Caffeteria Barcaccia

Ciao! Every week, I try a new gelato shop in Rome, throughout all the different neighborhoods. Each shop is evaluated by flavor, service and price. Each shop can be rated up to 30 points; 10 possible for each category. This week: Caffeteria Barcaccia located in Piazza di Spagna by the Spanish Steps. Caffeteria Barcaccia is a restaurant, but in the front is a bakery and gelato shop.

• Piazza Di Spagna, 65 00187 Roma, Italia
• http://www.barcaccia.com/

Flavor: The flavor of the gelato was very good. Fresh ingredients were used and they make the gelato in the shop. As far as texture and quality, I would say its average. They have the basic flavors that you would find anywhere. But as they are a restaurant and not solely a gelato shop, you cannot expect them to be too extravagant with their gelato. Here are their flavors:

• Stracciatella
• Birthday Cake
• Bacio
• Coffee
• Hazelnut
• Cream
• Chocolate
• Tiramisu
• Cookies
• Flor Di Latte
• Yogurt
• Caramel
• Mixed Fruit
• Mixed Fruit Yogurt
• Lemon
• Coconut
• Pistachio
• Pineapple
• Melon
• Banana
• Kiwi
• Mint Chocolate Chip

Flavor Score: 6

Price: I will have to say that the prices at Caffeteria Barcaccia are outrageous. But you have to take into consideration the location. It is situated right near the Spanish Steps near stores like Dior and Prada so I can't say I was completely surprised but their gelato was definately not worth what I paid. Here are the prices cones and cups cost the same): 

• Small - 3.50 euro
• Medium - 5 euro
• Large - 6 euro

Price Score: 3

Service: I'm convinced the only way Caffeteria Barcaccia stays in business is the service. It was outstanding. First off, the store is beautiful. It's decorated in white and very prestine and the staff is very attentive and willing to help you out if you have any questions. And of course, they're main clientele are going to be tourists visiting the Spanish Steps or wealthy people who are shopping in the area so they work hard for your business. I was very impressed.

Service Score: 9

Overall, I don't think I would go back. Yes, the service was great but there are other places in Rome where you get just as good service and gelato with way cheapter prices.

Overall Score: 18

Frullati Pascucci

Ciao! Every week, I try a new gelato shop in Rome, throughout all the different neighborhoods. Each shop is evaluated by flavor, service and price. Each shop can be rated up to 30 points; 10 possible for each category. This week: Frullati Pascucci in Piazza Argentina.

• Via di Torre Argentina, 20

Flavor: The flavor was actually really good. It didn't look like it was going to but I was very pleasantly surprised. I got the kiwi and it was like eating an actual kiwi. It was a hot day so I like to order fruit flavors because they're so refreshing and it really was! I tried some other flavors as well and they all tasted really good. Here's a list of flavors:

• Vanilla
• Stracciatella
• Nutella
• Melon
• Tiramisu
• Amaretto
• Yogurt
• Mixed Fruit
• Lemon
• Kiwi
• Strawberry
• Pineapple
• Caramel and Chocolate Chunk
• White Chocolate
• Chocolate
• Cherry
• Pistachio 
• Coconut
• Dark Chocolate
• Banana
• Raspberry
• Mint Chocolate Chip
• Licorice
• Biscotto
• Tartufo
• Caramel
• Ricotta and Pear
• Flor Di Latte
• Hazelnut

Flavor Score: 7

Price: The prices were average. The small was 2.50 euro which I've said before is the typical starting price for a cone or a cup. These are all the prices:

Cone: 2.50, 3.50, 4, and 5 euro
Cup: 2.50, 3.50, 4, 4.50 and 5 euro

Price Score: 7

Service: Like everything else about this place, I found it to be average. The staff was pretty friendly, it was pretty clean and it's in a pretty decent location in Rome's city center.

Service Score: 7

Overall, this gelato shop blends in with all the others. There isn't really much to say about it. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone but I wouldn't go out of my way to avoid it if I were in the area and craving some gelato. This place gets the Plain Jane score, 21.

