Gelato: The Ultimate Scoop

Valerie Ng • Web Contributor • San Francisco

Traditional

If it’s the most authentic gelateria you’re looking for, Gelato Milano is the closest to the real deal. Fans have been known to drive all the way from San Francisco and east of the Caldecott Tunnel for a taste of what’s been called the best gelato outside of Italy. The small interior and barren white walls don’t make it look like much, but it’s only a ploy to not distract visitors from what’s on offer—the same tastes that you can find in Italy. Traditional Italian music, broadcast live from Milano, plays softly in the background as fans peruse the 24 flavors on display. Owner Curtis Chin brings out new batches of gelato every day to ensure that the gelato is served completely fresh. Offerings change with the seasons and Chin rotates multiple varieties of chocolate hazelnut. He doesn’t go out of his way to be innovative, though—Milano only produces flavors that can be found in Italy so as to reproduce the type of authentic gelato experience you’d find in Rome or Turin.


Excerpt from feature uploaded to NFT - Not For Tourists - San Francisco on July 24, 2007