Angelo Brocato reminds me of my childhood growing up Sicilian in a tight knit community in New Orleans in the 60s. It was a simpler time where Sicilian immigrant-owned businesses relied greatly on neighborhood patron support.
I recall as a child, every Saturday morning, my grandmother and I would start our day by driving from the Westbank of New Orleans to the Eastbank to buy groceries and specialty Italian food items in support of local, family-owned Italian businesses. There was always a specific destination for each item. Over time, my Saturdays with my grandmother evolved into an all-day, memorable, and adventurous shopping journey throughout the city.
With immense pride, my grandmother would always mention that it was our responsibility to help support these local businesses in an effort to preserve our Sicilian traditions.
Upon arriving in the French Quarter, I could always hear street musicians playing jazz in the background. My grandmother and I would walk hand-in-hand, navigating the uneven streets on what felt like an exciting tour, until we finally arrived at our cherished favorite spot, Angelo Brocato’s Ice Cream Parlor.
Even though all the shops we visited offered genuine experiences, as a young girl I especially loved visiting Angelo Brocato’s. At the time, the shop was in its original location in the New Orleans French Quarter. As soon as the door opened, there was the sweet aroma of freshly made cannoli. We would often see other Sicilian families that we knew already standing in line to place their order. It typically became a social gathering with lots of chatter, adding to my feelings of excitement.
A significant part of our Sicilian culture was seeped into this iconic charming ice cream parlor. For Sicilian families, Sunday dinners were not complete without a huge dessert tray of Angelo Brocato sweets, especially the cherished cannoli, which we bought by the dozens.
Angelo was a native of Cefalu. He started making gelato in Palermo, Sicily. Angelo immigrated to New Orleans in 1905. The shop that we would regularly visit was his first storefront location on Ursulines Street. Arthur Brocato, the grandson of Angelo Brocato, Sr., is the current owner and operator of the iconic Sicilian establishment.
The Brocato family’s Sicilian authentic family recipes are now timeless traditional favorites handed down from generation to generation. After almost 80 years in the French Quarter, Brocato’s moved the ice-cream parlor to Mid-City New Orleans. The new location still brings back the same memories of the nostalgic times of the cannoli creation that can only be found at Brocato’s.
The neighborhood's brightly lit neon sign “A. Brocato Spumone and Cassata Ice Cream” brings a feeling of nostalgia and can be seen from a distance. Even to this day, I still feel the same uncontained excitement I felt as a young girl. There is always the anticipation of an endless array of treasured Sicilian sweet treats and the familiar dilemma of finding my perfect creamy, delicious gelato match.
Brocato's is famous for their Italian variety of pastries, biscotti, gelatos, and beverages, but my favorite is their traditional cannoli. Typically, the cannoli have a delicious creamy chocolate filling on one end and vanilla on the other. Each side is dipped in pistachio nuts and topped with powdered sugar. The cannoli are made from scratch. Even the shells are homemade!
In 2023, Angelo Brocato’s was named as a semi-finalist for a James Beard award in the outstanding bakery category.
In addition, our very own Andrew Cotto, author and co-founder of Appetito magazine, recently received the Giambelli Culinary Award from the Italian Language Foundation along with recipient Angelo Brocato Gelateria and Pasticceria of New Orleans. Congrats to both!
Enjoy this video tribute to the past and present of Angelo Bracato's produced by Jarek Pawlak:
