Tour del Gelato: Giangrossi's

Finally, I get to participate in the Tour del Gelato, the single, double, or yeah why not, triple-scoop brainstorm concocted by Sara of Ms. Adventures in Italy. My adopted country is world-famous for producing the best-of-the-best in gelato, but what's this? A shop in Madrid boasts "El Mejor Helado Del Mundo?" The Best Gelato in the World. Mighty bold words to the ears of one who has learned to discern the real stuff between the fake.

Click to enlarge: dulce del leche, strawberry, tiramisu, chocolate, mascarpone with mixed berries.

Giangrossi's helado delivers. The flavors are true to the tongue, with no suspect aftertaste from artificial anything. Mascarpone with berries, pistacchio, tiramisu, wine?! Several varieties of dulce de leche and chocolate. Exotic combos and fruit flavors, this place aims to satisfy gelato connoisseurs in a most surrealistic way. Try the degustacion — a tasting of 5 flavors of your choice (6.5 euros). This clever idea hits home with those who have a difficult time making up their minds? The only flavor that I would steer clear of is the Green Tea. Sorry, but it tasted like soap! Apart from that, if you don't mind elevated prices, the interior of the shop (done entirely in ethereal white and chrome) makes one feel as if it were the pearly gates to helado heaven. Definitely a 3-scoop experience.

GIANGROSSI - Helado Artesanal

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Saved comment(s)

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Oh my!!! Is that the picture of the degustacion? It looks to be a mighty generous (and delicious!) serving! ...it's so hot in hawaii today, I'd do anything to trade places right now!
Kathy | Homepage | 07.02.07 - 2:19 am

Hi Rowena,
One of the best gastronomical memories that we had of our 2 visits to Aoste, was the visit to the gelateria. Ono-kine grinds... If I had the address, I would have submitted it. I'll note it the next time (we always ended up at the same shop, so I think we can find it), if we get back there. Aloha
barbara | Homepage | 07.01.07 - 9:30 am

Sounds absolutely divine. And great marketing ploy...tasting of 5 flavours!!! How could one go wrong. I recently had a green tea iced latte and wasn't too impressed either. Usually I don't mind green tea.
Carla | Homepage | 07.01.07 - 3:08 am

The only regret I have about my trip to Italy is that I didn't eat more gelato while I was there!!!! And I guess I should've headed to Madrid afterall--if only for the gelato.
Poppy | 06.30.07 - 10:45 am

I love gelaaaato! That looks so ono. I wish we had gelato shops here. There used to be one at Restaurant Row but it closed down almost as soon as it opened. — Excuse me while I lick my laptop screen.
myra | Homepage | 06.30.07 - 8:40 am

The last time I had a Gelato like that, was in Lugano. This treat also had a shot of rum inside....it was quite yummy. Your's look AWESOME!
Carla | Homepage | 06.30.07 - 7:19 am

Mmmmm... gelato! Wow, a gelato tasting menu - now that's the kind of foodie adventure I can handle!
Cathy | Homepage | 06.30.07 - 5:29 am

Very much needed on a humid day like today & looks and sounds awesomely good!
Kat | Homepage | 06.30.07 - 1:53 am

Those cups look sooooooo good. Did you get all of them? They look huge, are they big or small?
Sara, Ms. Adventures in Italy | Homepage | 06.29.07 - 8:04 pm

We managed two of those tasting plates. The scoop is a very modest "single size" on a stub of a cone that, how should I put this... is about the size of a shot glass? ;-)
~rowena~ | 06.29.07

OK...dear heart, you must stop tempting me with such yummy pics. We have one location in Tennessee that serves gelato and I have yet to sample it...but after this post, I'm on my way. : )
Stephen Newton | Homepage | 06.29.07 - 6:25 pm

Madrid

Saturday, May 26th -- Keep an eye on your bags or they'll disappear.

