Cinnamon Ice Cream in Vancouver?

[Vancouver Lee]

Growing up in Ontario, my parents used to take the family out to dinner to Mother's Restaurants, a chain of pizza-and-pasta places that went under many moons ago.

My fondest memory of Mother's was the cinnamon ice cream they served. I've found precisely two restaurants since then that had it on the menu, and to my dismay both were sold out. Does anyone know of a restaurant here in Vancouver that serves this? Better yet, are there any grocery stores that sell it by the tub?

[Sam Salmon]

The only place that comes to mind that might have it is La Casa Gelato.

[stovetop]

La casa

Marios

steve

[melonpan]

tubs, huh?

would you, by any chance, be up to making some?

i had a friend who really likes the haagen dazs stuff (so she said) and i wanted to surprise her by buying her some over the holidays.

over a period of a week and a half, i checked about 5 grocery markets around me. none of them had this (this was in the period from xmas to new years). so i gave up and finally made some.

i made it and she liked it enough. she did say that the haagen dazs stuff was stronger flavoured, but i can remedy that for next time.

i made a custard based ice cream, infused the cream and milk with 2 sticks of cinnamon, added about a teaspoonful of cinnamon powder.

maybe next time, ill up the cinnamon powder.

but i know not everyone wants to make ice cream. but it is an option.

[Mooshmouse]

Mario's Gelati sells cinnamon gelato at their Amato Gelato Cafe (88 East 1st Avenue). You can purchased hand-packed tubs to take home.

IMHO, Mondo Gelato is the best in town, but Mario's takes a definite second place over La Casa Gelato. Just my two cents worth.

Edited January 13, 2005 by Mooshmouse (log)

[Foodie in Vancouver]

I'm in agreement with Mooshmouse - Mario's is better gelato than Casa's. Other than the huge number of flavours I have never really seen what the attraction is at Casa. As for cinnamon ice cream, I find it easiest to just have it with gingerbread pudding at the HSG

Edited January 13, 2005 by Foodie in Vancouver (log)

[Mooshmouse]

Perhaps my caffeine-ridden brain is failing me, but I think the Hammie's warm gingerbread pudding is served with ginger and pumpkin gelato.

Neil, our friendly neighbourhood gingerbread pusher, can correct me if I'm mistaken. Pumpkin or cinnamon, it's damn good gelato.

[nwyles]

Perhaps my caffeine-ridden brain is failing me, but I think the Hammie's warm gingerbread pudding is served with ginger and pumpkin gelato. 

Neil, our friendly neighbourhood gingerbread pusher, can correct me if I'm mistaken.  Pumpkin or cinnamon, it's damn good gelato. 

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You are correct , it is pumpkin but with a heavy spoon of cinnamon. Just mixing a fresh batch right now for Dine Out

[Jeffy Boy]

Perhaps my caffeine-ridden brain is failing me, but I think the Hammie's warm gingerbread pudding is served with ginger and pumpkin gelato. 

Neil, our friendly neighbourhood gingerbread pusher, can correct me if I'm mistaken.  Pumpkin or cinnamon, it's damn good gelato. 

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You are correct , it is pumpkin but with a heavy spoon of cinnamon. Just mixing a fresh batch right now for Dine Out

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There goes Huggy Bear again, pimpin' his cinnamon girl.

[skyflyer3]

I'm in agreement with Mooshmouse - Mario's is better gelato than Casa's. Other than the huge number of flavours I have never really seen what the attraction is at Casa.  As for cinnamon ice cream, I find it easiest to just have it with gingerbread pudding at the HSG

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I've not tried Mario's, but La Casa Gelato was not a pleasant experience. Many flavors there, even the exotic ones like Durian, tasted off, like the base had artificial flavorings in it. Won't be going back. Mondo Gelato is the best gelateria in the Pacific Northwest - definitely the most authentic artisinal gelato in taste and texture than anything in Seattle or Portland. I love the Maple Caramel, Milk Chocolate and Lime flavors.

[eatrustic]

I bef to differ Skyfkyer 3 but I would have to say that Gelatiamo in Seattle has the best gelato this side of the PNW. I've never found anything in Vancouver that comes close to the Hazelnut Gelato they have there.

[butter]

I too have to put my 2 cents in. Mondo is the best with it's natural tasting flavours. We were thinking about starting a gelateria before the craze started here so my husband went to Sicily to check it out. It seems out of all the gelaterias here, the creamy texture is missing though. From what I saw in Italy they use a paddle instead of a scoop to swirl the ice cream onto a cone or into a cup. And when in a cone, it starts to drip down your hand even before the first lick.

IMO, Mondo has more winning flavours (maple caramel is my fave, too), Mario's has a great vanilla, and La Casa is too watered down and artificial tasting. There's also a place called Bellagio on Main St. near 15th, tried it once and never went back. Maybe they've improved by now????

I guess I'm off to a Seattle trip soon to check out Gelatiamo. Address?

[peppyre]

No, Bellagio has not improved. The last time (the VERY last time) I went in there with a Gelato craving, you could tell which ones had been made days and days ago and the artificial chemical taste was very overpowering. Overpriced, artificial and crap!!!

