John L.
Yelp
Looking for authentic Italian gelati with natural flavors? This is the place. Pastry Chef Gianluigi Dellaccio; a native of Naples (Napoli), Italy; owns 3 locations: Shaw (Washington DC); Takoma Park, MD; and Old Town Alexandria. He has a partner at this location which opened in November 2015. FYI, gelati is the Italian plural for gelato. Gelato is Italian for ice cream.
My wife and I had some exquisite Argentine gelato at Casa Rosada, so we came here to taste Italian gelato because it is where Argentine gelato originated. We tried 2 flavors of gelato and 3 flavors of sorbet.
1) Amarena Cherry Gelato
This was a vanilla gelato with pieces of Amarena cherries and swirls of cherry syrup. It was rich and creamy with a modest vanilla flavor. It had a moderate sweetness with a bold cherry flavor. It was similar to maraschino cherries except the flavor was fresh and stronger with a slight tartness. Delicious! If you love fresh cherries, then this is for you!
2) Honey Marscapone Fig Gelato
This was rich and creamy but a touch harder than the Amarena Cherry gelato. So, it didn't melt as fast. It was moderately sweet with natural flavors of fig and honey. There was a touch of tartness from the mascarpone which paired nicely with the sweetness. This was a beautiful blend of natural flavors. This won first place for Best Flavor at the Gelato Festival in Boulder, Colorado.
3) Strawberry Lavender Sorbet
This was a smooth thick sorbet with moderate sweetness. There was no iciness. The aroma was mostly of lavender with a background of strawberry. The flavor was floral with a touch of fresh picked strawberries and a sensation of grape soda flavor at the end. The layers of flavors were unique and flavorful.
4) Mango Sorbet
This had a natural mango flavor with moderate sweetness. It was smooth and thick with no iciness. It had a light citrus flavor which made it crisp and refreshing.
5) Lemon Sorbet
I tried a sample of this. It was intense in lemon flavor. There was lemon juice and zest in it. It was citrusy and tart with enough sweetness to make it enjoyable. This would be a great palette cleanser.
They sell 3 flavors of sorbet, 15 flavors of gelato, espresso, lattes, coffee drinks, a variety of affogato drinks, blended drinks, breakfast sandwiches, lunch sandwiches, muffins, bagels, fritters, donuts, danishes, tea cakes, cookies, and croissants. They had 8 tables with chairs. The dining areas and restroom were clean. There is only one restroom and it was worn looking. The service was helpful, polite, patient, and quick. The atmosphere was quiet and relaxed even though customers were coming and going frequently. This is an excellent cafe for high quality gelati and sorbets. I was impressed by their fresh natural flavors! We'll have to return to try other items. I highly recommend you give them a visit!