CLEVELAND — Growing up hearing stories about the shops and restaurants of Cleveland’s Little Italy, Christopher Giancola wanted to bring a bit of nostalgia back into the neighborhood and is doing so with his new Italian ice business.
Mount Granita is nestled right in the heart of Little Italy, serving vegan-friendly, gluten-free, dairy-free Italian ice made with 100% fresh fruit and cane sugar.
The new business was inspired by Giancola’s family telling him stories of growing up in the beloved Cleveland neighborhood after they immigrated from Sicily in 1955. His family would regularly make stops at a bakery called Zammataro’s, a place the neighborhood knew to have the best lemon ice.
Zammataro’s has since closed, but Giancola hopes Mount Granita can help fill a void left in the heart of the neighborhood by offering his Italian ice, providing a taste of nostalgia and a relief from the hot summer weather.
All of Mount Granita’s flavors are made with natural flavors, something Giancola said he thinks Nonna would enjoy. The flavors of the week are quite unique and include lemon, watermelon, mixed berry, coconut, mango, grapefruit and Moscow mule.
Mount Granita is located at 2024 Murray Hill Road. The Italian ice cart is open from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays and 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturdays.
