Bulgarini Gelato in Culver City Now Open + Free Gelato

Anne Fishbein

Bulgarini gelato

Leo Bulgarini's new gelato outpost in Culver City -- Bulgarini took over the lease at Teaforest Tea & Coffee Bar on Washington Blvd. last month -- officially opened last week. This despite the fact that the gelato maker's gelateria in Altadena lost power in the violent windstorm that battered much of Los Angeles last Wednesday night. Fortunately Bulgarini had made a large quantity of gelato before his electicity went out -- a good thing, as it was only restored Sunday evening.

"4 days without power," said Bulgarini, who now has plans to install a generator in his Altadena shop. If you've been up in the foothills since the windstorm, navigating between downed oaks and orange pylons and the strewn branches that still litter Pasadena and Altadena and the surrounding neighborhoods, you'd be pricing generators at Home Depot too. With or without freezers of gelato.

Teaforest Tea & Coffee Bar is keeping its name, with hours from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays; Saturday from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.; and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. And to celebrate the opening, there will be an informal party this Saturday, December 10, during which time Bulgarini will be giving away free gelato. As the man needs a little time to get set up -- and maybe down some espresso -- the free gelato will start around 9. Have a coffee. Find your spoon.