Features

Gelato town: The Italian treat is taking over Las Vegas

Image
Photo: Jon Estrada
Debbie Lee, Spencer Patterson, Kristy Totten, Leslie Ventura

When our summer-ish spring rolls around and we’re spending every minute out in the sun, a question arises: How is it possible this scorching city doesn’t have tons of great ice cream shops? Because Vegas is a gelato town, baby. The icy Italian treat has taken over the Valley in recent years, expanding far past the tourist-cooling kiosks dotting the Strip to include colorfully creative neighborhood shops. Every corner seems to have its own gelateria, but a handful are going above and beyond in the pursuit of fantastic flavors. We surveyed the local sweet scene and scooped up a few favorites.

    • ART OF FLAVORS

      Photo

      Sweet and savory brown sugar marshmallow with kabocha squash. Bright and juicy red wine hibiscus. Salted sweet potato caramel swirl. With 24 tongue-tantalizing flavors and an ever-changing menu loaded with local and seasonal ingredients, you’ll want to taste everything at Art of Flavors. Good thing the sample spoons are big.

      In January, Doug Taylor—former executive pastry chef for Mario Batali’s Las Vegas restaurant group—took over at the Downtown shop, a move he calls a no-brainer.

      “The feel is a lot of the same thing I did with the Batali group ... local products, making everything from scratch. I’m working with a lot of local farms and trying to get everything as fresh as possible.”

      Taylor has gone so far as to pick plum and nectarine blossoms from a North Las Vegas orchard, and mix them with rose petals, hops and lavender to turn “Las Vegas in the spring” into gelato. Also: homemade dulce de leche-filled churros. Enough said.

      “It’s a comfort food and it’s a celebration,” Taylor says of his creamy sweets. “I really want people to come in and geek out with me.” 1616 Las Vegas Blvd. S. #130, 702-457-5522. Daily, noon-10 p.m.Leslie Ventura

    • GELATO MESSINA

      Photo

      It’s hard to believe that a chain store in a suburban shopping mall would give Las Vegas bragging rights over other major food cities, but Messina—the first and only U.S. outpost of an Aussie gelato brand—is a game-changer.

      Sleek environs and inventive, forward-thinking flavors bear zero resemblance to the traditional ice cream parlors of yore. Regular daily-churned flavors include apple pie and panna cotta with fig jam and amaretti, while inspired specials will keep you coming back in weekly intervals. Think of it as the ultimate in sophisticated stoner grub. Past hits include cracker jacks (caramel peanut butter popcorn gelato with peanut popcorn praline) and rosewater with smashed baklava.

      The best part? Execution is spot-on. Each spoonful is a dense, luscious flavor bomb with nary an ice crystal to ruin the experience. Traditionalists need not fret—Messina's got your standard flavors, too. It’s just nice to know that once the oppressive heat kicks in, there’ll be respite for locals whose tastes are anything but vanilla. Downtown Summerlin, 702-848-1688. Sunday–Thursday, 11 a.m.–10 p.m.; Friday & Saturday, 11 a.m.–10:30 p.m.Debbie Lee

    • GELATOLOGY

      Photo

      How many flavors can one ask to sample before feeling sheepish? At Desyree Alberganti’s 7-month-old Gelatology in the southwest Valley, that’s never a concern. The pastry chef/gelato wizard lives to watch you try her all-natural flavors—she estimates she’s created more than 100 so far—ranging from classics like a spot-on pistachio and crowd-pleasing red velvet cake (eat it off our cover!) to more experimental choices like foie gras with rosemary and fried chicken & waffles.

      “My head never stops. I’ll be eating lunch or dinner and a new flavor will occur to me,” says the cheerful Alberganti, who worked previously in Strip kitchens at Venetian and Harrah’s and at Downtown’s Art of Flavors. “Chocolate, vanilla and strawberry are great, but I like to incorporate other things. That’s what takes gelato to the next level for me.”

