[SoDu Spotlight] Sweet Start in South Durham

You're not likely to just happen upon A Little Gelato, but Ken Jordon didn't really intend to start a hidden treat shop in South Durham.

When he prepared to open in October 2024, Chef Ken just wanted a kitchen where he could make gelato and pastries for delivery to other locations. So he picked a space in the back of an office building along Meadow Drive near NC Highway 55.

But, he said, to get his permit, city officials told him that he had to open for customers.

So you'll find A Little Gelato behind 4823 Meadow Dr. in Suite 114, next door to La Recette Patisserie. Just watch for the yard signs and the vertical banner.

How It All Started

Chef Ken's grandmother made choc0late chip cookies: "I'd get the spoon at the end. In grammar school, they offered a program for half a day at a technical school, and our class went into the bakery."

He attended technical high school and started baking in the ninth grade.

Jordon opened a gelato shop in New Jersey in 2016. But his wife, Christine Havericak, took a job here in the Triangle. They've settled in north Raleigh.

"I became the at-home Dad," he said. "Now my kids are off to school and I'm back now."

How It's Going

Yes, the back-of-the-office-building space is hard to find. But people are finding it.

"People are getting to know us, so I'm getting my regulars, and I'm getting new customers," he said.

The shop opens Friday through Sunday. On Friday, doors open from 4 to 8 p.m. On Saturday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. On Sunday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Right now, in the winter, it's not exactly the height of gelato season. So when I visited the shop, Chef Ken was kneading and flattening dough for croissants. Although he did have some gelato available, he also had a display case packed with pastries - eclairs, chocolate ganache tarts - plus tiramisu and an old-school Italian cheesecake.

Advice for Aspiring Bakers

Thinking of delving into the flour-filled world of baking? Here are some words of wisdom from Chef Ken: "Practice makes perfect, so try, try, and try again until you are happy with the final product. Baking is a science, an art, and a craftsmanship."

I asked him to provide a recipe for Southpoint Access readers to try at home. He shared a couple:

Blood Orange Brownies

Combine until sugar is dissolved:

• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons of blood orange olive oil.
• 1 cup sugar.
• 1 tablespoon vanilla.
• 2 eggs.

Sift in:

• 1/3 cup special dark cocoa.
• 2/3 cup all-purpose flour.
• 1/4 tablespoon baking soda.

Mix thoroughly.

Add:

• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts.
• 1 cup dark chocolate chips.

Grease a 9"x9" non-stick pan with a tablespoon of blood orange oil. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Bake for 30-35 minutes.

Blueberry Lemon Olive Oil Cake

In a large mixing bowl, combine:

• 1 1/2 cups flour (can substitute 1:1 gluten-free flour).
• 2 teaspoons baking powder.
• 1/2 teaspoon salt.

In another large bowl, cream together:

• 3 large eggs.
• 1 cup granulated sugar.

In that second bowl:

• Drizzle in 1/2 cup of Meyer lemon olive oil.
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract.
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice or zest from 1 lemon.

Next, alternate adding dry ingredients with 1/2 cup of milk (or almond milk) into the wet ingredients, beginning and ending with the flour. Once the batter is combined, put 1 cup fresh blueberries in another bowl with 1 tablespoon of flour. Toss to coat. (This keeps the blueberries from sinking to the bottom of the cake.)

Fold blueberries into the cake batter. Pour batter into a greased and floured 9 inch springform baking pan. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes, until the cake tester comes out clean. Let it cool completely before removing from pan and serving.

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