(San Francisco)
Pasqualetti is a gelato chef well-known in Italy for Gelateria Pasqualetti—a family-run gelato enterprise dating back 40 years. Trois—also known for cooking on Italian TV shows—attended Alma Culinary School and was a chef and instructor at culinary academy Gambero Rosso.
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Typically, I prefer ice cream over gelato, but Gio Gelati makes me feel otherwise. “Gio” stands for Gelato Italiano Originale, and they are true to their name. They have amazing gelato that really brings out the taste of each flavor! They offer over 32 flavors and rotate the fruit ones seasonally. I’m usually hesitant about fruit flavors because they tend to taste artificial, but it’s so apparent here that I’m left speechless, like literally. Their grapefruit is so sour that I can’t say anything, but I can’t help but want more. This is one of the few gelato places in the city and probably the only one I go to. I’ve seen them pop up at Off the Grid: Fort Mason and at The Market, but their store is located in the marina district, where they also offer baked goods and frozen treats.
- Passion Fruit: I’m most passionate about this flavor! It’s very hard to find authentic passion fruit whether that’s in drinks or dessert. Most places tend to use syrup and that is not how passion fruit tastes. If yo’ve ever had the actual passion fruit, you’ll know that it’s a lot more sour and tangy, whereas the syrups are overly sweetened. I’ve never had passion fruit as strong as the one in this gelato, so make sure to try it!
- Pink Grapefruit: Similar to the passion fruit, the grapefruit flavor is outstanding. It brings out the taste so much that it’s very very sour. I definitely cringe with every lick, but I still love it. Imagine an extreme warheads without the sugar. Not many people can handle this, but I still recommend that you at least sample it.
- Stracciatella: If you don’t already know what this is, it’s the Italian version of chocolate chip ice cream. I don’t normally get chocolate chip, but the Italian version tastes so much better. Not to mention, it helped balance out the sour and tanginess from the other flavors I got.
I still want to try the pomegranate, but I have to wait until it’s in season 🙁