Overall Score: 21

Old Bridge

Ciao! Every week, I try a new gelato shop in Rome, throughout all the different neighborhoods. Each shop is evaluated by flavor, service and price. Each shop can be rated up to 30 points; 10 possible for each category. This week: Old Bridge Gelato Shop. Old Bridge Gelato Shop is a small little shop located right outside the Vatican City Walls in the neighborhood of Prati. The atmosphere is very small and cozy. It feels like an authentic gelato shop, unlike others that sometimes feel like a major tourist attraction. The place is only big enough for two or three customers at a time. There's three guys behind the counter constantly scooping gelato and there's almost always full of customers.

• Viale Michelangelo Bastion, 5, 00192 Rome

Flavor: I would not rate the flavor and quality very high for Old Bridge. The fruit flavors taste very artificial and overly sweet. The eggnog is so over powering, the sweet flavor overtakes your mouth. I had a very hard time just swallowing it down. The chocolate, cookies and cream, and Nutella flavors are very good, however.

Old Bridge offers 23 flavors.

• Black Cherry
• Strawberry
• Blueberry
• Lemon
• Coconut
• Pineapple
• Orange
• Cookies
• Cookies and Cream
• Chocolate
• Pistachio
• Hazelnut
• Nutella
• Chocolate and Hazelnut
• Amaretto
• Coffee
• Dolce Sorrento
• Yogurt
• French Vanilla
• Caramel
• Ricotta and Pistachio
• Mozzarella
• Eggnog

Flavor Score: 4

Price: Old Bridge offers several different sizes of cones and cups.

• Cones
  • 1.50 - 3 scoops
  • 2.00 - 3 scoops
  • 2.50 - 3 scoops
  • 3.00 - 3 scoops
  • 3.50 - 3 scoops
  • 4.00 - 4 scoops and the cone is dipped in chocolate and sprinkles
  • 5.00 - 4 scoops in a waffle cone

• Cups
  • 2.00 - 3 scoops
  • 3.00 - 3 scoops
  • 4.00 - 4 scoops

Old Bridge offers a large variety of sizes all for a great prize. This is one of the cheapest gelato shops I've visited so far. For 1.50 you can get 3 scoops of the same flavor or three different flavors. Naturally, the size of the scoops get bigger and bigger for each price increment. I would say Old Bridge is place you get the most for your money.

Price Score: 10

Service: The service is very friendly and the employees all speak moderate to very well English. They are very fun to interact with and are more than willing to let you try any of the flavors. Even thosught the flavors aren not the best, during busy season the line is out the door and down the block! So if you don not want to wait in line, its best best to go during an off hour.

Service Score: 8

I had heard a lot of hype before visiting Old Bridge, since then I have been there several times and I am still not completely impressed. However, even though Old Bridge doesn't have too many outstanding flavors, if you keep to the basics you can get three flavors for only 1 euro 50 which is why I would definitely recommend this shop to anyone looking for a sugar fix on a budget!

Overall Score: 24

The Best of Rome

Ciao! Every week, I try a new gelato shop in Rome, throughout all the different neighborhoods. Each shop is evaluated by flavor, service and price. Each shop can be rated up to 30 points; 10 possible for each category. But instead, this week I will be telling you the best gelato shop for each category. No matter what is most important to you, there's a gelato shop that perfect just for you. This is what I've found after all my gelato tasting this semester!

Flavor: And the winner is... Fridgidarium. I don't care what anyone says, this is the best gelato shop in Rome, hands down. If I ever come back to Rome, the first thing I'm doing to going straight to Fridgidarium. The gelato is made freshly everyday. You can even see the workers in the kitchen from the stand. It's the smoothest and creamiest gelato I've ever tasted and I could rave about it for days.

• http://discoveringromeonegelatoshopatatime.blogspot.it/2013_03_01_archive.html

Price: Old Bridge. At Old Bridge you can get a cone with three flavors for only 1.50 euro. No where else I've been can even come close to that! No wonder there's always a line out the door. They don't have the best quality of flavors but I don't care. It's cheap and it gets the job done!

