Great Gelato. Not Ice Cream. In the U.S. Where? Whose?

Eating Out

Great Gelato. Not Ice Cream. In the U.S. Where? Whose?

Posted by cocopazzo, January 3, 2008 at 4:15 PM

Ed's 12/27/07 citation of the Bent Spoon in Princeton (and well deserved) leads me to inquire if there are other quality sources of gelato in the US.

I'm talking about real gelato, made from fresh eggs, not emulsified bases.

Gelato Lab. Otto. Grom (imported from Italy). All in NYC. (I don't like Ciao Bello, sorry.) CapoGiro in Philadelphia. Any other contenders in the US?
And don't cite some restaurant that serves it as dessert (like Otto). I'm inquiring about true gelaterie that specialize in that divine concoction, as found at San Crispino (in Rome), Neri (Florence), Berthillon (okay, glace, in Paris).
We can now get pretty good coffee in America. It's time to start encouraging locally made gelato (and sorbets) as well.

[ Who knows, maybe after that we can aim for great cornetto or croissant, everywhere!]

28 Comments | Tags: gelato

28 Comments:

I recently went to Dolcezza in Washington DC and had awesome pistachio gelato. I tend to use pistachio as my measuring point. ;) (I'm disappointed in Otto's pistachio—I don't recall it having that warm, buttery nutty flavor—but I love their olive oil and caramel so they're still good). Arlecchino in Phoenix also has great pistachio gelato.

roboppy at 6:04PM on 01/03/08

Not in the US but here in Toronto we have a few good gelato places. One really amazing Toronto based gelato producer (Gelato Fresco) works mostly for commercial sales (ie: airlines) sadly.

lexophile at 6:47PM on 01/03/08

Istria Cafe in Chicago (in Hyde Park) offers about 12 awesome homemade flavors of gelato every day (even in the dead of winter), in addition to excellent Intelligentsia coffee! The atmosphere of the coffee shop is really fun (lots of bright orange, fun mugs, latte art), and everything there is delicious!

ChristineB at 12:03AM on 01/04/08

ugh...after being to Neri many times I have a hard time considering anything else gelato. Nothing I've had in the US is even close.

bobbob at 9:57AM on 01/04/08

Best Gelato I've had outside of Italy was at Gelato Bar in Studio City, CA. Authentic all natural flavors, great atmosphere, and super friendly. They'll also make you a killer espresso and if you're nostaligic for Italian candy, you can find all your favorites there.

http://www.gelatobar-la.com/Menu.html

srbrooklyn at 10:09AM on 01/04/08

Next time before I rave about a place I guess I should check with my wife. This is the place I meant to refer to:

http://www.vivoli.it/vivoli-en.html

bobbob at 10:11AM on 01/04/08

There is a great place in Phoenix. Robin covered it when she was out there.

Prairie at 11:49AM on 01/04/08

Dear BobBob--

Most Florentines (not tourists) prefer Neri, which is a block or so from Vivoli. But as is the case with many things, too many busloads of guidebook clutching tourists can detract from an otherwise pleasurable experience. Both are very good.

De gustibus, non disputandum est.

cocopazzo at 12:01PM on 01/04/08

cocopazzo, I may have been there then. I'll definitely try it next time if not.

bobbob at 12:11PM on 01/04/08

OHhhhhh another vote for Dolcezza in DC. Always has great, interesting AND seasonal flavors. Most recently I had pistachio and ricotta honey. In NY, I'd say Laboratorio.

lethargarian at 1:38PM on 01/04/08

I love gelato, but the only place I've ever gotten anything good in the US is at some of the high-end restaurants that make their own.

It's not in the US, but the best ice cream I ever ate, anywhere, was in Oslo, Norway. It literally made my knees weak. It wasn't called gelato, but that's essentially what it was. Sublime comes to mind.

Oh. And it just a happened to be pistachio!

(i think i may need to go check airfares now)

LoCo at 1:48PM on 01/04/08

Well, in San Diego there's a couple of good gelaterias. My fav is Cafe Zucchero in Little Italy. It's a nice little cafe/pastry shop with some of the best gelato in town. My personal fav is the mango gelato-- it tastes just like biting into a delicious cold slice of mango. They have a great tartufo, too!

