If you know me or read this blog, you know how picky I am about gelato. For the most part, the stuff that passes as “gelato” in North America is unrecognizable compared to the real thing. But on a recent trip to Vancouver, I discovered what might be the best gelato I’ve had on this continent to date. Located on the ground floor of the new Fairmont Pacific Rim building, Bella Gelateria waits to be discovered. As I entered the shop, several attractive young ladies stood behind the counter ready to greet me with samples of freshly made gelato. One taste of the rich, creamy and intensely flavored deliciousness told me that I was about to become addicted. One of the slender young ladies, however, assured me that the gelato is low-fat and that she consumes much of the gelato herself. After glancing at her skeptically I proceeded to try most of the 24 seasonal flavor selections: 18 gelatos and 6 sorbettos. What surprised me even more than the likeness to something I’ve tried in Italy, was the creamy consistency of the dairy-free sorbetto. In the end, I chose among the four types of chocolate and settled on one scoop the chocolate noir sorbetto and one scoop of the fior di latte (sweet cream flavor that is reminiscent of cheesecake). My partner in crime opted for strawberry on top of fior di latte. While the experience might have been more costly than what I’m used to – one scoop at $5.50 a pop – it was a small price to pay for the smile on my face that lasted long into the afternoon.
Bella Gelateria
1001 West Cordova Street
Vancouver, BC
604-569-1010
Currently based out of Boston, Jesal is a blogger, freelance writer, yoga enthusiast and lifelong vegetarian who spent four years eating her way through New York City and various other cities around the globe. After answering hundreds of emails and phone calls answering the question, "Where's a cool place I can take my vegetarian friend out to eat" she started Veggiewala to efficiently share her knowledge of the vegetarian food scene with curious carnivores, flexitarians and other vegetarians.
I second the author for the above article…
Gelato at Bella Gelateria :: http://j.mp/d9eCcq