With our heads full of cherished memories of Portugal, we catch the plane to Madrid for what would be the most "anything goes" part of our vacation. Anything goes to mean eat anything you want, do whatever you feel like doing, and oh, that flamenco and dinner show is going to cost 70 euros each? Well, I suppose we could just forget that. How about a bullfight? Eww... I dunno if I could handle all that blood. Tapas and sangria bar-hopping anyone? You pick, there are tons to choose from! Perhaps it was just the madness that is Madrid, but I started feeling a bit weary from spanish overload. Sightseeing. Shopping. Suspicious of purse snatchers. (We saw signs at a restaurant and internet cafe to keep an eye on your bags.) The city beats a mean pulse until the wee hours of the morning as our residential hotel on Gran Via muted continuous street noise, even with windows shut tight. Daytime was quite something else. Fastfood eats that we'd never heard of before beckoned insistently. Maoz vegetarian falafel sandwiches-to-go. Conveyor belt sushi at the Pink Sushiman. Tantalizing baked goods at La Mallorquina on Puerta del Sol. Classy gelato at Giangrossi's!!!


I don't believe anyone missed the lack of an itinerary. After all, we did lounge over coffee and wrote happy postcards in one of the most loveliest squares in the world — Plaza Mayor. At three days scheduled in, this would simply be a hint of Madrid. (photo enlarges 800 x 496)

Restaurant links:
Maoz - Falafel in a pita pocket and all that you can stuff it with. Cheap and Muy Bueno!
Pink Sushiman - Ok, but not stellar. Think groovy. And expensive.
Giangrossi - They turn the art of gelato presentation into a class act.

La Mallorquina - Wake early and get thyself to Puerta del Sol in the mornings, then follow your nose. So many pastries to choose from, yet my favorites were the glazed napoletanas (cream or chocolate-filled) and the flaky empanadas hiding a bonito filling. It was a savory surprise that reminded me of the sardine-n-tomato sauce dinners of my youth.

* * * * *Cream Napoletanas ↑ and Bonito Empanadas ↓


Stockpile on cookies. I flew home with a bagful of filipinos.

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Saved comment(s)

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Hi! I'm Annette and I'm a Filipina. Yes, that's a person from the Philippines. Filipino is the masculine form of he noun. There was some kind of outrage here when we found out about the cookies. I've tried them myself and found them mildly interesting. I think the makers were being slightly racist in calling the brown outside, white inside cookies after us though.
annette | 06.29.07 - 8:39 am

Hi Rowena!
You just had to shoot the pastry pictures up close, didn't you? now i'm craving buttery, flaky goodness because of you!! what are filipinos? the red box on the top left remind me somewhat of pocky sticks!
Kathy | Homepage | 06.29.07 - 12:30 am

Oh yum!!! Those cream Napoletanas look scrumptious. And good advice about holding onto your bags.
Carla | Homepage | 06.28.07 - 10:08 pm

Hi Rowena,
Looks like you are having/had a grand time gallivanting around Portugal and Spain! Thanks for reminding me about the Filipinos; I bought some during my trip to Barcelona back in March and completely forgot about them. Time to share them with my Ate, ha!
Janice | Homepage | 06.28.07 - 2:54 am

Hi Rowena,
I have never been on a "guided tour" before, so I could imagine that a free day was like getting back some of your independance!

It was actually in Hawaii where I ate pita bread for the first time. My Mom would often buy them, and we would make our own yummy pockets with veggies & what not. I was cracking up about "Filipinos" as a candy name! It looks like a humungous Twix! See you again soon.
barbara | Homepage | 06.27.07 - 8:08 pm

Loved this post too! all the great food! And Filipinos, the name is so cool!
Kat | Homepage | 06.27.07 - 1:23 pm

Boy, you fit a lot into that trip! Looks like from the date there's lots more to go too - goody! Those pastries and empanadas look delicious (though the bonito filling - not so much for me). Looks like you managed to get a cooperative baker to pose too - did he/she realize they were only hand models?
Cathy | Homepage | 06.27.07 - 12:52 pm

I do agree about the part of [Watch your bags or they will disappear]. My friends went to Madrid, they were lugging their suitcases into the train. A helpful couple offered to help them to push it into the train. Helpful they may seem to be, but it was all for an ulterior motive. They got pick pocketed, those guys were really skilled. The bag was zipped with a clasp over the front and under her clothes. But they still managed to do it. I wonder how?

