Gelato Messina – Private Event
Iced Coffee
Latte
Cremino – Salted Caramel Gelato, Crushed Amaretti Biscuits, Soft Meringue and Nutella Brulee
Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich – Brioche Gelato, Peanut Butter Mousse, Blackberry Jam
Zuppa Duppa – Marsala Soaked Sponge, Strawberry Sorbet, Vanilla Crème Chantilly
Fresh Churned Gelato
Samples – All 40
To-Go Pint: Italian Nougat, Elvis The Fat Years, Poached Figs in Marsala
Invited to join a dozen others at a Media Event celebrating the Grand Opening of Australia’s Gelato Messina at Downtown Summerlin it was just prior to 11am that I entered the newly minted space, and greeted by a duo of Public Relations folks including one straight from Sydney the 90 minutes that followed can best be described as an educational event with plenty of samples and stories to help ‘sell’ a brand that is undoubtedly committed to doing things right.
Officially the Gelataria’s first American Outpost, the built-to-spec space occupying a large footprint at the heart of the recently opened shopping center, a first look at Gelato Messina is likely to see most visitors quickly overwhelmed by the sheer number of flavors and with a large Las Vegas themed mural overseeing a space featuring high ceilings and clean lines the question quickly becomes which of the forty gelatos to try, the samples offered with no limit to those willing to ask and the smiling young men and women behind the counter surprisingly well educated about the product in a city where so many other spots are happy to ‘mail it in.’
Seated in the back of the space, across from a window where the team could be seen pasteurizing, churning, and preparing with the sort of tools one might associate with Home Depot or Lowe’s, it was first with stories of the shop’s Aussie origins and dedication to quality ingredients that our visit began and perusing Messina’s recipe book as we listened one could not help but be impressed by the tradition or passion, even the coffee crafted to match the quality of things on the other side of the planet with sourcing ‘only the best’ products, whether local or not, stressed in each thought.
Offered a number of prepped items, including the brûléed Cremino and whimsical PB&J while we watched the head Chef prepare one of the restaurant’s Black Forest gelato cakes from beginning to end, it was after both a mild iced coffee and an ethereal latte that a sampling of the cabinet was finally offered and with thirty-five signatures alongside five weekly-rotating specials offered I’d be lying if I said I didn’t take advantage in trying them all, the risk of palate fatigue briefly considered but thankfully never becoming an issue due to the extremely light milk-fat content which never allowed the tongue to become coated or compromised.
Obviously sporting a huge variety of flavors, some perfectly run-of-the-mill with other offering far more intrigue, suffice it to say that there is something for everyone at Gelato Messina and running the gamut from milky Italian Nougat to bold Chocolate Fondant the question really becomes one of where the visitor’s passion lies, each fruit sorbet a spot on translation of the real deal while items like the Bacon and Pancake studded “Porky’s Revenge” or elegant Apple Pie are studded with baked goods made in house.
Offered the gift of a tiny tin featuring a rich biscuit base beneath a grown up ‘strawberry sundae’ concoction like those offered in plastic cups when I was a kid, as well as a trio of flavors packed into a temperature resistant pint on departure, it was admittedly a tough choice to decide which three had stirred my mind the most but with the Nougat an obvious choice I eventually settled on “Elvis The Fat Years” and “Poached Figs in Marsala” as the others…though the pitch-perfect Pistachio, smooth Coconut & Lychee, bitter-sweet Blood Orange Sorbet, and Gianduia Bianca all warranted serious consideration, to say the least.
FOUR AND A HALF STARS: Paying nothing for the experience, save for a tip to the scoopers placed in the can atop the glass case, I’m more than comfortable saying that Gelato Messina is immediately the best Gelato in town with the recent closure of Art of Flavors and although prices trend higher than other local scoop shops the amount of time, quality, and craft going into the production cannot be overlooked – a ‘get what you pay for’ experience with almost everything made on the premises.
RECOMMENDED: Look, decide what sounds good to you, sample it, sample some more, sample some more, then order something.
AVOID: Tasting off the wooden sticks as they taint the flavor of anything with nuts, request plastic spoon samples.
TIP: Open 11a-11p Seven Days a Week, those interested in purchasing a gelato cake are advised to call in advance, though several of the whimsical creations are reportedly immediately available to go from cold storage.
http://www.gelatomessina.com
WHAT THE STARS MEAN: 5 World Class, 4 Excellent, 3 Good, 2 Fair, 1 Poor