[eatrustic]

Butter : Gelatiamo is on 1400 W. 3rd Ave. Just up from the Pike Market.

[appreciator]

There's a place in White Rock along the beach that has pretty good gelato.... it may be "Dolce Gelato" but I'm not positive that is the name. It's right beside a bank machine kiosk.

Not sure if they have cinnamon gelato or not but some of their other flavours are pretty good.

And there used to be a place on Yew Street near Cornwall that was run by this older Italian fellow but it was strangely hit and miss for when it was open and they hardly had any flavours to choose from.

[*Deborah*]

The gelato place in the Ambleside area of West Vancouver was really good last time I was there (a few years ago)

I usually get cakes at the one on Venables (can't remember which one that is) and their pistachio is ...OK... not awesome. Their cakes are pretty good though.

[skyflyer3]

I bef to differ Skyfkyer 3 but I would have to say that Gelatiamo in Seattle has the best gelato this side of the PNW. I've never found anything in Vancouver that comes close to the Hazelnut Gelato they have there.

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I have to say, it may be the flavors I navigate towards are the ones that Gelatiamo never gets right for me - and since I haven't tried the hazelnut, I guess I can't truly dismiss them outright. In Italy, I'd always judge the quality of a gelateria by the texture, taste and color of the pistachio flavor. If it was a minty or bright-ish green, it was bound to have artificial flavorings. If it was slightly greyish green, or a more muted brownish green, it was going to be good stuff.

Right after we got back from Florence a couple of years ago, I tried Gelatiamo, hoping to quench my hankerings for the real thing, and was sorely disappointed. Not because it was bad, mind you; it was because the texture and taste was closer to ice cream than gelato for me. Gelatiamo had a thicker, denser mouthfeel, rich and velvety but not what I was looking for. And the color of the pistachio at Gelatiamo was minty, and the flavor seems just not Italian to me. I think Bottega Italiano is the the most authentic here in Seattle, and better than the gelaterias in Portland, but even there the mouthfeel isn't as light, or the flavors as complex as those in the finer gelaterias in Italy. Something to be said for local ingredients, I suppose (although you can still find sub-standard gelato in Italy as well!).

edited to add: Butter, Bottega Italiano is in Pike Place Market, on 1st next to DeLaurenti's. The owner is from Milan, and they cary granita as well.

Edited January 14, 2005 by skyflyer3 (log)

[*Deborah*]

I'd always judge the quality of a gelateria by the texture, taste and color of the pistachio flavor. 

Me, too, pistachio first; then we'll see about the chocolate ones; then we can work around to anything else.

Thank God pistachio's not available at the grocery next door; I'd eat it all the time instead of just sometimes in the summer.

[winegeek]

Has anyone been to Brazza on Lonsdale in NVan?? When I was living downtown I frequented mondo at least once a week and loved it. When I moved to NV I tried Brazza. YUM!! IMO, better than Mondo.

[Chef Metcalf]

Has anyone been to Brazza on Lonsdale in NVan?? When I was living downtown I frequented mondo at least once a week and loved it.  When I moved to NV I tried Brazza.  YUM!!  IMO, better than Mondo.

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Oh yes....Brazza has wonderful freshly made gelato in lots of flavours, although I don't remember seeing cinnamon but will take a look next time I'm there.

The lemon sorbet is excellent too and they sell Intelligensia if you need a fix.

cm

Edited January 15, 2005 by Chef Metcalf (log)

[winegeek]

Has anyone been to Brazza on Lonsdale in NVan?? When I was living downtown I frequented mondo at least once a week and loved it.  When I moved to NV I tried Brazza.  YUM!!  IMO, better than Mondo.

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Oh yes....Brazza has wonderful freshly made gelato in lots of flavours, although I don't remember seeing cinnamon but will take a look next time I'm there.

The lemon sorbet is excellent too and they sell Intelligensia if you need a fix.

cm

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I don't remember seeing cinnamon either. I just wanted to throw that name out there

[Jeffy Boy]

There's a place in White Rock along the beach that has pretty good gelato.... it may be "Dolce Gelato" but I'm not positive that is the name.  It's right beside a bank machine kiosk.

Yup, it's Dolce Gelato. Their stuff is very good, but I think they're closed through the winter. They have a nice white wine gelato.

[Daddy-A]

Does anybody else see the irony in the fact that we're discussing ice cream/gelato in winter in Vancouver ... and it's frickin' -10C outside?

Just wonderin'

A.

[stovetop]

When I was a kid in Edmonton it would be -40 and I would still eat ice cream, maybe that is why I have that tick

[SushiCat]

Does anybody else see the irony in the fact that we're discussing ice cream/gelato in winter in Vancouver ... and it's frickin' -10C outside?

Just wonderin'

A.

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It is NEVER too cold for ice cream, or gelato or granita for that matter! Thanks to eatrustic for giving us scoop on the Seattle spots. I'm a regular visitor and always stop for good gelato. Granita, I have only had good granita once, when a Sicilian in Florence told me which shop had the best gelato and that what was really best was granita with a scoop of gelato in it - complementary flavors of course!

I'm now craving Mondo and will have to brave the icy streets!