An’s Dry Cleaning, the unusually named gourmet gelato shop that opened in June 2018 in North Park, has earned national recognition from USA Today.
On Tuesday, An’s gelateria was selected by the USA Today staff as one of 20 nominees for the news organization’s list of the 2023 Best Ice Cream Shops in America. From now until June 26, the public is invited to vote for their favorites to make the final top 10 list.
An’s is the only California ice cream purveyor to be nominated this year.
An’s was founded by San Diego entrepreneur Kris Warren, who was looking to start a business with some childhood buddies from Redding when a friend visiting from Spain suggested he consider gelato.
“I wanted something fun, and what’s more fun than gelato,” said Warren, who launched An’s five years ago with several partners.
The shop at 3017 Adams Ave. is named for the shuttered dry cleaners/tailor shop that it replaced, and all of the branding plays on that theme. The stand-up tables are ironing boards, the decor looks like a 1960s vintage “Martinizing” shop, and the all-natural gelatos and sorbettos are named after fabrics. Some of the shop’s latest fabric-inspired flavors are Shantung, Sbai and Sashiko. In 2022, Warren opened a second location in Del Mar called An’s Hatmakers, which serves “top hat” frozen desserts.
“As a local San Diegan and proud steward of the city I love, I’m hoping to bring this award home for us,” Warren said in an email on Tuesday.
Gelato is an Italian style of ice cream. Created in 16th-century Florence, gelato is made with milk, rather than cream, so it’s lower in fat and calories than ice cream. But because it’s made fresh in small batches, is densely structured without added air and served at a less-icy temperature than its American cousin, it’s creamier in texture and more intensely flavored. Gelato arrived in San Diego in the mid-1980s and has built a small but devoted following ever since.
Voting is now underway until June 26 at 10best.com/awards/travel/best-ice-cream-shop-2023/. Winners will be announced at noon July 7. The rules forbid nominees from exchanging their votes for prizes or other endorsements.