Anyway, the only thing the couple managed to pick was 2 packets of tissue paper. Her important stuff were well secured at the bottom and in compartments. :D Your stash looks good. hehe
piccola | 06.27.07 - 10:32 am

Hi Rowena! Love all the details of your travel and especially of the food! The napoletanas remind me of Long Johns (except flakier, I think) and I can eat way too many of those. Too funny about the bagful of Filipinos. I wonder what the word translates to from Spanish to English or is it just that they have ingredients in them that are found in the Philippines. You have me curious of their taste. Sounds like you had a fabulous trip filled with really ono food. Thanks for sharing it with us.
Lettie | 06.27.07 - 10:15 am

Porto street eats and Port wine for dummies

Friday, May 25th -- Port wine-tasting at 2:30 in the afternoon? Why not?
Mission: Eat how the locals eat.
Modus Operandi: Pick and point at scribbled street menus.

Porto has got to be the best of my excursions in adventurous dining yet. While exploring the town on foot, I noticed several "greasy diners", really, the most uninviting places (based on looks alone) with outdoor menus displaying the likes of tripe, baccala, and sardines a la cooking style of one way or another. Questionable fare for the "meek", intimidating at best for the "weak", I was dead set on eating like the locals do — my appetite was game for anything. Peering into doorways for the friendliest-looking grandpa that returned my smile, I believe grandpa already saw me coming for he suddenly appeared - all smiles - and gestured for us to come in. I shake my head "no".

"Tripas e sardinhas" I say, pointing my finger at what I presumed to be tripe and sardines. Sis #1 wants a green salad. "Uhm... e salada verde, por favor," I add. He still wants us to have a seat, but with the skill of a person who has learned the art of speaking with the hands, I motioned that we were tired and wanted to take the food to go. The message rang loud and clear. Grandpa was sharp as a whip. He still insists that we come in and sit down anyway, then went to fetch foil containers with covers, of which he proudly displayed with a wave of his hand before rushing off to help grandma in the kitchen.

For 10 euros total, the portions were huge! The light, tomato-based tripe stew had white cannellini-type beans and morsels of the chewy, honeycombed offal. The grilled sardines, charred to a smoky flavor, still had interiors intact and came with lots of sliced raw onions. It was good and it was cheap. All it lacked was a bottle of the local white wine.

The Francesinha

This local favorite deserves its own write-up, just like those egg-n-cream delights of Belem, but I didn't think it would be complete, or fair, to feature this sandwich without trying several versions throughout restaurants in Porto. It's the simplest dish. Thin slices of cooked ham, pork cutlet, and chorizo in between two slices of white bread. Cheese, melting, oozing, spilling over all in a light tomato-based sauce. It is so good, sis #2 comes over after eating a hamburger and promptly begins to mop up the last bits of sauce with a piece of bread. I ordered this at the Praca Ribeira waterfront with a couple of beers and man did it EVER hit the spot. Street menu baby! The accompanying baccala salad paled in comparison. The Francesinha. Commit this to memory. Broke-da-mouth ONO-licious.

Port wine tasting

Without missing a beat, the nuances of port wine came right after that francesinha chow down. That's the beauty of Porto central; everything is within walking distance. We chanced upon this place without prior knowledge that it was listed in hip travel guides Le Routard and Le Guide Vert Michelin. Excellent, articulate demo and tasting of the different ports (white, ruby, tawny) which, I hope, graduates me a notch up from Dummies to Port 101.
Vinologia - rua Sao Joao, 46 | www.lamaisondesporto.com

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Saved comment(s)

