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New Gelato and Dessert Shop to Open in Red Hook

 Dolce Brooklyn, a new gelato and sorbet shop, is opening in Red Hook next month, its owners say.
Dolce Brooklyn, a new gelato and sorbet shop, is opening in Red Hook next month, its owners say.
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Kristina Frantz

RED HOOK — The sweet taste of Italy is coming to Red Hook.

Dolce Brooklyn, a new eatery serving gelato and sorbet, is opening soon in the former space of Brooklyn Slate at 305 Van Brunt St. Owners plan to open the shop by July 4.

Kristina Frantz and her husband Pierre Alexandre have been planning to open a business in the neighborhood since they moved there in 2012, Frantz said.

Frantz, who quit her job in the marketing industry, decided on a gelateria after visiting Italy a few years ago with her daughter, who is now 16.

After studying under an Italian chef in the United States, she went back to Italy this year and spent time learning the art of making gelato in Bologna, she said.

Dolce Brooklyn will be serving 12 flavors, including standard and rotating flavors of gelato and sorbet. The desserts, including sauces, will be made in-house by Frantz, she said.

Some of the flavors include "fior di latte," chocolate, hazelnut, strawberry cheesecake, ricotta honey, salted caramel, seasonal fruit flavors as well as vegan options made with coconut and almond milk.

Frantz also plans to eventually introduce savory flavors to the menu, such as avocado and parmesan.

"Gorgonzola is fabulous," she said.

The first savory flavor they will likely serve is olive oil, which Frantz describes as the most "mentally digestible."

And while she too was skeptical of the savory flavors her Italian instructor was making — "I kind of looked at him like he had two heads" — she's since come around and believes Red Hook will, too. 

"We made gelato out of salmon and avocado and it was delicious," she added.

READ ALSO: Ample Hills To Open Red Hook Ice Cream Factory

Frantz and Alexandre, who have two children, 16 and 6, had initially planned to open a shop in the storefront space of their home in Red Hook, which they bought in June 2012.

But a few months later, Hurricane Sandy left them with four-and-a-half feet of flood water, forcing them to redirect the money they had saved for the business. They ultimately decided to open the eatery in the Van Brunt Street space instead.

Dolce Brooklyn can seat about 15 people. Along with gelato and sorbet, they will serve espresso drinks, "affogato" — a coffee-based dessert — and "semifreddo" cakes.

In the fall, they also plan to add panini to the menu.