All about Gelati

It has been a fortnight since I wrote, holidays throw me a little.

This week I would like to talk to you about Gelati, I am pretty sure gelati is the plural of gelato and I want to talk about a lot of it.

For a while now I have been frequenting two different Gelatarias. La Mimosa Gelati in Coorparoo and Milano Gelato in Stones Corner.

There is a third place I have eaten gelati from twice, Gelato Messina. There have been others, but not with the regularity of La Mimosa Gelato and Milano Gelato. Quench still has the best vegan chocolate gelato I have had, and all its other gelati is pretty good too, but it is not part of this story.

Gelato Messina

Let’s start with Gelato Messina. It is part of a small chain that I think started in Melbourne. The gelati is good, and from what I have heard the place can get packed some nights. When I went there was a guy sitting outside enjoying his gelati, and the two staff members who were in that bored state you get into when you’re at the finding something to do stage of work.

My only problem with this place, and it has nothing to do with the gelati, is that there was an air of superiority when I went in. Like it was supposed to be an exciting experience, which it was but that had nothing to do with the venue. That being said the staff were helpful and good, and the flavours were good.

I have had nine flavours from Gelato Messina, don’t worry I’m not going to make this a giant list of gelati flavours, and my favourite had fig jam in it. They have a lot of odd names for things but don’t let that deter you from trying them, also if they just have the name and no ingredients there is a board with what is in if you look around. I did not and had it pointed out to me when I asked about one of the flavours, the guy still told me the flavours though and the way he said it I am guessing a lot of people don’t notice the board.

One of the flavours I got, that was more tart than I was expecting, was coconut and mango salsa. It was still pretty good, but the other end of the scale. To be honest I would need to get one on it’s own to know if this was the tart one. I had three flavours and if the two with caramel in it turn out to be one of the tart ones they really messed up the caramel.

La Mimosa Gelato

Of a Tuesday night, I like to swing by here and get a gelati shake, or a three scoop tub. They have a pretty good selection of flavours to choose from and the gelati itself is pretty good.

This seems like the new kid on the block of the three places, and I think I like this place more for the service. It comes across as a family business, where everyone except the dad is still learning the ropes and the dad doesn’t seem to quite get that bit yet.

This is not why you should go there.

Go there for a chocolate, coffee and pistachio three flavour tub (they are separate flavours and I am not sure it was plain chocolate). This was a pretty good combo. The pistachio wasn’t a strong pistachio flavour but it was there, mixed with the chocolate it became a cold confectionary of middle road delightness. Not amazing but still good.

They also have a trifle gelato. It was good, it tasted like trifle. Like the flavours of trifle all rolled into one. Not the point when you are beginning the trifle, but the bit when you are halfway through and the ingredients have mixed in the bowl. Which brings me to my favourite one of the three.

Milano Gelato

My favourite trifle gelato comes from here, to me it tastes like the first few spoons into the bowl of trifle. I could taste the custard, jelly and cake all at once. This was the first gelati I had from this place. I don’t recall if I mixed it with anything or not.

Milano Gelato is a tiny shop, tucked away in Stones Corner, it’s easier to find than I made it just sound though. I have had fewer flavours from here than the other two, but there is a reason for that.

They have a few flavours I really like. Their turmeric gelato is surprisingly good, especially mixed with a cold, sweet sorbet. In my case I usually have it with pineapple if they have it. They have a really good white nectarine sorbet too.

I don’t know what they do differently to the other two places, maybe it is love, maybe the older woman who makes it all, and I think owns it, is a witch. Who cares. There is just something small about it that makes this my favourite of the three.

Regardless of who is serving you here, you get the feeling they are working here because they love gelati. When I asked about the flavours the first time I went in, I got an enthusiastic spiel about how good they all were, I went to try their chocolate but I noticed the trifle and had that instead.

If I am going to highly recommend any of these places it is this one. It’s not fancy, it’s tiny inside but there is something about the gelati here that makes it my favourite. It’s not the best I have ever had, but it is good.

Putting the spoon down

Ok, that is it for my gelati bit, for now. For the record, the best gelati I have had (to me anyway) was from Quench. The Vegan Chocolate, French Vanilla and Strawberry Sorbet mix. I am pretty sure I have waffled on about that in a previous place though.

Eat well.