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Hi Rowena - Fascinating... You should have been a gastronomical critique. Anyone that knows your blog knows that you take your grinds oh-so seriously! Great story about the restaurant and your discoveries. That sandwich sounds ono. It's different.
barbara | Homepage | 06.26.07 - 4:29 pm

Discovering local street food is my favorite thing about travelling. I've never been to Portugal but it's always been a dream of mine (my ex was Portuguese and that fanned the flames of that dream too). I've been enjoying all your posts on Portugal and can't wait to get there myself and try the Francesinha!!
Christine | Homepage | 06.26.07 - 10:44 am

Wow! It looks like you hit the jackpot! Adventure AND good food. You couldn't ask for more. Alright, I'm booking a ticket back to Italy.
Carla | Homepage | 06.26.07 - 7:52 am

My mouth is watering, the best food I've ever had has been found by accident. ...and Port to boot, what more could you ask for?
Carla | Homepage | 06.25.07 - 11:14 pm

Mmmm, love local street food! Somehow it always hits the spot way better than fancy restaurant meals. Of course, most of my travels so far have only been in the US, so it's much less adventurous than yours.
Natalie | Homepage | 06.25.07 - 5:54 pm

My heart is willing but my stomach is weak... I which I had your courage when it comes to trying new foods. The idea of eating as the locals eat is very appealing to me, but the reality of it is another matter. In any case, reading about your adventures in eating local in far-flung places is most enjoyable!
Cathy | Homepage | 06.25.07 - 4:34 pm

I'm definitely going to live near you in my next life. Your explorations of the local cuisine sound like great fun! As usual your writing is top notch and photos brilliant.
Stephen Newton | Homepage | 06.25.07 - 3:27 pm

Porto

Thursday, May 24th -- Take the train to Porto.

Although Lisbon may have been a blur, departure day for Porto saw us already feeling comfy in our foreign surroundings. Little did we know what would be coming next when the train pulled into town and a trio of sisters + dad piled into a cab destined for the heart of the city.

- A hot, young stud mooned my sis when she was snapping pics out the window.

- She missed the shot by a couple of frames. :-(

But that was only a diversion, for the three words that came to mind as our taxi gradually made its way through the narrow, busy streets were undeniably this — Old World Charm. This is the town that completely won us over, the destination that we hope to visit again in the future, and the mystery place which was clearly spelled out in the collage on the introductory post. It feels quaint and cozy with its peaceful, shady squares and colorful waterfronts, yet an unmistakably masculine quality runs in the lifeblood of the city as you puzzle over the curious amount of machinery and tool shops that sit side-by-side with clothing stores and fruit vendors. Down at the wharf grandmothers selling plump, bright tomatoes and freshly caught sardines paint a postcard picture, while boisterous seagulls squawk and soar above. It's a working man's town, but that doesn't mean a sorry lack of merry-making for those who call this place home. St. John's celebration takes place this weekend which sounds like my kind of wild and crazy fun, but here are some pictures to help explain why we loved Porto so much.

Porto waterfront at Praca Ribeira


Blue on blue: Church of Carmo in harmony with a clear sky


Close-up of church wall


We spied two nude dummies in Porto... gotta love the sense of humor!

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Saved comment(s)

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I liked that bit about the 'hot young stud'! If only she didn't miss the shot, I would have demanded that you post the picture, hehe..
Kathy | Homepage | 06.25.07 - 7:56 am

Porto looks amazing! Are those tiles on the house a church? So beautiful.
Cathy | Homepage | 06.25.07 - 2:12 am

HI, I've been poking around your blog posts and love how you write. I especially love the post on cheese...it's such a yummy treat. I'll book mark you and come back on occasion.
Carla | Homepage | 06.24.07 - 4:58 pm

I visited Porto in late february 1999. It was a magical time, one of the best in memory. Your photos made me "homesick". Damn! Now i may have to find a way to go back!
fahrender | Homepage | 06.24.07 - 4:19 pm

