L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, MAY 28, 2015 www.italoamericano.org 18 L'Italo-Americano Savoring Italy one gelato at the time: a tour of Italy's best gelaterie T h e o r i g i n s o f g e l a t o a r e u n c l e a r a n d s e v e r a l I t a l i a n towns claim to be the birthplace of this best loved dessert, but one thing we know for sure: after the proliferation of indus- trial gelaterie and pre-packaged ice cream, in the past few years t h e t r e n d h a s c h a n g e d a n d Italians have veered towards traditional artisanal shops that prepare gelato like it was pre- pared more than 60 years ago. All over Italy gelato lovers are seeking gelato that is made with only fresh ingredients and tradi- tional methods, such as the ones that can be found in these top Italian gelaterie: Gelateria Vivoli Firenze www.vivoli.it V i v o l i i s s a i d t o b e Florence's oldest gelateria and legend has it that at the begin- ning of the 20th century they used to carry snow from the nearby mountains to produce their famous gelato. Although nowadays they count on more modern technologies, their ice cream is still amazingly good: just look at the crowd lining up all the way outside the shop at a l l t i m e s o f t h e d a y ! A t r u e Florentine institution, Vivioli opened in 1929 as a milk shop where people gathered to drink c o f f e e t o p p e d w i t h f r e s h whipped cream. Three years l a t e r b r o t h e r s a n d o w n e r s Serafino and Raffaello Vivoli started making gelato and, in the following decades, became i c e c r e a m l e g e n d s . T r y t h e lemon gelato or the cream of V i n S a n t o , m a d e w i t h l o c a l wine and cantucci cookies. Gelati DiVini Piazza Duomo 20, Ragusa Ibla I d e a l l y s e t i n t h e c e n t r a l P i a z z a d e l D u o m o , G e l a t i D i V i n i n o t o n l y c a n b o o s t a stunning location, but also some of the best artisanal gelatos in Sicily. Their specialties are pis- tacchio, from nearby Bronte, spiced Mayan chocolate and ricotta. Because Gelati DiVini is also a winery, make sure you try t h e i r u n i q u e P a s s i t o d i Pantelleria and Moscato D'Asti ice cream flavors: you won't find them anywhere else! Antica Gelateria Sartori Milano Sartori has been opened for 78 years right next to Milan's Central Station and, ever since then, has been a hit with locals and tourists alike. You won't find anything fancy here: the gelateria is a actually a kiosk and the red neon sign above it is everything but sophisticated: but don't let that fool you, their gelato is one of the best in town. Their stracciatella -vanilla ice cream with chocolate chips- is simple but amazing, as are the hazelnut and lemon granitas that made Sartori famous. CHIARA ASSI Otaleg! Via dei Colli Portuensi 594, Roma www.otaleg.com The most creative and talked about gelato in Rome is pre- p a r e d a t O t a l e g ! , w h e r e a n amazing array of ingredients, many of which are registered as P r e s i d i o S l o w F o o d (http://www.slowfood.it/), are turned each day in wonderful and unexpected concoctions. Sure, you can have a chocolate ice cream, but wouldn't you rather try the gorgonzola and white chocolate gelato? And what about mustard ice cream? It all sounds crazy, but gelato aficionados always go back for more. Don't miss it if you trav- el to the Eternal City. Bandirali Via Piacenza 93, Crema www.gelateriabandirali.it/ Opened by Mauro Bandirali in 1973, this family run gelate- ria has a rich and proud tradi- tion in gelato making: Grandma A n i t a h a d b e e n p r e p a r i n g homemade ice cream for her trattoria since 1951 and taught her young son everything there i s t o k n o w t o p r o d u c e r i c h creams and delightful sorbets. Her grandson is now in charge of the shop and produces an incredible variety of flavors using only the best and freshest ingredients. Try the wonderful amaretto gelato or, if you are a fan of fruit, the frutti di bosco, made with fresh wild berries. La Fonderia Artigiani del Gelato Via Angarano 65, Bassano del Grappa With its retro atmosphere and vintage look, this gelateria i s f a m o u s f o r u s i n g l o c a l l y sourced ingredients, such as f r e s h m i l k f r o m n e a r b y S a n Michele farm. The gelato is then prepared using traditional m e t h o d s a n d t h e r e s u l t i s a c r e a m y , d e l i c i o u s a n d l i g h t gelato that tastes like real milk: the fior di latte is their best, although very traditional, fla- vor; for something more adven- turous try the delicious hazelnut g e l a t o m a d e w i t h n u t s f r o m Avola, Sicily. Il Gelatiere Sant'Agostino V i a C a l M a g g i o r e 6 0 , Treviso www.ilgelatieresantagosti- no.it/ S t e f a n o , F a b i o a n d Antonella Dassie will dazzle you with their beautiful presen- tation and delicious gelato, con- taining only fresh ingredients and absolutely no hydrogenated fats. Chocolate and rose petals, lemon and basil, cinnamon and apples, milk and Nutella... these are just some of the creative, unusual flavors offered at il Gelatiere Sant'Agostino. No wonder Stefano has won the title of Gelato World Champion in 2010! Marco Radiconi, owner of Otaleg! where you can try unusual but delicious gelato's flavors Sartori, in Milan, is a simple kiosk but their gelato is one of the best in town

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