L’Artigiano Gelato review: A deliziosa delight

For years, L’Artigiano has delighted gelato fans all over Italy. And now the brand is making a big push into America, launching its line of sweet treats at over 400 locations in the New York City area. And I’ll tell you what, based on tasting several of the flavors: They are bellissima.

The line is pretty broad, including flavors like Sicilian Pistachio, Mango, Vanilla, Cookies and Cream, Chocolate, Strawberry and Chocotella, as well as Stracciatella and Raspberry Cheesecake. Of those, Guilty Eats was provided the following to test out: Sicilian Pistachio, Vanilla Bean, Mango Sorbetto, Coconut, and Sicilian Lemon Sorbetto.

Let’s talk about the Sorbettos first because, despite always enjoying an icy sorbet, these are probably not the initial draw of a gelato line. Both were exactly what you’d expect: bright fruit flavors, smooth icy sorbet, and both delicious. Of the two the lemon probably has the edge - it’s not overly sweet, just the right amount of lemon sour, and is the perfect refreshing flavor for a Spring or Summer day. While it’s smoother than the sorbet you might get at, say, the beach during the summer (or those classic cups from the freezer aisle), that isn’t a bad thing. It’s not a nostalgic blast from the past, and that’s not what L’Artigiano is offering here: it’s an elevated experience.

But enough about sorbet! Let’s talk gelato. Every flavor was similarly smooth, creamy, and impeccably flavored. The Vanilla Bean was rich and lightly textured due to the “bean” part, but not overly so. The Sicilian Pistachio, meanwhile, was a bit of a shocker. If you’re used to… Whatever the flavor is of American pistachio ice cream, this is not that. This gelato actually tastes like pistachios, so if you’re a nut aficionado this is a dream flavor and puts the lime green slop served to us in chains here to shame.

The real surprise, and the overall winner of the batch, though, was the coconut. Look, if you’re not a coconut fan, you’re probably not going to like this. But if you are, this is a dreamy gelato infused with the sweet, somewhat floral taste of the fruit. Every bite was absolutely perfect, and myself and my fellow taste testers couldn’t get enough.

Is this going to measure up to actual Italian gelato bought on the streets of Umbria? Probably not. But as an alternative to what’s currently on offer in your supermarket aisle, L’Artigiano is definitely one to check out. Andiamo!

You can find out where to purchase L’Artigiano gelato here: www.lartigianogelato.com/where-to-buy/.