Eden Milligan | Editor-in-Chief
February 11, 2022
With temperatures warming up, now is the perfect time to spend some blissful hours in the sun pretending it’s summer. What better way to destress from school and enjoy the warm weather than to treat yourself to a frozen treat? Out of the many incredible frozen yogurts, ice cream, and gelato options in town—including Paradis Ice Cream, South Swell and Caterina’s—this year’s Triton Times winner is Lucky Dog Gelato. In the words of senior Zoe Borchard, Lucky Dog Gelato is “spectacular, show-stopping, one-of-a-kind, miraculous, groovy.” Lucky Dog is fairly new to town, but the love and understanding of the town that its owners brought to the store make it feel like it has always been a cherished part of San Clemente.
For owners Noel and Dustin, the Lucky Dog Gelato dream was a long time in the making. Dustin grew up in San Clemente and always wanted to return and start a business here. Noel wanted to share her passion for gelato with the world and realized San Clemente would be the perfect place.
In 2017, Noel’s passion for gelato took her all the way to Italy, where she spent three summers learning from the best gelato classes and masters. Noel’s dedication to creating unique flavor combinations and mastering natural recipes was recognized in multiple gelato competitions in 2017 and 2018, and she was listed among the world’s top gelato masters (find her at #44). Despite having serious skills and devotedly sourcing all-natural ingredients, Noel wanted to make sure Lucky Dog Gelato did not feel too serious. “For me, it’s all about having fun,” she said. Walking into the store and seeing the walls decorated not with awards but with dog murals, one might not realize the extent of the training and preparation that went into the artisan treats. That’s intentional. The focus isn’t on accomplishment, but rather happiness.
Still, Noel’s talent shows in the delightful gelato and sorbet sold at Lucky Dog. “I’m obsessed with the lemon mascarpone flavor at Lucky Dog,” senior Bethany Padilla said, “and the apricot vanilla flavor gives me euphoria.” Even dogs can join the fun with Noel’s vet-approved “Dogelato.”
When asked about her favorite part of running Lucky Dog, Noel said “sometimes people walk in and they’re having a bad day, and they walk out of the store with a smile. Ice cream and gelato have that power to make people happy.”
Try Lucky Dog Gelato today at 1008 S El Camino Real, San Clemente!
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