Saturday, October 24, 2009

Gelato di Babbo

Shop Name: Gelato di Babbo

Location: Lititz Pike, Lititz, PA

Screams: 5

I FINALLY managed to get over to Gelato di Babbo's Euro Cafe in Lititz, PA today. I had the day off and no plans until the evening, so I decided to go for lunch. I'd heard from Kim, the owner, about the delicious panini sandwiches on the menu as well as soups and of course her famous gelato. My meal today was:

"Classico" Panini- Proscuitto with fresh mozzarella, basil and cherry tomatoes
Chocolate & Coffee Gelato

First, let's talk about the sandwich. The bread was sliced nice and thick and grilled to perfection- crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside and not a bit of that greasiness that so often clouds a panini sandwich. I don't really like panini that are slathered in butter before placed on the grill- I prefer it dry and that's how they do it at GdB. Another note on the bread: it was so flavorful with a mildly sweet tone to it- really just delicious. It complemented the other elements of the sandwich perfectly- the salty proscuitto, the ripe tomato, the earthy basil- it all worked together really well. And it was all SO fresh. I watched Kim step outside to pick the fresh basil that she then put on my sandwich. It was amazing. Does it really get any more fresh than that? I don't think so.

After devouring the sandwich, I paused a moment and then surveyed the gelato case- the flavors of the day were Caramel Corn, Gingersnap, Rasperry Sorbet, Chocolate, Mint and Coffee. I sampled nearly all of them before selecting a small chocolate and coffee. They top it with a cute little wafer cookie- it's really adorable:


One thing that you just HAVE to understand about GdB is that the texture of the gelato is velvety smooth like no other frozen treat. It's silken texture is out of this world. I've never tasted ice cream or gelato like it. I don't know what her secret is, but it's working like a dream. As for each individual flavor, the best was the Caramel Corn- it had a nice popcorn-esque flavor, but sweet, almost like kettle corn. And the gingersnap was also delicious. I've had gingersnap ice cream and frozen custard before and neither one was very good. GdB's gingersnap was amazing. I'd order it in a heartbeat and recommend it just as fast.

The hours are 11-9PM Friday through Sunday- perfect for a nice weekend treat. Head on over this weekend if you can- I guarantee you'll enjoy it.

Isaac's

I think that anyone living in the Lancaster area knows about Isaac's- their sandwiches are out of this world, don't you think? I've been there a couple of times in the last few weeks- once when my mom was in town, another time last night with coworkers- and it never gets old.

My favorites on their menu include the Phoenix (sandwich), the Ruffed Grouse (sandwich) and the Sonoma (salad). Their desserts are pretty tasty, too. Last night I had the Sonoma Salad with a scoop of the cranberry almond chicken salad. One word: outstanding. I think the last 3 or 4 times I've been to Isaac's that's what I've eaten and it never gets old!

One thing I really love about Isaac's is the pickled veggies you get before your meal. I had a piece of cauliflower last night and it has some kick to it. I'd never tasted picked cauliflower, but now that I have, I highly recommend you try it.

Sorry for the short post, (and for not posting much lately), but I've been focused a lot on my other blog: Style... the New Black. Visit when you have a minute and leave a comment so I know you came by!