• http://discoveringromeonegelatoshopatatime.blogspot.it/2013/05/old-bridge.html

Service: This was a hard one to narrow down. There were a lot of really good ones in this category and when it comes to service some people have different opinions and experiences at different places, but I finally decided... Grom. Grom is a chain of gelato shops not just in Italy but internationally as well. I was very pleased with the friendliness of the staff, the cleanliness and the organization of the store. It's always crowded but you never have to wait in line very long because they run the store so efficiently. And trust me, spend enough time in Rome and you'll really learn to appreiciate that!

• http://discoveringromeonegelatoshopatatime.blogspot.it/2013/05/ciao-every-week-i-try-new-gelato-shop_6.html

Because of these reasons, Fridgidarium, Old Bridge and Grom are my favorite gelato shops in that order. I've tried several that were really good and few that I'd rather not go back to, but I had a great time tasting and evaluating all of these gelato shops in Rome.

Blue Ice

Ciao! Every week, I try a new gelato shop in Rome, throughout all the different neighborhoods. Each shop is evaluated by flavor, service and price. Each shop can be rated up to 30 points: 10 possible for each category. This week: Blue Ice. It's a chain with lots of different locations throughout Rome. Check out their website for the exact addresses! 

http://www.blueiceitalia.com/ita/gelaterie.php

Flavor: Blue Ice has a very extensive variety of flavors. I obviously haven't tried all of them, but the ones I did try I was very pleased with. The chocolate was very smooth, the fruit flavors were very fresh tasting and when I saw they had Snickers flavor, I couldn't resist. It was delicious and tasted just like an actual Snickers bar! Here are all their flavors: 

• Chocolate 
• Coffee 
• Vanilla 
• Ferrero Rocher 
• Biscotto 
• Walnut 
• White Chocolate 
• Mint 
• Truffle 
• Caramel 
• Cassata Sicilliana 
• Snickers 
• Cappuccino 
• Tiramisu 
• Bacio 
• Stracciatella 
• Kinder 
• Egg Flip 
• Yogurt 
• Wildberry 
• Orange 
• Wildberries with cream 
• Strawberry Yogurt 
• Mango 
• Pineapple 
• Blackberry with  Cream 
• Green Apple 
• Melon 
• Banana 
• Strawberry 
• Pink Grapefruit 
• Lemon 
• Raspberry 
• Coconut 
• Smarties 
• Milk 
• Cream 
• Pistachio 
• Rum Raisin 
• Hazelnut 
• Truffle 

Flavor Score: 9 

Price: Blue Ice offers many sizes so no matter how much gelato you're craving, there's a size just right for you. The prices are pretty reasonable. From what I've found the average for a small is 2.50 euro which is how much Blue Ice is, too. These are the prices.. 

Cup: 2.50, 3, 4, 5 and 6 euro for a small, medium, large, XL and XXL respectively. 

Cone: 2.50, 3.50, 5 and 6 euro for a small, medium, large and XL. 

Price Score: 7 

Service: For Blue Ice, I would have to say their flavor is better than their service. There's no real organization for how to order. You don't get a ticket and then order. It's just first come first serve if you can get the worker's attention first, then you're in good shape. If it's crowded you probably won't be able to sample the flavors first. The staff is nice enough but nothing to compliment them on, and some of the stores are a little dirty. 

Service Score: 6 

Overall, I would definitely go back to Blue Ice even if it was just for the Snickers flavor but there are so many other flavors I wold love to try, too. Even if the service isn't the best, it's still worth it to go. There are so many different locations throughout Rome, I didn't get to go to all of them so I'm going to give them the benefit of the doubt and say that the one in near Campo de Fiori isn't the best one. 

Overall Score: 22

Fior di Luna

Ciao! Every week, I try a new gelato shop in Rome, throughout all the different neighborhoods. Each shop is evaluated by flavor, service and price. Each shop can be rated up to 30 points: 10 possible for each category. This week: Fior di Luna in Trastevere. 

