Tesoro Gelato is now serving up gelato in the Old City. Drop in and you’ll find a familiar face for those of us who’ve been around downtown for a while.
Just about a year ago Phil Tessier left Knoxville for Italy and assumed he’d not come back. He’d suffered a great loss when his partner, Paula, died after struggling with illness and he needed a change. It meant the end of Cafe Vicolo which he and Paula opened in 2017. As a chef, he wanted a new challenge and decided to move temporarily to Italy to study the art of making proper gelato.
He studied in Italy, toyed with the idea of staying, traveled around Europe, and ultimately decided he would return to the states and open a gelato shop. But not in Knoxville. He felt Asheville might be a good fit, but before he could sign a lease Hurricane Helene hit. He felt the universe was guiding him back to Knoxville, which he loves, even with the weight of some of his memories here.
After looking around for the perfect spot, he came to 111 North Central, a tiny sliver of a space perfect for a gelateria. Word first began to spread during Big Ears when he threw the doors open for a few days and got a great response. He’s continuing the soft opening with slightly fewer hours until the official opening May 2.
He said he’s excited to be back in the city (he also lives downtown with his beautiful dog, Lola) and doing something that makes people happy. For the next couple of weeks he’s working on recipes and lining up sources for some of the ingredients he’d like to use. He’s excited to line up a great set of gelatos with lots of fresh ingredients and he’s looking forward to the opening of the Market Square Farmers’ Market where he’ll source as much of that as possible.
Phil grew up in Vermont, leaving there for the marines before moving to New York where he began his work in the food industry. In typical humble style he says, “I found out I was pretty good at it.” (He’s great at it!) He worked in range of culinary jobs across the country, including Alaska, Washington, and for fifteen years in Park City Nevada. It was from there he landed in Knoxville where Paula had family.
I asked Phil about his connection to Italy—with now two establishments with Italian names and his trip to Italy. He said he isn’t Italian, but grew up in an area with a lot of Italians and loved the food. Paula’s family is Italian and he said, “I love Italy, who wouldn’t? I always loved the food and culture.” He and Paula had just returned from Italy when they opened Vicolo.
As far as why he chose to focus on gelato specifically, he said, “I don’t know why” before going on to explain why:
I was looking for something different. People like gelato and are happy when they eat it. One of my favorite things is having people taste it and watching their facial expressions. It makes me happy doing it.
Phil studied in northern Italy at the Italian Culinary Institute for Foreigners at Costigliole d’Asti (between Turin and Genoa). “It was a lovely area with mostly farmland.” The area grows hazelnuts and has truffles, but its biggest twin claims to fame are the invention of Prosecco and chocolate. Many people there make their own great wines only available locally. They care about food and ingredients and Phil said it was a great experience. He also worked in several gelato shops while there. His class included one Italian, someone from South Korea, a couple from South America, a couple from Mexico City, and one from Switzerland.
He has plans to possibly add some merchandize, including maybe an insulated cup for gelato that could be brought back and filled for a discount. He also may include some European candies and snacks. Eventually he may add pastries, though he said that may be as much as a year or two down the line. He said the gelato shops in Italy typically include a few pastries. He said he would think along the lines of cheese cake, eclairs, cannoli, and perhaps popsicles.
For now, he is completely focused on gelato. His plan is to include twelve flavors that are the same every day and twelve flavors that rotate. He hasn’t settled on the regular twelve, but you can expect to always find sorbet and some other non-dairy choices and for gelato flavors, these twelve will include favorites like chocolate, cookies and cream, and more popular items. The others will be where he expresses his creativity and uses fresh products available at any given time. He’s lately worked on one using saffron and another using chai and oat milk.
The grand opening is May 2. Until then hours are Thursday, 2:00 pm to 8:00 pm, Friday and Saturday 2:00 pm to 10:00 pm. Watch their Instagram for other hours and flavors of the day and Instagram plus the website for updates. After May 2 he will likely expand the hours and may bring in some help, particularly if the stadium increases foot traffic and demand.
Phil added a final word:
I would like to thank everyone that supported us at the cafe and say that they were a very big part of my decision to stay in Knoxville. I am looking forward to seeing everyone again and excited to meet new friends.