I Dolci: Gelato, Tiramisu and…well…that’s all we have tried……so far.

Italians sure do know how to do dessert.  Both gelato (Ice cream) and Tiramisu (no translation can do it justice…) were dishes with which we were familiar before coming to Italy.  In fact Amy’s mom, Eileen Fahlgren, makes a mean tiramisu that could compete with some of them over here.  But our first taste of authentic, Italian dolci blew us away.

Gelato is sold on every street, at all times of the day and night.  To the Italians, it is important to present the bella figura (a good first impression), and this extends to the way that they present their gelato:  You don’t see the crude, cardboard containers used at Ben & Jerry’s in the States.  (No offense to Ben, he’s a cool guy; Jerry can go to hell).  Instead, massive and beautiful displays adorn the gelaterie:  the fragola (strawberry) gelato is topped with fresh strawberries; rum flavored gelato is topped with rum crumbles and stripped with diagonal reservoirs of chocolate and caramel sauce.  Amy had a lemon gelato that included large chunks of bread within.  Fruitier gelato is lighter, more resembling a sorbet.  Other gelato is thick, rich and creamy.  All gelato is delicious.  Ben Abbe would have insisted he try EVERY flavor, thankfully, Jessica Abbe would have limited him to 5 or 6.  We enjoy gelato occasionally during the afternoon, and often in the late evening, around 10 or 11, when the locals walk the streets of the city.

A display case full of Gelato, at one of the more unimpressive establishments.

The Gelato.  Note the fresh fruits that adorn it. 

Amy with a delicious Gelato. 

Tiramisu was invented by a genius.  It must have been.  It is that delicious.  For those not yet initiated, it consists of ladyfingers, rum, espresso, cream, and on occasion unsweetened chocolate powder or cinnamon.  It usually comes in a cake form, although we have had Tiramisu that was distended:  It almost looked like it had been torn apart; it was delicious none-the-less.  We get Tiramisu at the restaurant where we eat.  They always have other options, and we always consider them.  But in the end, we come back to the Tiramisu.  It is just too good.

Probably our best Tiramisu.  It looks almost like a loaf of bread.

Another good Tiramisu, this one with warm espresso bubbling in the center.

A distended, unconventional (but none-the-less delicious) Tiramisu. 

I wish we could tell you more about Italian desserts, but those are the only ones that we have tried.  They are just that phenomenal.  We are committed to trying a different one tonight.  But we always say that, and we always fail.  Regardless of what we do end up ordering, we are assured of one thing:  We are bound to like it.

Up Next:  Hot Italian guys; perfect bottoms; ancient civilizations; hardware stores; coats of arms; karaoke; a fortress; and a soaking wet Indian.  In a word:  Cortona!

Arrivederci!