A Treat You Don’t Have to Feel Guilty About

Ok, you may think—gelato is so rich and creamy it’s got to be super fattening. But here’s a secret Italians have been keeping for centuries: it’s not! In fact, gelato is actually half the fat and half the calories of ice cream. A four-ounce cup has about 7 to 8 grams of fat and only 210 calories. The main difference between gelato and ice cream -- gelato is made from mostly milk, not cream.

So why is gelato so creamy, you ask? Two reasons. One, the state-of-the-art Italian equipment used to make our gelato adds as little air as possible during the freezing process, resulting in an über-dense treat. (Ice cream, on the other hand, can have up to 100 percent added air). The second reason is that because of gelato’s low fat content, it has to be kept at a lower temperature than ice cream otherwise it would freeze into a solid block.

Don’t think that low fat means low-taste, though. In fact, it’s just the opposite. Since there is very little fat to coat the mouth, you taste all the flavor of the milk, nuts, or fruit. This is especially true for our sorbetti, which has no fat at all. So go ahead, treat yourself -- again, and again, and again.

— Josephine Oliviero Megwa

Introducing Piattini Gelateria and Café

If you’ve been by our Wine Café lately, you may have noticed the latest addition to our family: Piattini Gelateria opened in early October. We’ve been dreaming up the idea for a new casual restaurant that would give diners an opportunity to taste all of the yummy Italian treats that we’ve discovered over the years. When the storefront opened up next door to the Wine Café, we jumped at the opportunity.

As the name suggests, the new space serves the creamiest, most intense gelato I have ever tried. It comes from Capogiro Gelato, another family-owned business based in Philadelphia. The minute I tasted their Cioccolato Scuro (dark chocolate) flavor, I knew I had to bring the line to Boston. Beyond the rich and robust flavor, the heavenly texture, and the all-natural ingredients, what really drew me to this brand is that they use seasonal ingredients, introducing new flavors throughout the year. Right now, we’re scooping Mela Mascarpone (Heirloom Apples With Creamy Imported Mascarpone Cheese), Sweet Potato with Pecan Praline (which received rave reviews from the Improper Bostonian), and Fico (Italian for fig) sorbetto.

To satisfy both the sweet and the savory, we also serve a hand-culled selection of antipasti including the most delicious red and green Sicilian olives, Prosciutto di Parma, Rosemary Ham, and a unique selection of cheeses like an aged Umbrian Caciatta al Tartufo with black truffles. And of course, we are pouring glasses of our family’s own private label of wines that are also featured at the Wine Café next door.

We hope to see you there soon. And be sure to come back to the blog to stay informed about the restaurant’s happenings, specials, and interesting info about the ingredients and where they come from.

— Josephine Oliviero Megwa.