When Amis, the Vetri Family group’s third restaurant, opened in Philadelphia in 2010, its two sister concepts had gelato machines for making Italian ice cream. But chef and partner Brad Spence said he didn’t want a fancy gelato machine at the Roman-style trattatoria. Instead, he opted to put housemade semifreddo — the half-frozen, ice cream-like dessert — on the menu.
“I’m fascinated about creating really simple things without expensive gadgets,” Spence said. “[Semifreddo] is more of a homestyle dessert. I wanted to do things people do at home.”
Spence has had a semifreddo or two on Amis’ menu ever since. The restaurant currently offers Tartufo Al Bacio, a chocolate-and-hazelnut semifreddo with amerena cherries, and a Belgian-style waffle with Nutella, vanilla semifreddo and toasted hazelnuts.
Spence makes his semifreddo by blending egg yolks and sugar in one bowl and egg whites and sugar in another bowl with a flavor, like chocolate or vanilla, and then folding it together and freezing it.
Although gelato is still among the fastest-growing desserts on restaurant menus, according to Datassential MenuTrends, semifreddo is poised to have its moment. Fine-dining chefs across the country are attracted to the dessert’s lightness, compared with ice cream or gelato, and are pairing it with all manner of modern accoutrements.
At Faith & Flower in Los Angeles, pastry chef Josh Graves is currently serving Strawberry Semifreddo, which consists of a strawberry semifreddo sprayed with white chocolate, a vanilla “ultra cream,” macerated Gaviota strawberries, thinly sliced rhubarb and strawberry chicharrones — fried pink puffed chips Graves makes of strawberry purée, tapioca, sugar and dried strawberry powder.
“I like semifreddo because it has more texture than an ice cream or gelato would,” Graves said. “Semifreddo has a small amount of bite and a lightness that ice cream and gelato lack.”
Graves said the dish sells very well, in part because it reminds many diners of something from their childhood.
Also pairing the classic frozen dessert with some unexpected ingredients is pastry chef Catherine Nault of Labriola Ristorante & Café in Chicago. Nault is currently serving a “Sacripantina” Semi Freddo, a frozen marsala cream with a rice crispy white chocolate crust, served with vanilla ricotta pound cake and caramelized apricot sauce.
At Red Light Cocktails & Dessert Bar in Washington, D.C., chef Alina Bothen plans to add a buttermilk semifreddo, a play on buttermilk pie, to her spring menu. While the dish is still in development, Bothen said she’s considering using blackberries and corn shoots in it.
Inspired by the arrival of spring, Mike Sheerin, executive chef of Embeya, a new progressive Asian restaurant in Chicago, is offering a Yuzu Semifreddo. The dessert features sake-soaked strawberries and angel food cake topped with lemon semifreddo, which is made by folding whipped cream into egg custard with yuzu juice and peel, and then freezing it in a loaf pan and topping it with candied sesame.
“The yuzu is the Japanese lemon, and it is a natural companion to strawberries, the first real sign of spring,” Sheerin said. “What better way to serve them than with some semisoft ice cream.”
Chef Carri-anne Hamer of Pearl Dive Oyster Palace in Washington, D.C., is also using yuzu. She recently added a Baked Alaska to the menu, with cherry-chocolate chip semifreddo, cherry sauce and yuzu curd.
“[Semifreddo] has the qualities of an ice cream or gelato: Refreshing, with a nice, creamy texture, and flavorful. Yet the semifreddo contains less cream, leaving you with a nice, balanced richness,” Hamer said.
At Tulio Ristorante in Seattle, chef Walter Pisano has long offered semifreddo for dessert. Currently, he is offering a pistachio semifreddo that is very popular with guests.
“The semifreddo has been on and off the menu in a few different forms over the years,” Pisano said. “This current plating has been on for the last three years and has been a guest favorite ever since.”