      Gelatology offers a variety of other house-made treats—macaroons, cupcakes, brittles—but it’s the 18-pan gelato case (which always includes gluten-free, vegan and lactose-free options) that takes center stage—along with the smiling entrepreneur behind it, doling out samples as fast as we can finish them. “It’s about having a one-on-one relationship with my customers, showing them, teaching them,” Alberganti says. “That’s always been so important to me.” 7910 S. Rainbow Blvd. #110, 702-914-9144. Monday-Thursday, 1-10 p.m.; Friday-Saturday, 1-11 p.m.; Sunday, noon-10 p.m.Spencer Patterson

    • JEAN PHILIPPE PATISSERIE

      Photo

      The way the artful pastries and chocolates beckon from the front counters of Aria’s Jean Philippe Patisserie, you’re forgiven if you haven’t scoped out the side case of gelato. Life’s even tougher for gelato at the Bellagio location, where it competes with an iconic chocolate fountain a few feet away.

      Skipping out on a scoop, however, would mean missing out on a true Vegas Strip treat.

      “Gelato to me is a destination,” says the man behind the deliciousness, pioneering French pastry chef Jean-Philippe Maury. “It’s something that reminds us of our childhood.”

      JPP churns out 1,250 gallons of gelato each day for its two locations, Maury says, in an 8,000-square-foot kitchen on Aria’s third floor. And it’s no simple process. “We have three guys working eight hours a day on just gelato. We make all the gelato base from scratch; no powder. We use half and half, 12 percent fat, so it melts in your mouth. And all our flavoring is natural.”

      Test for yourself—we suggest the texture-perfect coconut or the flavor-packed pistachio (better yet, one scoop of each)—but be forewarned: You’ll turn your car toward the Strip a lot more often once you do. Aria, 702-590-7277. Monday-Thursday, 6 a.m.-midnight; Friday-Saturday, 6 a.m.-2 a.m.; Sunday, 6 a.m.-1 a.m. Bellagio, 702-693-8788. Monday-Thursday, 6 a.m.-11 p.m.; Friday-Sunday, 6 a.m.-midnight.SP

    • AMORINO

      Photo

      So many things make Amorino awesome, it’s hard to know where to start.

      For one, the cone scoops are shaped like roses—an appropriately stunning showcase of the Italian import’s bold gelatos. Two, you can pack as many flavors as you wish into your order, even if it’s a tiny, European small, which brings us to three: These sizes are refreshingly restrained, compared to hulking American offerings in which “small” is an obvious misnomer. But these perks only polish Amorino’s true appeal: its captivating, ultra-rich flavors, made with carefully sourced, all-natural, organic ingredients.

      “Our objective is to make the highest-quality gelato as naturally as possible with no artificial colors or flavorings,” says co-founder Paolo Benassi, who founded the international chain with childhood friend Cristiano Sereni. Fittingly, their flavors replicate the wonder of a first taste, from bitter dark chocolate to creamy amarena cherry to coffee so strong you can use it to chase a spoonful of speculoos, which aside from texture and temperature is indistinguishable from a buttery shortbread cookie. Try amarena, caramel and hazelnut, and be thankful you’re not limited to one. Las Vegas North Premium Outlets, 702-229-2807. Daily, 9 a.m.-9 p.m. (second location set to open at Linq in May).Kristy Totten

    Tags: Dining, Featured, Food
    Share
    • It’s a different kind of Mediterranean restaurant, drawing heavily from Mina’s Egyptian heritage to repackage familiar food with robust, Middle Eastern flavors.

    • On our last visit we were lucky to try the special of the day, filet mignon wrapped in crispy pancetta with a mound of Parmesan ...

    • Experience unmatched March basketball viewing parties in Las Vegas! Join SAHARA Las Vegas, Resorts World, South Point and more from March 21-24 for large screens, ...

    • Get More Dining Stories
    Top of Story