in the University Pointe apartment complex.

The owner, Ramiro Alvarez, got into the food business because of his love for sweets, especially ice cream. He noticed that there was a lack of dessert places in Davie and the University Pointe Complex.

“Argentinians love ice cream. We’ll eat it in rain, shine or even snow, and when I moved down to Davie, I realized there were not many options for ice cream that was not basic like Häagen-Dazs. I saw this as an opportunity to practice my English and share my love for ice cream with the community,” Alvarez said in Spanish.

With ingredients imported from Argentina, Più Argentinian Ice Cream offers flavors that bring the Argentinian culture to Davie, including dulce de leche, lemon and blackberry.

Customers like the Leones family praise the restaurant for its authentic taste, fresh ingredients and kind employees.

“This gelato tastes just like the fruits that we have at home. It’s fresh and delicious,” Jose Leones, Jackelynn Leones’ husband, said.

The restaurant decor establishes a peaceful, joyful energy that resembles a modern café. The colors of the restaurant leave customers wanting more, which ties into the name. Più means “more” in Italian.

“We believe that this word means more growth and motivation to serve the best quality service possible,” Alvarez said.

The restaurant prides itself on its authentic ingredients and kind service.

“When we walk in here, you can smell the fresh fruits that are being used to make the gelato,” Leones said. “I will continue to come here and support my fellow Argentinians.”