BUSINESS FEATURE Dottie’s Former carpenter brings handiwork to gelateria in Old Town Tomball L orraine Featherston was in between carpentry jobs when her father, Ernie Grandinetti,
BY JISHNU NAIR
and Lorraine constantly creates new ones. One of them includes a “turtle” of chocolate, caramel and pecans that was created by accident and turned into a customer favorite. The heart of the gelato-making operation is the Emery Stevenson batch freezer in Lorraine’s kitchen. Taking 10-12 minutes per batch, the machine handles gelato, ice cream, and frozen yogurt, though Lorraine said she cannot even eat regular ice cream anymore. She said her gelato stands out because of its creaminess, which comes from the slower rotation speeds the freezer uses compared to conventional ice cream. Other o erings include co ee from Houston-based Katz Co ee and spe- cialty sodas from Boots Soda. Dottie’s also combines a shot of espresso with a scoop of gelato to create the traditional Italian dessert a ogato. Although Lorraine moved away from carpentry to devote her time to Dottie’s, her skillset still comes in handy, she said. Together with her father, they transformed the building and built out the gelateria’s own tables. Even the scraps of the lumber for the tables went to good use—Lor- raine made them into frames for pictures of her late grandmother. “She used to say, ‘Go out and take the leap, and when you’re about to fall asleep, you’ll know whether your decision was right or not,’” Lorraine said. “And right now, I know this feels right for me.
let her know in 2020 that one of his buildings in downtown Tomball was available and could be used for their longtime dream of getting into the food business. Lorraine had worked on restau- rants, including Tejas BBQ, which gave her inspiration. But the building’s small space lent itself to a family-friendly space—and a training Lorraine took in Dallas with an Italian gelato company sealed the deal. Dottie’s opened its doors in May 2021. “My dad said we should try to go all-natural, avoid the powder-based stu ,” Lorraine said. Dottie’s gets its name from Lorraine’s grandmother, Dorothy Grandinetti. Dottie died in 2019, but Lorraine remembers her always encouraging her children and grand- children to have fun. “She had her 80th and 90th birthdays in [Las] Vegas because everyone could come out,” Lorraine said. “Everyone called her Dottie or Aunt Dot. We wanted to pay tribute to her.” The gelato shop is usually a one-woman operation during the day with Lorraine handling the gelato preparation, supply and cleaning. Ernie, who also mentored her through her carpentry, helps to handle the nances and provides his input on the avors and specialties. Dottie’s rotates 12 avors of gelato,
Dottie’s opened in May 2021 in downtown Tomball with access from the alley side of 411 W. Main St. The shop o ers various avors of handmade gelato.
COURTESY DOTTIE'S
GELATO 101
ASSEMBLING:
Owner Lorraine Featherston lines up locally sourced milk along with a puree of the avor to make gelato, such as strawberry. Dottie’s keeps 12 avors of gelato on rotation.
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BLENDING:
The ingredients are poured into the freezer. Gelato spins at 140 rotations per minute—compared to 230 rotations for ice cream—which contributes to its creamier texture.
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FREEZING:
After 10-12 minutes, gelato is ready to eat. The batch is usually frozen until it is ready for its place in the rotation at the shop to serve up to customers.
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Dottie’s 411 W. Main St., Tomball 713-805-6087 Facebook: Dottie’s Hours: Wed.-Fri. noon-7 p.m., Sat. 11 a.m.-7 p.m., Sun. 1-6 p.m., closed Mon.-Tue.
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