on the road: Rome

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“You scream, I scream, we all scream for…gelato?”
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“L’Arte del Gelato”

So I’ve got 20 minutes on this horrible hostel computer to talk about Rome, but really…who wants to hear about Rome when we could talk about gelato?  Seriously.  Jorge, Andrea, and I agreed on our first day in Venice to have a gelato every day of our trip with the added stipulation that we couldn’t try the same flavor twice.  I’ve been here eight days so far, and let’s be honest… my first day attempt at getting a single scoop cone didn’t last long.  That means that I’ve tried 15 flavors so far.  Through this process (and undoubtedly important life experience) I have developed a fail safe series of suggestions for creating the perfect cone.  Firstly, the flavors should complement each other without overwhelming the other.  Three flavors is too hectic, while one is just plain boring.  Secondly, always go for the cone when possible.  I used to be a cup person, but there’s something about eating gelato out of a cup in Italy that just feels wrong.   I started off the trip with a single scoop of Cafe (also known as…Coffee).  This decision was most likely propelled by the fact that I had spent the previous night sleeping on the floor outside of a Subway Sandwich shop in London (but that’s another story).  On day 2 in Venice, I had my best cone thus far.  I really hope I didn’t peak too early…but nothing has beaten my amaretto/banana combination…not to mention the fact that it was from a famously old gelato shop on the lagoon (I would have written down the name if I wasn’t so preoccupied with the danger of gelato meltage). I faltered a bit through Cinque Terre.  The heat and hiking made me go for the fruity flavors, and I’ve formed the opinion that double fruit is no good.  For example: combining coconut with mango definitely inhibited my overall mango enjoyance, as the coconut was too much after a few bites or licks or whatever.  I’d heard of the famous Florence gelato and although the prices were steeper, it did not disappoint.  I was delighted to find the elusive walnut flavor that Id heard so much about.  It was…

[This is where my twenty minutes on the computer ran out.  In retrospect, I got a little carried away with the gelato post...so I'll try to finish this up succinctly and without making myself miss Italy too much more]

I have no idea what I was about to say about the walnut gelato.  Probably something along the lines of “mmmmm, omg, mmmmmmmmm.”  In Rome, we were lucky to find a famous gelato shop called Il Gelato di San Crispino.  This was a definite highlight of my mini Italian gelato tour.  Oftentimes considered the best gelateria in Rome, San Crispino is tucked away on a little street near the Trevi Fountain.  The first time we went (yes, we went twice), I got pistachio and bourbon.  They have crazy flavors like Armagnac, Ginger Cinnamon, Whisky, Walnut and Dried Fig, and fruit flavors that change seasonally and are made from specifically chosen imported fruit.  Their pistachio has crunchy bits in it and  is more grey than green (which is reassuring because I’ve always wondered why pistachio ice cream is mint green).  On our last day in Rome, we made a quick stop at the shop on our way home.  I got apple and their original honey flavor appropriately titled “Il Gelato di San Crispino.”  I had to get a cup because they don’t even offer cones (which would be upsetting if the gelato wasn’t so damn good).  Anyways, the point is that this final gelato was the best of my entire trip.  Their fruit flavors are so dense.   The apple was like a delicious homemade apple sauce/ice cream hybrid, and the combination of apple and honey was better than the real thing on Rosh Hashanah.  As made evident by the amaretto/banana and apple/honey combinations, I have changed my former preference for not mixing cream and fruit flavors.  Turns out, you just have to find the right balance.

[Update:  Annalisa has informed me that the gelateria in Venice is called "Gelateria da Nico."  Try the amaretto!]

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