• Via della Lungaretta, 96, 00153 Rome
• www.fiordiluna.com

Flavor: I will have to say, I just stumbled into this gelato shop because of the location. It was not the best gelato I've ever had. It was edible, but nothing to rave about. I don't think the freshest ingredients were used and by the looks of things, the gelato looked like it may have been sitting out in the display all day. It looked really old. They do have a few unique flavors though. Check them out! 

• Chocolate and Fig 
• Sugar Free Chocolate 
• Sugar Free Hazelnut 
• Orange Hazelnut 
• Nutella 
• Chocolate 
• Cream
• Pistachio 
• Catalan Creme 
• Hazelnut 
• Stracciatella 
• Eggnog 
• Pine Seed 
• Lemon 
• Melon 
• Vanilla 
• Cherry 
• Coco and Chocolate 
• Blueberry Yogurt 

Flavor Score: 5 

Teeny Tiny Gelato 

Price: My favorite thing about Fior di Luna is the sizes of their cups. Instead of most shops who have a small, medium, large and extra large, Fior di Luna has extra small, small, medium and large. The extra small is 1.70 euro and it's such a cute little cup. It's the perfect size if you've just ate a big dinner and you just need a little bit of gelato to cure your sweet tooth. The prices are as follows: 

Cup: 1.70, 2.20, 3.0 and 3.50 euro 

Cone: 2.50 and 3.30 euro 

Price Score: 7 

Service: Fior di Luna has a great location. Located in the heart of Trastevere. There lot's of restaurants all around so it the perfect place to grab dessert. It's a small store and there's no seating inside or outside but it get's the job done. The staff was moderately friendly but they do allow samples, so that's always nice when you find a place that does that! 

Service Score: 7 

Overall, I would not recommend Fior di Luna. I honestly think it would be worth it just to walk a little bit farther and find a different gelato shop to eat at. But if you want just a little baby cup, then you should go get one from Fior di Luna. 

Overall Score: 19

GROM

Ciao! Every week, I try a new gelato shop in Rome, throughout all the different neighborhoods. Each shop is evaluated by flavor, service and price. Each shop can be rated up to 30 points: 10 possible for each category. This week: Grom. Grom is a chain and has a few different locations in Rome. Check out their website for addresses! 

• http://www.grom.it/eng/dettagli_gelateria.php?id_gelateria=255&citt%E0=Roma

Flavor: I was a little skeptical to try Grom when I first heard about it, because I generally associate chains with lower quality. This is not the case with Grom. Their flavor and quality is exceptional, I was very pleased. I've been trying to really crazy flavors of gelato lately so when I went to Grom I just wanted vanilla. But I didn't get just any vanilla. I got Madagascar Vanilla. It was some of the best gelato I've tasted. It's sad how long I could talk about how good this vanilla ice cream was! 

Here are their flavors: 

Classics 

• Creme 
• Coffee 
• Creme di Grom (Grom's own flavor of caramel, cookies and chocolate chunks) 
• Fiordilatte 
• Yogurt 
• Stracciatella 
• Pistachio 
• Hazelnut 
• Dark Chocolate 
• Chocolate 
• Bacio 

The Specialties 

• Creme Brulee 
• Licorice 
• Coco and Chocolate 
• Madagascar Vanilla 
• Fruit 
• Lemon 
• Strawberry 
• Pink grapefruit 

Le granite Sicilliane (Sicilian Ice, it's not gelato but ice and flavoring. So good!) 

• Lemon 
• Pomegranate 
• Strawberry 

Flavor Score: 9 

Price: The prices are very reasonable considering the quality of the gelato. Here's their prices: 

Cones: 2.50 (2 flavors), 3.50 (2 flavors), 4.50 (3 flavors) 

Cup: 2.50 (2 flavors), 3.50 (2 flavors), 4.50 (3 flavors), 5.50 (4 flavors) 

Sicilian Ice: 3 euro for a medium, 4 euro for a large 

Price Score: 8

Service: There were many things I liked about Grom as soon as I walked through the door. First, it's very clean and the people are very friendly. What's different about Grom than anywhere else is that instead of looking at all the gelato flavors and choosing which one you want, you look at the menu which has all the flavors divided into categories: Classics, Specialties and Fruit. You then order and pay and then move down the line to get your gelato. Grom is by far the most efficient and organized gelato shop in Rome and probably all of Italy, too. 

