Drink Draft Prosecco at Adams Morgan’s Boozy New Gelateria

Pitango Gelato + Café officially begins serving Adams Morgan this weekend. And while it’s the sixth location for the homegrown brand, this one boasts its most expanded offerings to date — including sparkling wine on tap, avocado toast, and later hours.

In addition to its famed gelato made with a rare and pricey machine, the new locale — with room for 40 inside, and 15 more on the patio — will push an Italian menu packed with charcuterie, sandwiches, avocado toast, salads, and pastries. Duke’s Grocery alum and Lucky Buns founder Alex McCoy consulted on the savory menu.

Pitango also wants to stimulate guests with alcoholic affogatos; think: prosecco, port, and Baileys paired with gelato, sorbet, and coffee. There’s also prosecco on tap and Italian-bred beer and wine. The bar/restaurant will stay open until midnight on weekend nights and 11 p.m. during the workweek.

Photo: Pitango Gelato

Java lovers can also throw back nitro cold brew on tap and cold brews.

Here are some other highlights of the new space:

• A hip gelato maker. It’ll also be a first gelateria in D.C. with a Cattabriga Effe 6 Vertical Gelato maker, an old-style vertical gelato machine flown in from Italy that’ll sit front and center so customers can watch the churning process in action. The vertical opening is functional, allowing more ingredients to join in on the action.
• Italian accents everywhere. There’s Domori Chocolate from Torino, Nocciole D’Elite hazelnuts are from Langhe, and pistachio nuts are sourced from Mount Etna.
• And hyper local ones, too. Sorbets are made with seasonal fruit and sourced daily, and milk comes from its own dairy on Spring Wood Organic Farm in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Hand-rolled croissants, breads, and pastries are baked daily in Pitango’s bakery in Baltimore, Maryland.

Photo: Pitango Gelato

Status: Certified open. 1841 Columbia Road NW; website.