On Saturday we drove to Genova. We went to the old port and visited Eataly before heading off to Piedmont to stay with friends. Even if the weather wasn't great, it is always a nice and interesting area to walk around.
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| The Acquarium |
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| See the pool and sundeck? |
As usual we got lost in the orderly and colorful rows and rows of pasta, cured meats, chocolate, beer, wine, jams, dairy products.
We decided to stop for a quick lunch so little guy could nap on our drive to Piedmont. I had a lovely carne al coltello (hand chopped raw meat of Piemontese breed) because I am avoiding carbs for a few weeks as you know. Husband had pasta di Gragnano with a fish ragout which he said was delicious. Little guy had a bit of both.
They also brought a basket of warm bread freshly baked in the wood oven. Ok, I admit I had some. Delicious.
Lurisia water and a glass of Prosecco for the husband and we were on our way.
Except we had some dessert first. I shared with the little guy because I am avoiding sugar and dairy for the next week too.
On Friday I had read about a new gelateria they recently opened in the Eataly of Genova. What a perfect coincidence! It is called Lait, Gelateria Artigianale. The ingredients are top quality, the cream base is made in the mountains of Piedmont and brought to the stores (2 for now I believe) and then mixed with the flavors upon ordering.
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| Reasonable prices |
Churning the ice cream when serving means the ice cream does not sit in tubs for long periods of time, thus not requiring the addition of preservatives or additives (food coloring, aroma). The end product is fresher, creamier, lighter. And it ensures a higher level of hygene. Apparently a special ice cream maker was designed by an internationally renowned chef just for this purpose. Our curiosity was piqued.
There are less than 10 flavors, two of which are fruit sorbets made with Lurisia water (the same water Grom uses). F got nocciola di Piemonte (hazelnut) and Pistacchio di Bronte (pistachio) in a cup. Little Guy and I got gianduja (a chocolate hazelnut mix) on a cone.
Our opinion. It was good, the ingredients certainly shone through. The pistachio, my meter for ice cream, was delicious. It was light yet creamy. Light as air because it has a lot of air in it.
It was basically gourmet soft serve, soft ice cream made with top quality ingredients. Soft serve reminds us of our childhood, so why not indulge in it with adult expectations and standards? It is a great idea, one nobody has had before, but not revolutionary. It is a classic revamped to appeal to foodies sprouting all over the world, a group of people who want and expect more from their food. It is a great marketing idea, I'll give you that.
Will it be the new Grom? Maybe not, but it is sure to draw a crowd.
I'll have to try whan I come back to Italy! It looks great!
ReplyDeleteAll that Lurisia water and soft drinks look amazing! ;-)
ReplyDeletePistachio is my meter for ice cream too! it's so delightful when you get the real pistachio flavour but often here, it tastes of almond as they use a cheaper nut mixture :(
ReplyDeleteEataly looks amazing. I can't believe it. Mecca for all things Italian. And they have one in NYC too!!! Nothing beats gelato with milk from Piemonte. And soft serve at that! Genova looks so modern!
ReplyDeleteWow, I would get lost in that store too! Maybe for hours! That is until I left for the gelato! Your little guy is adorable and so are all your photos.
ReplyDeleteI'm so jealous of your weekend trips! Definitely sounds like a foodie paradise =)
ReplyDeletePola - Genova has a lot to offer to tourists
ReplyDeleteMoomser - yes, we have a soft spot for Lurisia as you know. We end up taking pictures wherever we go (see Florence)
Lorraine - I remember the pistachio I grew up eating in NY...neon green and tasted nothing like pistachio
Nicole - I know, the NYC one is huge and really successful. You will have all the ingredients you need to recreate your Roman recipes. The old port went through a huge restyling a while back so it is a great mix of old and contemporary, exactly what is so often missing here.
Linda - thank you
Peggy - the best thing about Milan is that it is so close to everything: mountains, lakes, sea, hills. France, Switzerland, Austria, Germany, Croatia. You name it, we can pretty much do it.
Beautiful restaurant , I could easily spend the day there! Love the gelato and the soft serve; in Texas, soft-serve is really big, especially for frozen yogurt shops.
ReplyDeleteSoft serve not gelato. I was disappointed when I tried this icecream at Eatly in Florence. The gelateria in Eatly Turin is much, much, much better!
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