Originally published at is it Friday yet?. Please leave any comments there.
I miss having gelato, especially fresh, homemade gelato! What is gelato? It is Italian ice cream! Gelato literally means “frozen” in Italian.
What’s the difference between gelato and our ice cream here in the US? Gelato has a denser consistency. To quote Mondo Gelato:
“Gelato is not frozen as deeply as North American style ice creams, and contains less air and less fat content, resulting in a fresher, purer taste with a lighter and creamier texture.”
I used to always have gelato at Steps of Rome in my old neighbood of North Beach in SF. During the dotcom boom, Steps was one of the scenes and crowded every nite! There would be a line out the door and down the sidewalk of people, simply waiting to get in, find a table and buy expresso drinks and gelato! They’d have a tv hooked up to satellite showing italian tv,…mostly soccer games while the speakers blared italian pop so loud, you couldn’t hear your friend talking next to you! The waiters were flirty with any female and more than happy to bring you your “cappuccino with a heart” Once you had your cappuccino and gelato, you could kick back and soak up the “Euro-chic” atmosphere,…lots of the young europeans that lived in the area would hang out at Steps and for a time, you could forget you’re in San Francisco but in a crowded cafe, somewhere in Europe, listening to the many voices speaking in Italian, German, French and so on!
Nothing beats grabbing an after-clubbing mocha latte and gelato at Steps on a Saturday nite! Ahhh, the days! Well, when I’m back in SF visiting next month, I’ll make it a point to get my fill of my favorite expresso-flavored gelato and take pics!
