I scream, you scream, we all scream for…..gelato?

by Lorraine CherryI scream, you scream, we all scream for…..gelato? Gelato is one of the fastest growing sweet treats in the country, and there are a lot of good reasons for this. Although roughly similar to ice cream, there are significant differences in how it is made and in how it tastes. Unlike ice cream, gelato uses milk instead of heavy cream and no added egg yolks. Nonetheless it is creamier and denser than ice cream. This comes from a slower churning that incorporates a lot less air. Because of the lower butterfat content, the calorie count is lower (although still not precisely a health food!) and the flavors pop a lot more. Where to go around here to get gelato? Give Gelazzi a try, conveniently located on the south side of White Oak Drive just a couple blocks east of Heights Boulevard. At least two dozen gelatos and sorbets are made each day, and we haven’t found a bad one yet. The chocolate hazelnut was the single chocolatiest thing I’ve ever tasted. At the other end of the flavor spectrum, the mango sorbet was like eating the distilled essence of the best, most perfectly ripe mango. In between, fig mascarpone was decadent and rich tasting, with the chewy bits of Calymyrna figs playing off nicely against the creaminess of the gelato. They have a lot of other sweet items for sale (e.g., salted caramels, cake balls, cannolis, coffee drinks), but I’ll probably be working my way through the gelatos for a while first. They change out the flavors and don’t have everything every day, so I’m still really curious to see what the Mexican chocolate chili tastes like. Gelazzi is located at 3601 White Oak Drive, and is open every day from noon until 10:00 p.m. They have a small amount of indoor seating along with a large outdoor area in back that includes a bocce ball court. In between is a great wall mural of Houston where you may want to pose your visiting aunt from Kokomo to snap some pictures. Summer is finally here. What are you waiting for?