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Smorgasbord

Around the Lake

    Once upon a time, Ashley Young imported charm bracelets from Italy and sold them in the Bay Area. During her visits to Italy, she fell in love. Conveniently, it was with gelato. When she thought of launching a business closer to home, she decided to follow her passion, enrolled for lessons with an Italian gelato company that runs how-to courses in the United States, and went to Texas to learn.
    By chance, Young went with a friend to a neighborhood meeting near Lakeshore Avenue, held to protest the proposed opening of a McDonald’s. She heard mention of the bakery cooperative Arizmendi and all the great things happening near the lake. When she saw a storefront for rent near the Grand Lake Theater, she grabbed it. After a year and nine months spent dealing with red tape, she opened Gelato Firenze in August—four years after deciding to follow her passion and make gelato part of her life. Her trademark, she says, is fresh ingredients She has a range of Italian sodas and makes a “gelato juicer”—a smoothie with frozen fruit and sorbetto ($5.95). Her gelatos range from $3.25 for two flavors to $8.95 for a pint.
    Gelato Firenze, 478 Lake Park Ave., noon–10 p.m. Sun.–Thu., 10 a.m.–10 p.m. Fri. and 10 a.m.–11 p.m. Sat.


    An upscale lounge atmosphere, boutique California wines and pan-Asian fusion tapas—that’s what Chris Williams, co-owner of Vine, a new wine and tapas lounge on Lakeshore Avenue, told us to expect when we spoke with him before he opened. He promised two wine-tasting machines that dispense standardized pours, live music, brunches on Saturdays and Sundays and lots of stainless steel and granite in the interior—plus a bar area, leather couches and a real comfortable vibe.
    Vine, 3343 Lakeshore Ave., open from 4 p.m. Tue.–Sun. and for brunch Sat.-Sun.; (510) 444-8463, www.vinewinebar.net.