By Alexi Zentner
No, it is not a Jell-O cafeteria. The Gelateria is essentially a funky espresso bar that serves gelato (think ice cream but denser, softer and packed with more flavor), soup and sandwiches. It’s as if Ted Drewes and the St. Louis Bread Co. had a baby that turned out better looking and smarter than either parent.
The Scoop: The Gelateria is a charming space with exposed-brick walls, rough wooden beams and braces and a few beautiful photographs. And who needs plasmas when you can plop down in one of their big comfy leather chairs and watch the bustle of Washington Avenue through towering plate glass windows? There’s a hipness quotient here that other coffeehouse-style restaurants sometimes lack.
The Soup: The soups change regularly, but the ones we had a chance to sample were terrific. The wedding soup, for instance, pulled off the astounding trick of being hearty yet tasting light, with tiny noodle pearls floating alongside small meatballs in a steaming broth. A variety of panini—turkey, roast beef, a club and a provolone-and-tomato—round out the menu; they’re accompanied by pita chips.
The End: With a selection of sweets like this, the traditional end of the meal is probably where you’ll start. Sure, cheesecakes and muffins are tempting, but the gelato, which comes in a dozen flavors, is what you’ll want: vanilla, blueberry, chocolate, hazelnut, pistachio, caffe (espresso), tiramisu, mint chocolate, lemon, caramel, strawberry and raspberry. You can also get a gelato shake, frappé or smoothie.
The Beginning: The coffee is good (it comes from Kaldi’s, and the staff here has serious brewing skills), plus there’s Wi-Fi; a cool atmosphere; excellent soups, sandwiches and munchies; and, oh yeah, gut-pleasing gelato. What else could you ask for? Gelato to go? They have that, too.
1327 Washington, 314-621-8838, www.thegelateria.com. 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Mon-Thu, 11 a.m.-midnight Fri & Sat, noon-8 p.m. Sun
