Toscanini's Explained

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, 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

Web site: Jeffreys. Katie. Tosci's Ice Cream Wins Boston Award . The Tech. October 7, 1997. January 28, 2018.
Web site: Best of Boston 2009 Ice Cream: Toscanini's. Boston. January 28, 2018. August 28, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160828205304/http://www.bostonmagazine.com/best_of/detail/best_of_boston_2009_ice_cream/. dead.
Web site: Best of Boston 2010: Ice Cream Toscanini's. Boston. January 28, 2018. August 28, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160828172339/http://www.bostonmagazine.com/best_of/detail/best_of_boston_2010_ice_cream/. dead.
Web site: Search Results: toscanini's. Boston. January 28, 2018.
Web site: About Toscanini's. Tosci.com. January 28, 2018. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20090721115834/http://www.tosci.com/about/. July 21, 2009.
News: O'Brien. Megan. This popular local ice cream spot just opened a second location . January 26, 2018 . 2019-11-21 . Boston.com .
Web site: Levy. Marc. No fanfare: Toscanini's is back selling ice cream in its first home, with a new 'big table' on its way. Cambridge Day. December 31, 2021. January 1, 2022.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000JLTS8U Ice Cream Man: 25 Years at Toscanini's
Web site: Brown. Sasha. Ice cream maker still sweet on MIT. MIT News. January 28, 2018. January 4, 2007.
News: Special Flavor: The Big Rhubarb . . January 30, 2008 . Abby . Goodnough . 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..
News: Shop is set to lick its tax problem . . January 26, 2008 . Jenn . Abelson.
News: Toscanini's scoops $23k from ice cream fans to pay tax debt . January 22, 2008 . Matt . Dunning . 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..

External links

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