Service Score: 10 

Overall, if you only had a short time in Rome I would definitely recommend going to Grom. There are several locations so you're bound to stumble across one eventually. The flavors are the great, the prices are reasonable and the service is great. I'm a fan. 

Overall Score: 27 

Villa Borghese La Casina Dell Orologio Cafe

Ciao! Every week, I try a new gelato shop in Rome, throughout all the different neighborhoods. Each shop is evaluated by flavor, service and price. Each shop can be rated up to 30 points: 10 possible for each category. This week: La Casina Dell Orologio Cafe Bar and Restaurant located in Villa Borghese 

• Viale dei Bambini, 1, 00187 Rome
• www.casinadellorologio.it

First off, flavor: La Casina has very simple flavors and a small variety. Partly because it's not solely a gelato shop but also a small restaurant as well. That is not to say the flavors are not good. The quality is very high. The flavors taste very authentic. I even got some little seeds in my strawberry gelato so I know they used fresh strawberries! They also offer ice cream sundae's in various flavors and Strawberry shortcake in a glass. 


Here are their flavors: 

• Melon 
• Stracciatella
• Raspberry 
• Vanilla 
• Pistachio 
• Mandarine 
• Coffee 
• Banana 
• Strawberry 
• Hazelnut 
• Chocolate 
• Lemon 

Flavor Score: 6 

Price: The sizes and prices are very basic. There's only one size of cone and it's 3  euro. The cups cost 3 euro for a small or 4 euro for a medium. Their prices vary for the specialties such as the strawberry shortcake. The prices are also different for sit down or take away so be careful to pay attention to that. 

Price Score: 6 

Service: Service is the reason I chose this gelato shop. The atmosphere is worth the extra expense. It nestled in Villa Borghese, a beautiful park in Rome. If you don't want gelato from a roadside truck, then La Casina is the only place to go. It's got all kinds of seating outside and umbrellas for shade. It's the perfect place to grab a sundae or couple scoops of gelato and cool down on a hot day at the park. The workers are extra friendly,too.

Service Score: 9

Overall, you don't go to La Casina for the great gelato. You go to enjoy gelato at a great place. You won't rave about the fantastic flavor or really cheap gelato but you'll enjoy yourself while you sit and relax and enjoy your day in the park with some gelato. 

Overall Score: 21

Flor in Campo de Fiori

Ciao! Every week, I try a new gelato shop in Rome, throughout all the different neighborhoods. Each shop is evaluated by flavor, service and price. Each shop can be rated up to 30 points: 10 possible for each category. This week: Flor in Campo de Fiori 

• Via Cavour, 337, 00184 Rome, Italy
• http://www.gelatiflor.it/

Flavor: The flavor were excellent. For the most part they have the most basic flavors but they get the best of the best. All the best and freshest ingredients are used! I've tasted smoother gelato before but Flor still has a very good quality. What I like best is the Novita del mese. It's like an ice cream sandwich. Instead of eating the gelato out of a cone or cup, they put the gelato between two little cookies (they taste similar to a cone) and you eat it like a sandwich! 

Here are their flavors: 

• Imperial Green Tea
• Mixed Fruit 
• Banana 
• Pear 
• Strawberry 
• Coffee 
• Citrus Symphony 
• Tropical Fantasy 
• Pomegranate 
• lemon 
• Chocolate 
• Cherry 
• Coconut
• Pistachio 
• Hazelnut 
• Ginsing and Guarana 
• Grandma's Creme
• Flor Milk Cream 
• Aunt Nina's Tiramisu 
• Stracciatella 
• Yellow Vanilla 
• Dark Chocolate 

Flavor Score: 7

Price: The prices are middle of road. Not cheap but not outrageous either. 

