I like gelato. No, to be accurate, I love gelato. I first tasted it as a teenager when my family lived in Europe. One summer we traveled through Italy and this cold creamy stuff stole my heart. Now decades later I’m able to indulge in the real thing right here in Cleveland, ordering my scoops at La Gelateria and Presti’s . I tend to favor traditional flavors: of pistachio, hazelnut, cappuccino, and chocolate.
But I’m willing to experiment on occasion with more inventive stuff…up to a point. Just read in Urban Daddy, and electronic entertainment newsletter I subscribe to, about a Boston restaurant, Da Vinci’s, offering lobster gelato. I can’t get my head around it. The shellfish meat is ground up, combined with milk, cream, sugar, and vanilla, machined into a dense silky and of course cold solid. To further challenge any set notions of what ingredients are good for dessert, the chef sauces his confection with a topping made from lobster broth, honey, mango, and butter. Not sure my curiosity would be enough to get me to order it, even if I had the chance especially since a half order is $13. But if anyone reading this has ever tried it or any similar crazy flavors, I want a full report.
There is a famous ice cream store in Lares, Puerto Rico (the interior part of the island) that sells flavors that you would not believe: rice & beans (which I did not try), sweet potato (which I liked), every imaginable fruit flavor. You can also get vanilla or chocolate. I could get the name of the establishment, if anyone is interested.
Your post reminds me that we can get some similar kinds of uncommon (to Westerners) flavors right here in Cleveland: Japanese restaurants such as Ginza Sushi on Carnegie Aveneu serve green tea and red bean ice cream.
If it is not too much trouble, I think many of us would like to know the name of the place in Puerto Rico.