‘225 Dine’: The sweet life

For the past three years, Latte e Miele has wooed Baton Rougeans with its uniquely flavored, impeccably textured Italian gelato—no small feat in a region built on unrestrained goodies like pralines and bread pudding. Co-owner Luca DiMartino makes his base from scratch, a rarity among American gelaterias, and he is intent on pursuing as many regional ingredients as possible. The number of flavors has tripled since Latte e Miele opened on Highland Road, in part because gelato converts keep filing in to see what’s new and seasonal. The gelato shop is now poised to expand to a new location in Bocage, on Jefferson Highway, with additional food and drink offerings this summer. DiMartino says his intention is to make people of all ages and stripes feel comfortable at Latte e Miele. “I hate to say ‘Third Place,’ because it’s so overused,” he says about the label placed on coffeehouses and community gathering places. “But that’s exactly what we’ve tried to do—to create a place that is inviting to everyone. Kids and families, couples, singles. Whoever you are, there’s a place for you here.” The new location is on schedule to open sometime this month. —Maggie Heyn Richardson Access the rest of this story, see a video of DiMartino talking about how Latte e Miele keeps coming up new flavors and check out this week’s complete 225 Dine e-newsletter here.