I'm glad I got here in time for these. I had some catching up to do on your trip. Portugal is one of my favorite destinations. I loved all the blue tile everywhere also. I'll be looking for one of those recipes, sounds very intriguing indeed.
Pasticciera | Homepage | 06.23.07 - 7:08 pm

The irresistible Pastéis de Belém

I could pen an ode to these sweet egg-and-cream delights. Trust me, they are THAT good! The ones pictured below were purchased at El Corte Ingles shopping center (sublevel). Only 75 eurocents each. I'll take 6 (for today) please!! Miniature custard pies they are not. A twist on the elegant creme brulee neither. With a puff-pastry type of crust holding a perfect emulsion of filling ingredients, Pasteis de Belem or Pasteis de Nata are in a class all their glorious own with a smooth, silky, and seductive feel on the palate. Cathy left the shop's web address in a comment on a previous post and it pains me to confess that we didn't stop in to visit the famous cafe that is a hop/skip from Jeronimo's Monastery. There are food bloggers who have already posted recipes on these babies, but I plan to return to Portugal for another fix. Heaven help me!

Fado, Frango, and a Fish called Baccala

Ask most anyone (other than a person from Portugal) to define the country's traditional cuisine and I believe you'll draw a blank. Italy has pasta and pizza; France has cheese and escargot; but Portugal has what? Baccala? Despite having grown up with portuguese sweet bread, portuguese bean soup, and baccala in Hawaii, dining in Lisbon was like navigating in uncharted waters. The aforementioned foods brought over by early immigrants were never to appear on any menu that I looked at, but this was not to be a disappointment. On the contrary, going in blind with only a couple of things that I really wanted to try made for a smorgasbord adventure at the table.

But first, there is the music of fado. This cultural treasure needs no introduction, yet it is a MUST for any first-time visitor in want of a truly moving experience. Listening to the melody of a portuguese guitar as it is being played, the words as they are sung with frank emotion, along with the intense facial expressions which pull you in...whoo! Talk about getting goosebumps! * Restaurante O Faia

Tip: From the looks of it, Portugal does not practice a no-smoking policy in its public establishments. For nonsmokers, being enclosed in an area made hazy with second-hand fumes could possibly cloud the experience.

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So all I ended up eating was chicken... and baccala.

Frango. What is that? A hybrid cross between fragola (italian for strawberry) and mango? No, unless it also flaps wings and clucks like a mother. Frango, or chicken as it turns out, was something that I had read about in rave reviews. Only problem was that I didn't remember in which way it was supposed to be prepared, so I figured frango is frango and there was no way that I could go wrong. My hunch was proved right because the DISH that I ordered was a complete surprise. It was a small, lidded, terra cotta tureen, and within it was the most wonderfully aromatic, braised chicken stew that I had ever salivated over in my life. I do not have photos, but if you've got a handle on portuguese menu items, ask if it's the chicken that comes in its own pot. Moist, rich, and flavorful with seasonings that my tastebuds failed to identify (not that I really tried), it hit the spot right on. After that delayed flight, the only thing on my mind at 9pm was GIVE ME SOME FOOD.

Regarding baccala, the staggering amount of it in the supermarket of El Corte Ingles shopping center (sublevel) is a sight to behold. Stacks of salted, dried product in different grades of quality/prices. At the fado restaurant, I had a casserole of creamed baccala with cilantro -- didn't quite do it for me. Better luck next time, for as one cab driver put it, "There are over a hundered ways to eat baccala!"

Tip: Restaurants charge a couvert, a variety of small plates of food and bread brought out at the start (usually stated on the menu). These are not for free, and in our case, ranged between 2 to 8 euros per head (local eatery and fado place respectively). I've read that you can simply refuse them but for us it was an opportunity for an assortment of tastes. Breaded, panfried sardines in a vinegar/onion sauce, cured hams, olives, fish pates. Just amazing! Entree portions are generous. Low and mid-range prices are reasonable.