Lorena at 1:52PM on 01/04/08

Gelatiamo in Seattle.

paris221966 at 10:34PM on 01/04/08

Arlecchino Gelateria in Phoenix, without a doubt. Most of the gelato I've eaten has been in Italy, and this is the only gelateria in Arizona that lives up to (and exceeds) expectation.

miso at 1:53AM on 01/05/08

Mmm, forgot to add that they use Sicilian pistachios and local organic produce.

miso at 1:56AM on 01/05/08

Hooray Arlecchino! It's so good. I have never had better gelato in the US, even at Grom or other notable gelaterias. As noted, their traditional flavors such as the pistachio are without peer, but for me, the thing that makes Arlecchino truly stand out are their wildly inventive flavors. Some of them are more interesting experiments than stuff I would want to eat all the time such the Italian white truffle (the savory kind) flavor or the Jack Daniels flavor but others are so good, such as the Cortina (toasted almond gelato with lingonberries mixed in), that I rank them among the best dishes (not just desserts) that I have ever eaten.

chasgoose at 12:23PM on 01/05/08

Stella Gelato in Eugene, Oregon at Cafe Perugino. Pistachio so true you can almost feel the papery skins on your tongue. The bar manager there makes it and I think they distribute to the New Seasons grocery stores in Portland, too.

flood at 11:34PM on 01/05/08

capo giro in Philly
hands down the best - even better than many places in italy itself

thegreatlumpia at 10:21PM on 01/06/08

I live in Asheville, often known as the Berkley of the South, but while we have some great local ice cream, gelato as such, does not exist. We are so removed, here in Asheville, this comment software is also unaware the Italian treat, as it underlines in red as I write it, as though I were stupid one and not the software. Perhaps anyone aware of a great gelato (stop it, damn it!) that ships, I would be deeply in debt for the info.

doodoolemonque at 11:36PM on 01/06/08

Dear Doodoolemonque--

Shipping gelato essentially ruins the product --- since it has to be frozen solid in order to survive FedEx. Great gelato is served after it has been freshly made. Freezing it solid makes it inferior-- though passable, if tempered. That is one reason why the Ciao Bello pints sold in freezer cases don't measure up to the product sold in their NY shops. And also why the best places don't ship.

When I was in Rome last summer, I was surprised to see that San Crispino (one of the very best) does now offer to pack some for fly-away, but they claim its transit-life is only four hours. Fine for EU members, but not for those of us destined for the US, unless you are also preparing a great snack for your in-flight meal or stopover in Paris/London, etc., en route home.

Guess it is better than none, but not the real deal.

cocopazzo at 12:28PM on 01/07/08

If you're ever in northern MI, Petoskey, to be exact, go to American Spoonfood's restaurant and gelato bar. It's the best gelato I've had outside of Italy. And yes it is the home of American Spoonfood's fine gourmet products by Justin Rashad and family.

lmstanley at 1:19PM on 01/07/08

I third Dolcezza. I think last summer I had siux different pints in rotation... the lemon and opal basil sorbetto was incredible, and I must embarrasingly admit to having consumed an entire mixed pint of the Toigo Orchards pear and dark chocolate. The stomach ache was profound, but worth it.

VioletHeather at 4:49PM on 01/07/08

There are places that serve gelato on practically every corner in Little Italy of San Francisco, so you could keep trying until you find something authentic. I've never had 'real' gelato before, but I enjoy gelato when I can. There is even a pizza restaurant in downtown Stockton, CA that serves pretty good gelato!
And to flood: I'll have to try that place in Eugene, Ore., next time I'm up there!

misseditor at 7:07PM on 01/07/08

I wholeheartedly second Capogiro in Philly. Made fresh daily and absolutely delicious! In fact, our weather is unseasonably warm today and I think I might swing by on my way home for some. I can't wait!!

das_umlaut at 11:35AM on 01/08/08

I had pretty good gelato at the Espresso & Gelato Bar in the National Gallery of Art (East Building) in Washington, DC. They offer 16 flavors of gelato and a full espresso bar.

Gayngry at 5:16PM on 01/08/08

I haven't been impressed with Dolcezza at all. The Gelato Bar in the National Gallery of Art was surprisingly good, though. Maybe my expectations of Dolcezza were just too high.

Frost Gelateria in Tucson, AZ is pretty good.

greenteaparty at 5:51PM on 01/08/08

I third Capogiro -- I actually went there tonight. It's incredible.

Messily at 11:04PM on 01/08/08

ChristineB -- I was about to say Cafe Istria too! I just love it. My college dorm is only a block away. All of their baked goods are great too.

Ellie P. at 11:42PM on 01/08/08

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