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it's better than castiglione, gelatauro (which isn't all it's hyped up to be, imo) and gianni by far. the pistacchio was actually really good, the strawberry was amaaazing and full of real fruit pieces and such rich flavor, and my favorite flavor was tortina di funavia, which was basically a coldstone-ish mix of chocolate gelato with pieces of chocolate cake (hence, tortino). AMAZING, you have to get that as at least one of your flavors! plus fun fact: they put liquid-y chocolate in the bottom of your cestino/cup if you get the "alice" flavor (mascarpone and something else). i live about 2 minutes away while i'm abroad for the semester and it's pretty dangerous for my waistline...but so worth it! go sit in the little courtyard in piazza cavour afterward with friends :)

@teaspotnyc: I'm sorry that my post is unacceptable for you. To me, a discussion about whaling is beyond the scope of what a "Snapshots from Iceland" post is (not to say that such a post isn't warranted), which I thought of as short, simple posts about unique things I ate/saw in Iceland. Judging from the comments on this post though, it was the wrong thing to choose though because it's not that simple.

I agree with Karyn. Of course, this is an emotional issue on both sides, so it is tough to find unbiased sources of data on whale populations. I don't judge people based on what their diets. But when you choose to eat whale (or any other food), I think it's crucial to take its provenance into consideration.

I've always considered Serious Eats an unmatched source for culinary information and exploration. But to run a piece like this without even mentioning the fervent debate about whaling- and the fact that the International Whaling Commission outlawed all commercial whaling in 1986- seems irresponsible at best, and negligent at worst. Isn't it hypocritical to promote shopping for local produce, getting to know your farmers at the market, etc., and then ignore the decades of history on this issue?

my initial reaction was total revulsion...upon further reflection I'm not sure why I reacted that way. I've never had a whale for a pet.

@thatjamiegirl8: I can't recall what swordfish tastes like, but unless swordfish tastes like beef I'd think probably not.

I guess I'm not such a serious eater after all... I don't think I could choke down whale.

I think it's piped on mayo.

This looks just like many a sandwiche we ate while traveling in Scandinavia. Also, love IKEA cafeteria lunches! and take-home snacks. A lot of Scandinavian cookies, etc. aren't as sweet as ours.

I remember in the early 70's eating at relatives of my husband in Holland - there was bread, ham, cheese, on the table and I remember well how the table went entirely quiet when I put ham AND cheese on one piece of bread, then added another piece of bread on top - they had never seen anything like it!

I have to admit though that the above open faced sandwich looks mighty fine - I could cosy up to that, and I will - here in Canada, it is one of the Sandwiches offered at Ikea cafe!

Some really talented chef's, although lacking in a true representation of the entire country, should produce some great food. But when the likes of Doogie Howser is a judge IT'S OFFICIAL-TOP CHEF HAS JUMPED THE SHARK ! I was a big fan at first but as seasons passed it started to wane with some huge a##holes ( remember Stefan, Hosea and the Italian guy he was so great I forgot his name ) and egotistic neurotics ( like the last woman don't mean to be sexist as there were a number of men that fit here in seasons before ) with a lot of failed execution of dishes by them all too many for a "TOP CHEF". But again Doogie Howser PLEEZE how much did he pay to be a judge. Is he trying to jumpstart his beyond dead career. Isn't he a regular on Hollywood Squares or Nickelodeon or Mickey Mouse Club. Why not me as a judge then as I refuse to eat or even taste any organs and will not hesitate to spit something bad out on the spot. But this is only my opinion pleeze don't take offense if you like it now as everyone has their own opinion and are entitled to it. So enjoy the show or simply don't watch it, the latter being my choice.

I'm weary of 'cheftestants' (ouch) and cooking as show biz. I gave up most of the Food Network long ago because of this trend. I don't consider sitting on my duff watching someone else cook a spectator sport I want to pursue.

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