Master gelatier and Paso Robles native Niccolo Lekai's favorite animal isn't the lion, but the beast is emblematic of his Italy-speckled childhood, hence the stylized Lion of Venice stamped on Leo Leo Gelato's pints.

"We just thought that the name had a fun little ring to it," Lekai laughed. "You see the lion being used in Florence, just as a symbol of power. I had to make the lion look a certain way because oftentimes it's used really aggressively with teeth and fangs."