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Saved comment(s)

puh-LEEZE tell me you have a recipe for Portugese bean soup with cloves and cubes of potato and that you will share it! I lost mine a decade ago. It was so good.
Judith in Umbria | Homepage | 06.20.07 - 5:23 pm

Arggh.. No can do on that one, but there are soup recipes on Alohaworld.com
~rowena~ | 06.22.07 - 4:00 pm

Welcome to Lisbon!

Tuesday, May 22nd -- Thank my lucky stars...

Despite the fact that both Alitalia crew members and ENAV (Italy's air traffic controllers) decided to go on an 8-hour strike for the day, my late afternoon flight out to Lisbon via EasyJet was miraculously spared the guillotine. Is that fortunate or what? While airport monitors repeatedly displayed the disastrous CANCELLED for many outbound routes, mine suffered a delay by only 1 hour {applause!}. Lucky lucky me, because while hundreds of stranded flyers figured out what to do next, I was high in the sky, eager to meet up with my dad and two sisters at the first stop on our itinerary.

Information and ticket booth at Parque Eduardo VII.

With only 2 nights and a day to do Lisbon, the most attractive touring option became the brightly-colored CITYline double-decker buses. Operating as an all-day "Hop-On Hop-Off" service, passengers explore the city at their leisure, choosing between any of the 18 designated touristic stops along the circuit route. Tickets (15 euros) can be purchased at the green info booth located at the large roundabout on Parque Eduardo VII. The best thing about the whole experience has to be the lofty perspective that you get from being further up from ground level. At a somewhat "bird's-eye" view, spotting pastry shops for those sinfully delicious portuguese egg creme tarts was a piece of cake!

Wish there had been more time...

The only historical site that we hopped off for a visit was at the Monasterio de los Jeronimos. I'm clueless when it comes to architecture, but the wonder and beauty of such intricate stonework was not lost upon us. The monastery is impressive! As an added plus, there is a cool museum of World History events depicting the period in which the monastery was first built, up until modern day times. This is where I learned of the beginnings of Pastéis de Belém, the Holy Grail if you will, of those delectable pastries mentioned in the previous paragraph. With almost two dozen shots taken (and the same amount of tarts eaten), you bet your sweet tooth that I will be dedicating an entire post on this subject!

Sadly we missed out on many fantastic sites/areas in Lisbon. Never had the chance to do much walking in order to get a feel of Rossio, the heart of the city, or Alfama, which a friend had tipped us on. The ultimate "must-do" was dinner together with fado music in the Bairro Alto, but I'll save this and the worries of second-hand smoke for the next post.

Lodging: Hotel Principe Lisboa
Reviews: TripAdvisor

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Saved comment(s)

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"portuguese egg creme tarts"!!! Chee, should have traded vacations! I'm going to be drooling till you do a post on Pastéis de Belém!
Kathy | Homepage | 06.20.07 - 12:01 pm

Yes, yes! Bring on the pastry! I've already been reading up on Pasteis de Belem. You can tour the shop here: www.pasteisdebelem.pt and there are recipes at Leite's Culinaria. Ok Rowena - bring us some pastry!
Cathy | Homepage | 06.19.07 - 3:50 am

Boy that was lucky! And the architecture jaw dropping! Sounds like you had a nice time even if you were pressed for time.
Kat | Homepage | 06.19.07 - 1:50 am

A Taste of Lisbon, Porto, Madrid, and Paris

I'm beat! May 22nd marked the beginning of a fantastic trip with family from the islands, a grand come-what-may adventure via planes, trains, taxis, bus, and metro which ultimately ended in Italy with a visit to Rome and a couple of sagra events here and there. Nobody ever told me that traveling can be such hard work {wink}. Although it's been two weeks to the day since returning home to Lecco, there hasn't been much time to begin the task of editing photos and posting all about the tour (the mere thought makes me want to break out in a sweat). Of course, now that my guests have all flown back to "reality", I look forward to getting my brains back into gear and reporting on all that was seen, and more importantly, all that was EATEN. If you look closely at the collage, there is obviously one city that won me over completely. Guessed which one it is? Will be back soon...