by Diana Cercone
You scream. I scream. We all scream for gelato. Gelato? Wait, what? I know; I know, the line finishes with ice cream. But have you ever had gelato? I mean real gelato. Doesn’t matter how you answer. You’ll find no better outside of Italy—and maybe not even there considering the mix of flavors from classic to locally inspired creations you’ll find at Panna Gelateria & Bakery in Yardley.
That’s where Jemil and Sally Gadea work their magic. Though the husband and wife co-owners, both with pastry chef backgrounds, bounce ideas for their confections off of each other, each reigns over their own specialties. For Jemil, it’s gelato and focaccia. Pastries, cakes, hand pies and galettes—both savory and sweet—are Sally’s. Then there’s her Almond Poundcake, a customer favorite and a must on the menu. Another of her creations that garners customer favorite status is her Basque Cheesecake. Gluten-free, light and airy, its been described by one customer “like a slice of the best crème brûlée you’ve ever had.” Look for it as well as others on their seasonal, holiday and rotation menus.
Food careers for the two seem to have been predestined while still teenagers. With a single, working mom and two younger siblings, Jemil became the chief chef of their home kitchen in Spring Lake, Michigan. Sally’s mom was known for her dinner parties in Washington Crossing, Sally as “her little helper.” From her, Sally says, she learned the art of not just cooking, but also making guests feel happy and welcome. All three would serve her and Jemil well at their own shop years later. But it was a storybook-like meeting that first brought the two of them together in 2013.
They were both working as pastry chefs in Washington, D.C. for a prestigious Italian restaurant group. At the urging of her friends, Jemil, who also created the specialty breads for the Chef’s Table at the restaurant group’s Michelin-star Masseria, helped Sally perfect her bread-making skills. Wasn’t long before their lessons turned into friendship and love. Five years later they married. By the time their daughter, Sofia, was born in 2020, they were ready to embark on their own. Armored with professional culinary and managerial skills—plus their love of cooking for others—they knew they wanted to open a food shop of their own in Bucks County.
With its warm, vibrant and inclusive community, Yardley was their target town. The big question was what kind of food shop. The epiphany came one day to Jemil on their way back to D.C. from Bucks—Gelato. Along with his pastries and breads, he was well known for his creamy gelato. It seemed like a no-brainer: Their shop would sell their handcrafted gelato and pastries.
Walking into Panna Gelateria & Bakery, you might think you are in Italy. Inspired by their many trips there, the shop’s decor draws from the Mediterranean. Its vibe a mix of Italian and Yardley warmth and welcoming spirit. Even the name of their shop, Jemil says, was inspired by a gelato shop on their first trip to Italy. But make no mistake. This is very much a community oriented shop, where Jemil and Sally greet customers by name and newcomers are made to feel welcome. There’s even a customer suggestion box for requesting special gelato flavors or pastries.
On any given day, you’ll find 12 different flavors, four of which are dairy-free including his sorbetti (sorbets.) The flavors change with the seasons and his inspirations. Though Jemil has never counted them, he estimates that they offer around 60 different flavors during the year along with the classics.
Sally calls him “the flavor king.” He can put flavors together that are weird or wild and make them taste delicious. His flavor palette is like a wardrobe, she says. Some flavors go together because they’re classic. But he’s also all about mix and match, creating new flavor sensations such as Cherry Malt Stracciatella, Pistachio Baklava and Lemon Brioche.
At the request of one of their regular customers to create a dessert to celebrate Diwali, Jemil created the cardamon, saffron and pistachio gelato Kulfi. Now a familiar favorite. For Jemil’s Classics, look for Italian Sweet Cream (fiordiatte which means flower of milk ), Chocolate and Buontalenti, a super-rich vanilla with mascarpone and a custard base. But even his classic Chocolate changes periodically, reimagining as Chocolate Candy Bar, Chocolate Caramel or Belgian Chocolate. No matter the flavor, however, they all start with fiordiatte, the classic gelato base.
Come summer, with the abundance of local fruit and produce, especially from CharLann Farm in Morrisville, look for the menu to change more frequently, he says. That’s when you can savor his SweetCorn/Caramel Corn gelato as well as CharLann’s melon-inspired ones.
The Sorbetti menu also rotates, offering around 30 different flavors during the year. Look for Pineapple Guava, Blackberry Basil, Verbena Peach, Vanilla Cherry Minted Melon (made with watermelon) and Sensation Melon.
Over on the pastry side, Sally’s roster of heavenly delights also changes with the seasons and her inspirations. Like Jemil, she favors local produce and fruit, especially from CharLann Farm. Some of her offerings this summer are Bacon and Cheddar Scones, Harissa and Honey-Glazed Carrot with Goat Cheese Galette, and hand pies either filled with fruit or vegetables.
The bakery side of the store is also where you’ll find Jemil’s sea salt focaccia (every day except Wednesday). Like everything Jemil and Sally make, it’s divinely delicious. Toasted and slathered with butter and local honey or as the backdrop for bruschetta or a prosciutto, arugula and pear sandwich just seems to make the day a little brighter.
Though he makes the sea salt focaccia most often, Jemil may include others: tomato, “garlic knot,” pesto and onion. Summer is when you’ll find his tomato, pesto, olive and zucchini focaccia.
Simply put, gelato is more milk based than cream and may or may not contain egg. It also has less calories than ice cream. Ice cream is a mix of milk, cream, sugar and egg. Other differences, he says, are gelato is typically served at a slightly warmer temperature. “And we churn our gelato at a lower speed so it’s more dense and has a more intense flavor with less fat and less sugar.” Sorbetto is fruit-based with no dairy, so it’s vegan-friendly.
A few words of advice: 1. Bring a cooler. I made the mistake of not bringing one the first time I visited Panna Gelateria and Bakery. Because of its small size, the shop isn’t able to sell their gelato frozen or offer ice packs to take home with a pint or more of their gelato and/or sorbetto.
2. Mark your calendar: Panna Gelateria and Bakery will be closed August 11—26 for family vacation. So be sure to stock up before.
The first time I tasted Jemil’s gelato was a couple of years ago at the Wrightstown Farmers Market. He was selling from Panna Gelateria and Bakery’s festive gelato cart. Made in Sicily, the cart is typical of those found in Italy, Jemil says. That day I tried his Italian Sweet Cream, Fior de Latte. Creamy and rich in flavor, so much so I still remember that first taste.
To rent Panna Gelateria & Bakery’s gelato cart for private parties, see their website: www.pannagelateria.com.
Borrowing from another ice cream saying: “You can’t buy happiness, but you can buy gelato and that is pretty much the same thing.” Once you’ve tasted Panna Gelateria and Bakery gelato, I think you’ll agree.
Panna Gelateria and Bakery is located at 25 S. Main Street, Yardley, PA; 215-369-9900. It is open Mon.-Sun. 10 a.m.–9 p.m. For more information, visit www.pannagelateria.com.
Diana Cercone is an area freelance writer who specializes in food, art and travel.