Gelato, Ice Cream, Sorbetto, Sherbet, Granita

Trip Start Jul 10, 2007

Trip End Ongoing

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Flag of United States Saint Petersburg, Florida
Wednesday, August 15, 2007

As a Pastry Chef, I revel in making the desserts for our restaurant from Streudel and Cheesecake to Bread Pudding, Triple Chocolate Brownies and Creme Brulee, but I have never attempted to master any frozen desserts. Well that's not entirely true as I do make a frozen concoction called the dream Terrine, where I start off with a light mousse (most often a white chocolate and a raspberry), which I layer and freeze, creating a 2 toned frozen dessert. Sliced and served with a duet of sauces: white chocolate and raspberry of course and it looks like a cotton candy confection.
But there is a certain talent and equipment needed to create gelato, sorbet or a creamy home-made ice cream, and that is not my forte, let's leave it up to the professionals, like those at Paciugo Gelateria and Caffe on Beach Drive, part of the Parkshore complex and right across from the Fine Arts Museum.
When we dine out on any given day or night, we invariably skip the poffered desserts, often purveyor bought, over-sugared, lacking creativity or flavor, for a trip to Paciugo instead.
Sitting on their expansive patio , were it not for the view of the St. Persburg waterfront and the boats and yachts passing by, we would think that we were back in Trieste, eating our umpteenth gelato, each one better than the last. Paciugo offers baked pastries and fresh brewed Paciugo Gran Miscela caff� but so far we have only tasted their frozen wares, and indulge we have. Our gelato taste buds have been wrapped around Banana Flambe (mmm ... reminiscent of Commander's Palace's Bananas Foster) , Chocolate Crunchy swirl, Tre Vaniglie (not due but tre), Coffee Mocha Swirl, Mint Chocolate Chip, Baileys, Creme Caramel, Tiramisu, Panna Cotta, Cookies and Milk, Dulce de Leche and Chocolate Chocolate Chip, while our favorite Sorbet flavor is and will always be the Wild berries.
We have put in our two cents by sending them a couple of flavor combos we think might attract some attention, like the Strawberry Shortcake, Kiwi/Lime, Apple/Rum/Raisin and White Chocolate Raspberry, and knowing those innovative Italian Gelato creators, these suggested flavors have probably been out there already for hundreds of years.
So the next time you are in the area of downtown St. Pete, make your way down to Toni and Carl's Paciugo, sit at one of the umbrella'd tables and dream up your own flavor combination, and then let us know.