The name of Nudo Gelateria, the new café in Nonantum, might seem rather provocative. But owner/chef Andrew Tedeschi has a definite (and very wholesome) reason for giving this name to his two-week-old business.

“Sure, nudo means nude,” he says with a twinkle in his eyes. “But it’s talking about the ingredients in my gelato, in everything I serve. It’s the best, most basic ingredients, in their purest form.”

Tedeschi got interested in good food at an early age. Growing up in Wellesley as one of five brothers, he lived just across the street from his grandparents. He recalls that his grandmother was a fantastic cook, but he was the only one of the boys in his family who had an adventurous palate so he often reaped the benefits of his “nonna’s” kitchen.

After graduating from Newbury College’s Culinary Program in 2006, Tedeschi went to work at Vela Restaurant in Wellesley (which closed in 2009).  Under the tutelage of Chef Frank Santonastaso, Tedeschi formed his guiding “do it yourself and do it right” philosophy and learned the ins-and-outs of running a restaurant.

He also learned that he had a strong preference for doing things his way.

So after spending a couple of years in other people’s venues, including Bakers’ Best’s commissary, fate stepped in to give Tedeschi a little shove towards making his dream of owning his own place come true.

“It’s funny, my family’s always been in this neighborhood,” Tedeschi explains. “And it’s lacked an Italian-style café.  My brother was visiting and saw that the corner store on Cook was available and said, ‘That’d be a good place for a gelateria.’ I put the numbers together, and it seemed like a good idea.”

Between April of this year and opening day on June 4, Tedeschi gutted the entire location and rebuilt it to be the bright, modern, inviting space you see now.

Tedeschi sees Nudo Gelateria as “bringing the North End to you,” but he also proudly claims that his place “does it better than they do.” Having done extensive research before committing to a vendor, Tedeschi notes that Nudo’s gelato “is made in the Italian way by Italian hands.”

But while he has a commitment to using authentic, Italian ingredients, Tedeschi also recognizes the importance of utilizing locally produced and grown components. The bread for Nudo’s paninis comes from Antoine’s Pastry Shop right across the street, and fruit smoothies are made seasonally depending on local availability of fresh fruit.

Speaking of availability, Tedeschi is particular proud to be one of the few local purveyors of LavAzza espresso, touted on its own site as “Italy’s Favorite Coffee.” Tedeschi sees this popular beverage as a perfect accompaniment to his gelatos and pastries.

In the future, Tedeschi would like to open another one or two Nudo Gelaterias – “maybe one in town and one out on Route 9, in the Natick/Framingham area,” he muses. But for now, he’s just happy to be living his dream of having a neighborhood gelateria and being true to his roots.

“That is what it’s all about,” Tedeschi says, gesturing to the photos of himself, his “nonna” overseeing his making of gnocchi, and his little brother (all photos taken by his brother Daniel, a professional photographer). “I wanted to make this place personal. You will always see my face here, morning to night. It’s how it should be.”