Cafe Toscano Gelateria

With critical darling Capogiro in town, a new gelateria can't help but be compared, and in this particular case, pale in comparison. It's too bad, because Cafe Toscano's gelato is pretty damn good.

Located at 609 Chestnut St., Cafe Toscano shouldn't struggle for customers, especially during the warmer months. Packs of tourists shuffle by the street during the week, moving to and fro the Liberty Bell Center and Independence Hall. (It would be in the gelateria's best interest to invest in a more visible sign; tourists are attracted to bright lights.) Rather than aiming to attract thrill-seeking foodies and the organic-naturalist crowd, Cafe Toscano offers tamer flavors for whole-family appeal. This, of course, is not a fault as long as the gelati are quality. Besides, there are some imaginative flavors, like Tartufo (truffles), Cannolo Siciliano, Tiramisu, and G-Power (sports drink), to name a few.

Without fussily pairing my flavors, I chose a scoop of Cannolo Siciliano and Panna Cotta, which were crammed into the smallest cup. (Don't quote me, but the small cup was approximately $3.30 including tax.) Both gelati had the signature creamy, not icey, consistency. Without a cup-to-cup comparison, it would be difficult to distinguish differences between Capogiro's and Toscano's gelati, but I felt that the the latter's was more akin to a rich ice cream on the tongue. As for taste, the Cannolo Siciliano was gustatorily arresting. Immediately I got the sense that I was savoring a cool ricotta cannoli. The sweet ricotta gelato was rife with tiny bits of crunchy cannoli shell, giving it a fitting touch of authenticity.

My other flavor choice, Panna Cotta, was much less interesting. It tasted similar to a vanilla gelato, but with a taste more redolent of eggs and cream than of vanilla bean (and Panna Cotta is an eggless custard!).

On the strength of the Cannolo alone, I can recommend trying Cafe Toscano. With such a varied selection of flavors, ranging from the conventional to the kid-friendly (Oreo) and beyond, it's hard to ignore this new gelateria's appeal. It may not equal Capogiro's ice cream transcendence, but who can? Cafe Toscano is Philly's second best spot for the creamy confection, and that's saying alot.

Comments

[Tony Longcoy]

Just came back from a Philly visit and must say this gelato rocks! I had the watermelon and it tasted so light and refreshing, it melted in my mouth. The brother and sister team service was A-1, great portions! & Thanks for the quarters!

[Tony Longcoy]

Just came back from a Philly visit and must say this gelato rocks! I had the watermelon and it tasted so light and refreshing, it melted in my mouth. The brother and sister team service was A-1, great portions! & Thanks for the quarters!

Capogiro is still my favorite for the rare and exotic flavors but for something outside the city Toto's is my close second.

Toto's Gelateria & Caffe
35 N Main St
Ambler, PA 19002
215-628-3980
Sun 11:00am-9:00pm -- Mon-Wed 10:00am-9:00pm
Thurs 10:00am-10:00pm -- Fri-Sat 10:00am-11:00pm

Toto's offers a variety of Italian specialties and an assortment of Gelato flavors for everyone! Enjoy a Gelato, Panini, Espresso, Fresh deserts, Chocolate covered pretzels, assorted chocolates and more.

[Bluehensfan]

I tried the bitter chocolate gelato at Toscano and liked it as well as the hazlenet variety. The vanilla tasted a bit artifical though. I think that the first two flavors were actually better than at Capogiro. Hopefully they will survive despite not having the "trendy" factor and word-of-mouth that Capogiro has.

[Farid Zadi]

Great blog. I found it through a mention in a food forum. I'm glad I did.