Photography by Jennifer Zyman.
There is beauty blooming at a kiosk in Lenox Square. Yes, a kiosk in a mall across from a Victoria’s Secret. Amorino was started in Paris by two Italian friends, Cristiano Sereni and Paolo Benassi, and serves macarons, pastries, hot drinks, milkshakes, granitas, waffles, crepes, and of course, natural gelato. They even have comfy bar and table seating so you can stop and eat the roses.
You can choose from several different flavor combinations served up in cups or cones (but be sure to order the cone if you want the rose shape). After placing your order, watch as the ice cream artists craft a rose by layering flat, wide petals of gelato. When you order the “classic” size (pictured above in various fruit flavors), it comes with a tiny cone placed like a jaunty hat and a little spoon. You can even get a macaron stuffed in the center of the flower for a couple of dollars extra.
If you hate making game-time decisions or just have a few minutes to kill, you can craft your own ice cream rose on Amorino’s website. It will even show you the calories of your creation, but who really wants to see calories when gelato roses are on the table?
