Elisha Smiley loves classic movies, and Roman Holiday always stood out. The 1953 film features Audrey Hepburn as a princess who escapes her duties for one charmed day, gallivanting through Rome on a Vespa. Mesmerized while watching as a kid, Elisha was particularly drawn to the gelato scene: Elisha was already obsessed with Baskin-Robbins’ Jamoca Almond Fudge and loved churning homemade frozen custard on summer break with her grandparents.

Years later, Elisha was riding a Vespa of her own to her first pastry job at St. Helena’s Model Bakery.

Elisha zoomed into kitchens of renowned Italian restaurants in New York City and San Francisco and studied at Carpigiani Gelato University in the Italian city of Bologna. The pandemic steered Elisha back to Napa, where she taught in the pastry program at the Culinary Institute of America. Elisha passed on her passion for ice cream and gelato and trekked to Penn State’s renowned ice cream course to refine her dairy expertise.

In 2023, Elisha opened her own gelateria in downtown St. Helena. She parked her purple Vespa outside, and her team churns new, seasonal flavors daily, sourcing ingredients from California wine country.

Elisha invites you to escape into the magic of Roman Holiday Gelato. 

Bon apetito!