An Ode to Gelato : Florence
Gelato. My favorite kind of dessert, especially when in Italy. While studying abroad in Florence, I took it upon myself to taste every single gelato place in Florence. While this daunting goal wasn't achieved due to lack of time, money, and too many stomach aches and weight gain, I made a sizeable dent in the gelato list I acquired throughout my stay there. While gelaterias such as Gelateria de Neri and Vivoli often come to mind when the word gelato is thought of, the best gelato of all is actually on the other side of the river.
My favorite gelato shop in all of Italy is called La Gelateria De La Carraia. Located on the cross streets of Lungarno Soderini and the bridge Ponte alla Carraia, this small little green and yellow striped shop overlooks a quieter side of the Arno and boasts of delicious flavors; my favorite being pistaccio and straticella. I've often heard from locals that one can judge the quality of gelato based on the flavor and texture of pistachio ( Italians take their gelato very seriously) .
While being the most affordable price for gelato ( 1.50 for a scoop of gelato) in all the most famous places of Florence, their quality beats every other place.
Some other gelato shops I recommend:
Gelateria de Neri
Perche No!
Gelateria Santa Trinita
Stickhouse
Festival del Gelato
Gelatieri Artigiani Fiorentini