Gelato du jour: Gelato Fiasco

You can tell it's been a cold winter in Maine by the lack of gelato posts here at C&G. Most of the year we can be found several times a week at one of the branches of our local favorite, Gelato Fiasco. But even their discounted prices (1% off for every degree below freezing) couldn't lure us in this winter. However the temps have been climbing, the sun has been shining, and we recently returned to resume racking up more "red spoon society" points.

Portland has an unusually high number of ice cream and gelato places. Understandable for a tourist town, and even in the dead of winter people seem to want their frozen treats. We're lucky to have two very good gelato places across from each other. Gorgeous Gelato is the more authentic style of the two, run by a native Italian. Their flavors are the closest to what we've had in Italy (trust me, MUCH research has been done on this), and not as sweet. Americans certainly like their sugar, so when we got back from Italy this past summer it took a few days to get used to again. Mr C&G and I really like Gorgeous Gelato for their affogato (Lavazza espresso poured over gelato, like an Italian coffee milkshake) but the boys like their sugar so we head across the street to Gelato Fiasco.

Breakfast in Brunswick special flavors last December

Gelato Fiasco is the hands down winner for the C&G family. They have the oddest flavor combinations, plus a little window in the back where the boys can watch the gelato being made. The standards are all there, pistachio, straciatella, caramel sea salt, but they also get really creative and put "black and pink peppercorn" on the menu. Chocolate covered tangerine and Maine cookies and milk are some other fun flavors you can find, and the selection changes daily.

The best thing about Gelato Fiasco (other than the gelato of course) is you can sample as many flavors as you want and the staff is so truly friendly they're happy to oblige. The other super cool thing about them is they'll squeeze as many flavors as you want into whatever size bowl you pick. So none of that difficult decision making . . .

Mr. C&G's fave is the Portland special "Sweet Resurgam", celebrating the fact that Portland burned to the ground several times before smartening up and using bricks instead of wood to rebuild. Resurgam is the city motto meaning "I shall rise again", but the gelato is burnt sugar, roasted almond gelato with swirls of salted caramel and chocolate chips. Brilliant, and it's delicious!

Gelato Fiasco posts their flavors daily on their web page for both their Brunswick and their Portland stores. Or you can do like Mr. C&G does and have them email it straight to your inbox. I always know something is up when he makes an excuse to go into town after we've picked up the boys from the bus!