Gelato and my neighborhood

It’s been so hot the past few days, I’ve been craving for ice cream more than I should. Despite the occasional binge, I almost always manage to control my cravings – wait for someone else to purchase a pint or gallon, then scoop out. Luckily, ice cream is so readily available and accessible, even from convenience stores that one can satisfy cravings, immediately.

Whether it’s pistachio-flavored ice cream or cappuccino lite from Arce Dairy, Mantecado from Selecta or the traditional vanilla ice cream from Nestle, it’s all available at your nearest grocery, in my case, Rustan’s. If I’m feeling a little bit picky, I can have mint and chips or durian ice cream from Fruits and Ice Cream, pretend to be healthy by having frozen yougurt either from Better Than Ice Cream or the stalls at the Legaspi Market on Sundays. What I’m happiest about is the convenience of having gelatos that will substitute going to Italy.

Growing up, ice cream to me was all the same but the difference came in the flavor. If it weren’t Haagan Dazs or Baskin Robbins, the local brands sufficed. But, when I lived in the Czech Republic, they had gelatos during most of the year – spring until early autumn. That’s where I learned of the real difference. The lightness, the tastiness and robustness of natural flavor divides the commercial from homemade. Even in such a small town like Podebrady, take-way counters (literally just a window of some groundfloor establishment) sold gelatos. My eventual favorite is stracciatella – the gelato version of cookies and cream.

I know, it’s so cliché, but it’s the one I like most because it’s not sweet like the cookies and cream we know here. It’s got chunks, light cream, a little nutty flavor there, but overall, not sweet. Just ice cream.

That’s why I was so happy to come home to Amici, the former Italian-style Cafeteria run by the Don Bosco priests (now owned by Red Ribbon), which serves a wide array of gelatos. After living in Mindanao, I binged on five flavors, forcing my companions to try as much as they could because I couldn not finish them all.

Interestingly, there’s another gelateria in Greenbelt 3. It’s in a conspicuous location yet, as if it is still hiding under the escalators going to the third level. Right beside Café Bola in front of Tropezz Restaurant and Bar is Gelantone. They’ve got a colorful chiller full of different flavors. Sadly, when I was there over the weekend, a hoard of Chinese girls were ordering, I could barely see the actual flavors. Well, the gelato looked good, and with lot of customers, I’m sure it’s worth a try.

Another reason why I love my neighborhood: at one end, there’s Amici, and at another, there’s Gelantone.