Toscanini's : History Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Toscanini's

Ice cream parlor, Cambridge, Massachusetts

Toscanini's Ice Cream Company (known simply as Toscanini's or Tosci's) is an ice cream parlor and café in Cambridge, Massachusetts, founded in 1981. It has won the Best of Boston award for best ice cream in 1997,^[1] 2009,^[2] and 2010,^[3] as well as other Best of Boston awards.^[4] It has also been highly rated in Gourmet magazine,^[1] and has been highly rated in The New York Times food section.^[5]

History

Toscanini's original location is at 899 Main St. in Central Square. In January 2018, another location opened near Kendall Square at 159 First St while the Main St. store underwent renovations.^[6] The Main St. store reopened in January 2022.^[7] Other locations in the past have included the Someday Café in Somerville, Massachusetts (closed August 2006), a location in the MIT student center, and a location on Massachusetts Avenue in Harvard Square (closed December 2006).

In 2006, owner Gus Rancatore published an Amazon Short with author Helen Epstein, entitled Ice Cream Man: 25 Years at Toscanini's,^[8]^[9] presenting a personal story of how Toscanini's came to be.

Seizure by the Massachusetts DOR

On January 17, 2008, the business was seized by the Massachusetts Department of Revenue because of failure to pay more than $167,000 in taxes dating back to 2000. Ice cream maker Samuel Mehr set up a website with a PayPal donation link,^[10] and an overwhelming amount of support from the local community and beyond provided the owners with more than $30,000 toward satisfying the tax bill. A payment plan was organized with the MA DOR to pay the balance. After being closed for eight days, Toscanini's Ice Cream and Coffee Shop re-opened for business on January 25.^[11]^[12]

References

^ ^a ^b Jeffreys, Katie (October 7, 1997). "Tosci's Ice Cream Wins Boston Award". The Tech. Retrieved January 28, 2018.
^ "Best of Boston 2009 Ice Cream: Toscanini's". Boston. Archived from the original on August 28, 2016. Retrieved January 28, 2018.
^ "Best of Boston 2010: Ice Cream Toscanini's". Boston. Archived from the original on August 28, 2016. Retrieved January 28, 2018.
^ "Search Results: toscanini's". Boston. Retrieved January 28, 2018.^{[permanent dead link]}
^ "About Toscanini's". Tosci.com. Archived from the original on July 21, 2009. Retrieved January 28, 2018.
^ O'Brien, Megan (January 26, 2018). "This popular local ice cream spot just opened a second location". Boston.com. Retrieved 2019-11-21.
^ Levy, Marc (December 31, 2021). "No fanfare: Toscanini's is back selling ice cream in its first home, with a new 'big table' on its way". Cambridge Day. Retrieved January 1, 2022.
^ Ice Cream Man: 25 Years at Toscanini's, an Amazon Short by owner Gus Rancatore with Helen Epstein
^ Brown, Sasha (January 4, 2007). "Ice cream maker still sweet on MIT". MIT News. Retrieved January 28, 2018.
^ Goodnough, Abby (January 30, 2008). "Special Flavor: The Big Rhubarb". The New York Times. Retrieved May 25, 2010. They rose in defense of Toscanini's, donating more than $30,000 in one week to help the owners, Gus and Mimi Rancatore, make enough of a payment to reopen. Sam Mehr, a college student who works there and set up a Web site to solicit contributions, said that about 300 poured in between Jan. 18, the day after the shop was seized, and last Friday.
^ Abelson, Jenn (January 26, 2008). "Shop is set to lick its tax problem". The Boston Globe.
^ Dunning, Matt (January 22, 2008). "Toscanini's scoops $23k from ice cream fans to pay tax debt". Cambridge Chronicle. Last Thursday, the state's Department of Revenue seized Toscanini's on Main St., saying that owner Gus Rancatore owes $167,000 in unpaid taxes. Within a day's time, Rancatore launched an online campaign to save his shop, asking loyal patrons to shell out $25,000 so he could put a down payment on his debt to the state. By 11 a.m. on Wednesday, Rancatore had already raised more than $23,022.