Prices for cones are 2.50, 3.50, 4, and 5 euro. 

Cup prices are 2, 3, 4 and 5 euro. 

The sandwiches are 2.50 euro. 

Price Score: 7

Service: The service was average. One thing that did set them apart is they had English translations for each of the flavors and the ingredients in the gelato. That's extra points in my book because sometimes I don't know what exactly some of the flavors are. This isn't any seating inside but it located in Campo de Fiori so it's nice to sit outside on the benches and  people watch as people shop in the market. It's also one of the cleanest shops in Rome, so that's definitely a plus. 

Service Score: 7

Overall, this is an average gelato shop. I would reccomend it, but there are better one's in Rome worth trying, but it's location is very convienent. Especially if you've just had dinner in Campo and want to get some gelato for dessert. 

Overall Score: 21

The Frigidarium

Ciao! Every week, I try a new gelato shop in Rome, throughout all the different neighborhoods. Each shop is evaluated by flavor, service and price. Each shop can be rated up to 30 points: 10 possible for each category. This week: The Frigidarium not far from Piazza Navona.

• Via del Governo Vecchio, 112 00186 Roma
• http://www.frigidarium-gelateria.com/gelateria.htm

Flavor: The flavor here really surprised me. It’s a small shop, there’s not a lot to distinguish it from any others but it is so good! I think what I like best is their unique flavors. There’s not a huge selection but there’s enough to satisfy any craving you’re having. But I would say if you’re a chocolate lover this is the place for you because there are several yummy chocolate combinations. You can find hazelnut, chocolate, strawberry and cookies and cream everywhere but Frigidarium has some really good combinations. The flavors are so rich and creamy. I’d say this place is one of my favorites, you can really tell the gelato is made with quality ingredients. Check out their flavors:

• Strawberry
• Dark Chocolate  
• Lemon
• Banana
• Mango
• Pistachio
• Raspberry
• Crema
• After 8 (White Chocolate Nutella)
• Hazelnut
• Orange Chocolate  
• Chocolate
• Spangola
• Bacio
• Coffee
• Fiorentina
• Fior di latte
• Frigidarium (Caramel, Cookies and Chocolate)
• Cookies and crème
• Fiesta
• Tiramisu
• Mandarin
• Dulce de leche
• Egg White  
• Wafferino
• Fudge  

Flavor Score: 10

Service: The service is pretty average. There’s no place inside to sit and not much room outside to sit either. They only accept cash but the workers are friendly; not overly friendly but good enough. The atmosphere is good though. It’s on a really cute street with lots of shops in the central part of town.

Service Score: 7

Price: The prices are very reasonable and for a shop with such great quality in a good location I would say it is very worth it. The prices for cones and cups are the same.

Small, 2 flavors – 2,00

Medium, 3 Flavors – 3,00

Large (waffle cone), 3 flavors – 4,00

Price Score: 7

Overall, this is a great gelato shop and I would highly recommend it. Get a cone and explore the area. The flavors are great and the price is very fair. I will definitely be going back to the Frigidarium!

Overall Score: 24

Nova Caffe

Ciao! Every week, I try a new gelato shop in Rome, throughout all the different neighborhoods. Each shop is evaluated by flavor, service and price. Each shop can be rated up to 30 points: 10 possible for each category. This week I decided to do Nova Café. For those of you living under a rock, the pope is retiring and soon conclave will start. Along with the newly elected pope come massive crowds of people. If you are one of the observers in St. Peter’s Square, I’ve scoped out the nearby gelato shops and Nova Caffe would be my recommendation. Nova Caffe is located on Via Della Conciliazione, 4G, Rome, Italy 

Flavor: The flavor and quality at Nova is top notch. It’s one of the better gelato shops I’ve eaten at. The after taste tells a lot about the quality of the flavor. For example, if you taste strawberry and the after taste is strawberry, then you can tell it was made with real strawberries and it’s a good quality. If you taste a bitter acidity taste afterwards then you can tell the gelato was artificially flavored and the quality isn’t as great. Nova has plenty of flavors to choose from and they’re all very velvety and smooth. Here’s a complete list of their flavors:

