Chef Jay Bliznick has always wanted to open a magic-themed ice cream shop, and now, that dream is about to become reality. Enter: Sideshow Gelato. When Jay Bliznick connected with world-famous magician Penn Jillette, they hit it off and decided to open a magical gelato shop.
Set to open in Lincoln Square this March, customers can expect an array of fun flavors from Bliznick’s ice cream brand. Each flavor is adorned with a character image designed by David Gilleran, dubbed the Sideshow Gelato Main Attractions’s. The staff will be performing as well, entertaining customers with a series of magicians, jugglers, and acrobats. The space is also open to aspiring magicians, jugglers, and acrobats, as they continue to hone their crafts– between serving delicious gelato, of course.
Sideshow Gelato will feature a staging area with seating for 50, alongside a museum of rare finds inspired by similar sideshow exhibits that were once found in traveling circuses. The business venture came about after Bliznick reached out to Jillette (who is one half of the famed Penn and Teller magician duo) and got him to invest, sending custom-made flavors over to the magician to help convince him.
Before pursuing the gelato shop, Jay Bliznick was an executive chef at Del Rio Italian in suburban Highwood. He’s also the co-founder of the Chicago Underground Film Festival. There will be a Sideshow Gelato pop-up at Logan Square’s Blnk Haus in August.
Address: 4819 N. Western Ave. Chicago, IL 60625
[Featured photo via: Shutterstock]