Some turn their noses up at eating gelato in winter. “It’s too cold outside,” they scoff. Fine, leaves more for us.
There’s never a bad time to eat gelato, the denser, more intensely flavored Italian cousin of ice cream, especially if it’s the kind made by St. Louis’ own Gelato di Riso. Now with only one location on The Hill, the shop manufactures its own natural gelato in a variety of flavors. Year round, we’re partial to gianduja, the heavenly chocolate-hazelnut combo, but the citrus flavors are particularly delicious at this time of year. The café offers a variety of coffee drinks and soups as well.
Of course, it’s perfectly fine to enjoy a cup or cone of gelato on its own, but don’t limit yourself. Choose several complimentary flavors and, at home, layer them in a loaf pan for a beautiful frozen terrine. Make a quick graham cracker crust, mix something crunchy into softened gelato, freeze it and you’ll have a knock-out pie with very minimal effort. Or, if you absolutely insist on something warm, there’s always affogato. Brew up a cup of strong espresso and pour it over a scoop of gianduja gelato for a sweet and warm treat.
This article appears in January 2011.