My flight from Italia to Texas, US, began in Bologna early in the morning on the 12th. Allora, I took a train from Firenze to Bologna the night before and stayed in the house of my friend Medi. After dinner I was offered some homemade ice cream. Little did I know what a delight I was about to experience! While I had refused some of the food Medi and his roommate Andrea offered – too much cibo for me at one sitting – how could I refuse gelato?
I proceeded to eat PLENTY of the “best gelato in all of Europe,” according to The London Observer Magazine and Germany's Focus. They were not kidding. Medi’s roommate Andrea works at Il Gelatauro on Via San Vitale, 98/B, in Bologna, Italy, and it was certainly better than anything I have ever tasted in Florence. And that is no small statement.
In 1998, the Figliomeni brothers Gianni and Cosimo opened Il Gelatauro in Bologna. They use organic ingredients, including those from their own citrus grove, as well as a few fig and walnut trees in Calabria in Southern Italy. Besides gelato, they offer handmade chocolates and pastries, as well as selected wines, fruit preserves, and bright green krumiri cookies. Also, they put no vegetable fats in their dolci.
There was an assortment of flavors on our dinner table, but the pistachio was fantastic and probably my favorite of the evening. Bologna is an interesting and energetic city. While I did not see much of it this last trip to Italia, I really enjoyed my weeklong stay in Bologna in 2004. And Il Gelatauro is now on my list to visit and try some more flavors of gelato.
Some interesting links:
Il Gelatauro on Via San Vitale, 98/B, in Bologna, Italy
http://www.gelatauro.com
Fruit and Nuts - a brief history of figs, melons and pears; pistachios, almonds, hazelnuts, pinenuts and walnuts. Now, does this not sound great:
“The same Medieval tract suggested that pears be cooked in cinnamon, cloves and red wine, and served with butter, soft cheese and sugar on top.” I also love anything with ginger in it. Read more about my favorites – figs, fennel, and cloves:
http://www.gelatauro.com/pages-eng/ingredients.htm
An interesting history of various ingredients used in Il Gelatauro’s organic gelato:
http://www.gelatauro.com/pages-eng/icecream.htm
Other articles on gelateria in Italy/ Bologna
Read about the fabulous krumiri cookies made from Bronte pistachios made by Il Gelatauro:
http://www.davidlebovitz.com/archives/2006/10/molto_gelato_in.html
http://www.seriouseats.com/eating_out/2007/10/guide-to-gelato-in-bologna.html
Another reason to visit Bologna, Italia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portico
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