Sweet Authenticity: From Sicily to Akron: Sal’s Gelato Delivers Fresh, Authentic Italian Flavors Daily

After he returned from studying abroad in Italy in 2002, Michael Maghes and his family received a letter: A cousin from Sicily wanted to reconnect with the American side of their family.

“We had no connection, for 40 or 50 years, with anyone back in Italy,” says the co-owner of Sal’s Gelato in Akron’s Merriman Valley. “The year after I got back, I went back with my mom and my grandma. … We were able to meet them. It was a wild experience. They had pictures of my grandma’s wedding, and it was an instant connection.”

Since then, Maghes and his family have traveled back to Sicily multiple times — he and his children are dual citizens. But Maghes doesn’t only use his trips to Italy for family time — he also fuels the authenticity of Sal’s Gelato with input from family members and suggestions from an Italian friend who owns a gelateria.

“It all kind of marries together, with the business, the name of the business, the authenticity of what we do, how we do it, because we can actually … get feedback from the relatives,” says Maghes, who co- owns the business with his cousin, Rocco LaRose.

Opened in May 2023, Sal’s — named after Maghes’ son, Salvatore — serves up fresh, authentic gelato crafted from scratch daily. Gelato is made with less air and more milk than ice cream. It’s also served at a higher temperature.

“All three of those things equate to a very creamy, smooth, dense, full-flavored product,” Maghes says. “Our ingredients are the high-end ingredients. We use top quality. There’s no dyes. There’s no additives.”

Savor year-round flavors such as espresso, stracciatella — sweet cream with swirled dark chocolate — Sicilian pistachio, limoncello and baci — chocolate hazelnut with Nutella and chopped hazelnuts.

“We add fresh roasted hazelnuts to it. So, it has the sweetness of the chocolate, but it has a little crunch of the actual hazelnut,” Maghes says. “A very similar style is the pistachio, which is a very traditional Italian flavor. It’s smooth, creamy, but also has a crunch of the Sicilian pistachios. The pistachios have a purple hue to them, which makes them something that are traditional from Sicily.”

Seasonal summer flavors include pineapple, toasted coconut, pomegranate sorbet, orange chocolate and more.

“We take our traditional flavors seriously, then we have fun with something like root beer float,” Maghes says. “You’re not going to find that necessarily in Italy, but it’s an American take on a classic.”

The team at Sal’s uses Italian-made machines, intended specifically for the creation of gelato, and imports a portion of the shop’s ingredients — such as chocolate, pistachios and coffee. Maghes first learned to make gelato in a Carpigiani gelato production training course in Chicago.

“From a creativity side, we can come up with any flavor we want, based off whatever ingredients that we can find,” he says. “That’s also a traditional way that they do in Italy — they’ll find the fresh fruit that’s of the season. … It’s a combination between fresh, seasonal items that we can incorporate, and then also items from Italy.”

Maghes also co-owns Café Arnone, an authentic Italian coffeehouse, with LaRose. At Sal’s, find a small retail section of Arnone marketplace goods — including pasta, Arnone coffee and olive oil — all imported from Italy. Also find baked goods and chocolates, produced at Sal’s. Try the best of both worlds by ordering an affogato.

“It’s a scoop of gelato with a shot of espresso over it,” Maghes says. “Once people get hooked, they love it.”

The decor at Sal’s, including a black-and-white checkered floor and photos of Maghes’ children in Italy, evokes both a traditional gelateria and a retro American ice cream parlor — just as the shop offers authentic gelato for the American palate.

“Authenticity tells a real story of what you’re offering to the community,” Maghes says. “We’re bringing a little piece of Italy here.”

1821 Merriman Road, Akron, 234-312-9255, salsgelato.com