Gelato Duel...

Florence, Italy

October 7, 2007
N43°46.653
E011°15.603

Since we made a logistical error by not pre-booking a timeframe for the Uffizi Gallery we had Sunday to wander through the streets of Florence. We were all a little disappointed, but then realized this allowed us to explore other parts of Florence—away from the city center and hoards of travel groups.

Since the weather was crisp and clear we decided to trek to the south side of the Arno River, explore a few parks, and capture a view of the Florence skyline. Perched on top of the Michelangelo Park we looked back across the river at the enormous Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore; a mere tune-up for the Sistine Chapel in Rome. The grounds of Michelangelo Park were hopping with tourists. Several wedding parties, who attempted to pose for pictures, sat patiently with a perma-smile as steady streams of tour groups unknowingly wandered in front of the frustrated photographer’s camera.

As soon as we wandered away from the park we found a quant little neighborhood where locals sat around drinking coffee and enjoying the sun. It was the exact scene I expected to see in Italy on a sunny Sunday afternoon. Instead of grabbing an afternoon espresso we decided to have a gelato duel. There were two gelaterias that came highly recommended to us and figured we had better get an early start if we were going to sample each before our final day in Florence came to an end. We visited Gelateria Vivoli in the afternoon (at the exact time a tour group rolled in) and GROM in the evening instead of dinner.

The ordering process (pay first, receive receipt, order gelato) at Gelateria Vivoli confused many of the tourists; thus, adding to the length of the line and chaos in the crowded shop. Additionally, there wasn’t a posted listing of all of the available flavors, making it difficult to know what you want until you get to the front of the line. I made a hasty selection and wasn’t even sure of one of the flavors I ended up with. Both flavors were still yummy, nice and creamy, but still not my top ice cream/gelato experience.

Around 8:00 PM we hit the streets to scout out GROM, winners of a Slow Food award and boast top quality, fresh, in-season products in all their handmade gelato. The gelateria is tucked in a little corner near Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore. I ordered the house specialty, Crema de Grom, and Nougat. The flavors were big, fresh, and vibrant and clearly rivaled the ice cream in Argentina. Marc is still partial to the great ice cream flavors in Argentina and I agree with that point… I love a good Dulce de Leche.

Overall, the experience at GROM was superior, no tourists, fresh ingredients and clearly posted flavors listed on the wall. In fact, they keep all their gelato in sealed metal containers, preventing it from melting and spoiling, and providing a surprise well worth a visit!

Tomorrow… Rome!