•          Mint chocolate chip
•          Bacio
•         Vanilla
•          Pistachio
•          Cheese  
•          Cookies and crème
•          Creme and chocolate
•          Baba
•          Caramel
•         Nutella
•          Lemon
•          Melon
•          Mango
•         Pineapple
•          Amerena
•          Raspberry
•         Kiwi
•          Strawberry
•         Mixed fruit
•          Banana
•          Coconut
•          Trifle
•         Yogurt
•          Cappuccino
•         Mixed fruit yogurt
•         Tiramisu
•          Cassata
•          Coffee
•          Creme
•          Hazelnut
•         Malaga
•          Chocolate

Flavor Score: 8

Service: When you walk into Nova Caffe there lots of seating and lots of nicely dresser employees. Don’t let this fool you, the service is terrible. If you order gelato, you can’t sit at the tables and eat it, you have to pay extra for that. If you like trying different flavors of gelato before choosing which flavor to order then you won’t like it here because they don’t allow that. The people working there aren’t very friendly either. They do however, offer much more than gelato so if you’re looking for someplace to eat or just grab a pasty, they have a large assortment and their menu comes in several different languages.

Service Score: 2

Price: Because the Nova Caffe is within 300 meters of St. Peter’s Square, you can expect the prices to be a little more expensive than your average gelato shop.

Cone prices:

·         Small, 1 flavor – 2.50

·         Medium, 2 flavors – 3.50

·         Large, 3 flavors – 5.00

Cup prices

·         Small, 1 flavor – 2.50

·         Medium, 2 flavors – 3.50

·         Large, 2 flavors – 4.50

·         Large, 3 flavors – 5.00

Price Score: 4

Overall Score: 14

Overall, Nova Caffe is not my favorite place but the quality of the flavor and the location make up for everything else. If you’re in the area for the papal festivities and you feel like some gelato, Nova Caffe is just a short walk away. Try the mint chocolate chip, it’s my favorite! 

Eataly

My class recently took a trip to Eataly in Rome. Eataly looks like a huge warehouse but when you walk in, it’s buzzing with shoppers roaming around the four floors of produce and restaurants.  You know that anyone you find there is a food lover. For me, it was so exciting to walk through the front doors; it made me instantly want to start shopping and go home to start cooking right away.

Inside Eataly 

Eataly is partnered with Slow Food. For those of you who have never heard of Slow Food, it’s a non-profit organization that works to help small farmers get their produce on the market and still keep their products at a competitive price. Slow Food encourages people to buy fresh, locally grown foods versus eating fast food or processed food from the grocery store. It’s hard for small farmers to produce high quality organic produce at reasonable prices because efficient distribution channels are often difficult to find and its hard to compete with farmers who mass produce their products with a high quantity and low quality concept. Slow Food is about making low quantity and high quality possible. They help get the product from the farm to the shelves in the grocery store and help with the marketing for the farmer. That’s where Eataly comes in.

Eataly offers every possible ingredient you can think off. Personally for me, I was so proud of the entire concept of Eataly because it really forces you to realize that everything we put in our mouth was grown by a farmer.  What a lot of people don’t realize is that everything we see in the store started as a seed or was raised by a farmer. I grew up on a farm and still live there today.  All of my life it has frustrated me when people don’t understand where their food comes from. No, it does not magically appear at the grocery store. During the fall my grandpa gets up before dawn and stays out after the sun sets just to harvest all the crops on time. So Eataly was something that I could really connect with. I think that being there and seeing all the different types of food makes visitors appreciate their food just a little bit more.

In addition to all the great produce, Eataly has 23 different restaurants. Each restaurant has a theme, so no matter what kind of mood you’re in when you visit Eataly, you’re sure to find a restaurant just for you. Whether it’s mozzarella, chocolate, pastries, or gelato, there’s a specific restaurant just for that theme. When you plan on going to Eataly make sure you have at least a couple hours to spare and bring your appetite!