Butterfat brings small-batch gelato and science to Pittsburgh’s North Side
When customers walk into Butterfat Gelato from East Ohio Street, they can see gelato being made. At the counter, owner Lauren Brock scoops eight flavors of gelato and sorbetto — its dairy-free counterpart — while, behind her, the shop’s “fishbowl kitchen” offers a full view of production across three Italian-made
When customers walk intoButterfat Gelatofrom East Ohio Street, they can see gelato being made. At the counter, owner Lauren Brock scoops eight flavors of gelato and sorbetto — its dairy-free counterpart — while, behind her, the shop’s “fishbowl kitchen” offers a full view of production across three Italian-made machines. “My goal is that while people are in here getting their scoops, they can come around and watch,” Brock said. She imagines adding a science mural and offering tours explaining how gelato differs from American ice cream: less air is churned into it, creating a richer texture. Despite the shop’s name, gelato contains less milkfat — or butterfat — than traditional ice cream. Specializing in seasonal, small-batch gelato, Butterfat rotates flavors, which currently include chocolate, salted caramel, Butterfinger and vanilla bean, along with cherry and lemon sorbetto ($4 per scoop). The shop on Pittsburgh’s North Side celebrated its soft opening July 10, with a grand opening planned for Thursday. Before she was perfecting milk, cream and sugar ratios, Brock worked as a scientist and pharmacist at Allegheny Health Network. After studying biochemistry and molecular biology, she landed what she calls her “first big girl job” at Disney’s Living with the Land ride at Epcot, where she gave talks on sustainable agriculture as visitors floated past working greenhouses and a visible “fishbowl” research lab. At Butterfat, “it was so important that my kitchen look like this so that people — kids or adults — can ask questions,” Brock said. “Because I think there’s a little bit of disconnect sometimes with where our food comes from and how it’s made. ”For Brock, making gelato began as a home-kitchen experiment during the covid-19 pandemic. “I was already making sourdough, so I needed something else,” she joked. The New Kensington native also drew inspiration from her Italian family. While others were stuck inside working from home, Brock was still commuting to Allegheny General Hospital and began packing pints of gelato for her co-workers. “I loved being able to use my science to make something delicious for people,” she said. Encouraged by the response, she upgraded from a KitchenAid attachment to a tabletop machine, a gift from her husband. They began discussing the idea of a business, trying pop-ups at Allegheny City Brewing. Then, four years ago, Brock’s life changed at 31. The day after running what she described as one of her best 5K races, she had a stroke. Thinking quickly, her husband brought her to her workplace at Allegheny General Hospital, which she called “unbelievably lucky. ”“My route could have been very different,” Brock said. Becoming a stroke survivor also irrevocably altered her perspective. “I had the rug pulled out from under me. I thought I was invincible,” she said. “It definitely changed how I view most things I do. ”While recovering from aphasia, which impairs a person’s ability to speak, Brock kept making gelato, which took on new significance. “It felt like something that was truly me in a way that I couldn’t express verbally anymore,” she said. “I could use my skills, be creative, and then share it with people who were patient with me. “Saying gelato saved my life is dramatic, but it really helped me keep going during a period where it could have been really tough,” she added. Brock also began competing in gelato competitions, perfecting a spiced carrot cake flavor she originally made for the first birthday of a friend’s baby. In 2023, she won the People’s Choice Award for her carrot cake gelato at the Gelato Festival World Masters. “I threw my hat in the ring to see what I could learn, because I wanted to see what I could glean from all these other people,” she said. She also began expanding her community, meeting other local food producers, including the team behind Saint Ravioli, another business born as a pandemic hobby. After living on the North Side for more than a decade, Brock jumped at the chance when a space opened at 404 E. Ohio St. She learned it housed an ice cream shop 40 years ago, and imagined an Italian-style gelateria returning to the neighborhood. Brock was pregnant with her now 13-month-old son while renovating the shop. “That was never the plan,” she laughed. “Because that’s an insane thing to do, but it was actually kind of fun. ”It also clarified the shop’s vision as a neighborhood space for kids and adults. “Anyone who has a kid would say this, but it changes your priorities drastically,” Brock reflected. “Once he showed up, I knew what mattered. ”A banner from her son’s first birthday party became one of the first decorations she hung inside the shop. Butterfat joins East Ohio Street’s “Restaurant Row,” including eateries such as Eat Your Veggies (EYV) Restaurant, Fig & Ash, Siempre Algo, Subba Asian Restaurant,Park Houseand The Eastman, which opened in April. “This is a really cool revitalization project that I just happened to get in on,” she said. Brock hopes Butterfat feels welcoming while still offering an elevated experience. Above all, she wants neighbors to wander in, chat, peek into the fishbowl kitchen and ask questions.