Teo and Antonio Lisciandro, owner of Gelateria Carabe

Gelateria Perche No in Florence is part of the Slow Food movement.

Perche No means ‘Why Not!” This gelato was very good, the owner’s favorite flavor was Cassata (a liquor-soaked sponge-like cake).

Perche No Gelato Shop in Florence.

Last breakfast in Florence at Trattoria Da Giorgio

Breakfast of champions at Trattoria Da Giorgio in Florence – who wouldn’t want to start their day off with this?

Apricot Cornetto and Dark Chocolate Shortbread Tart

Thanks for following along Teo’s most recent journey to the land of gelato!

“There was a taxi strike in Rome so we had to walk EVERYWHERE. We arrived late Thursday walked  straight to Gelateria San Crispino near the Trevi fountain and Giolitti. Thumbs up for San Crispino.



“Friday taxi still on strike.  Ran through the streets of Rome to shake off jet lag. Found an amazing pastry shop Pasticceria Regoli - one customer told me they were a legal drug. You can’t quit.  Got dressed & Went to Taza D’oro Caffe. Both thumbs up.

Walked to the Vatican and said a blessing for my customers and employees (I hope it worked).  Walked to Fatamorgana (another gelateria) but it was closed for the holidays until February. 

On the way home, I crossed the river and saw the Spanish steps. I took a wrong turn but it allowed me to stumble upon a very unique and different gelato.  Of course I can’t remember the name but they make their own bases and have a large production.”

“Saturday a.m., all I could think of was the wild strawberry pastry from Pasticceria Regoli,  so I ran to it again, (gotta fit in my pants). All very good. We got the car to drive to Rimini via L’Aquila (a town that endured an earthquake in 2009). On the way out, tried to go to Fatamorgana’s other location but it was also closed for 8 week vacation. Drove through mountains with snow to get to Adriatic coast and stopped at Auto Grill, a highway stop. Even the highway espresso is better than Starbucks!

 Got to Rimini, where the gelato & pastry convention is being held, after finding myself driving with traffic going 160 kilometers per hour and I was getting passed!”

Take a look at some of the items and stories told above:

Made from scratch gelateria in Rome.

Made from Scratch Gelateria in Roma

 Gelateria Fatamorgana in Rome, closed for the holidays.

Classy Entrance to Gelateria Fatamorgana, Closed for the Holidays

Teo arrives in Rimini for the gelato and pastry conference, SIGEP! The entire event takes up eight football fields-worth amount of space featuring gelato, pastries, coffee, and other tasty goods.

Teo in front of the entrance to the SIGEP Conference!

Here’s a pastry competition at the conference.

Italian Pastry Competition at the SIGEP Conference

There’s even a world cup competition of gelato from countries all over the world.

Coppa Del Mondo Della Gelateria (The World Cup of Gelato)

Have you ever noticed that the Leaning Tower of Pisa is the cornerstone of our logo? That’s because our shop has true Italian roots. Our owner Matthew (aka Teo) learned how to make gelato IN Italy before the shop opened. But, he didn’t stop there. He continues to travel to the home of gelato to strengthen relationships with our Italian supporters and friends, and learn about the newest techniques, the latest flavors, and the tricks of the coveted trade. His next trip is…well…he leaves TODAY!

If you are reading this the day we posted it (1.18.12), it is very likely that Matthew is en route to Italy, where our gelato journey began! He’s attending the International Exhibition for the Artisan Production of Gelato (SIGEP) in Rimini! (But don’t worry, we’ll still be serving up your favorite treats at the shop!)

Matthew will also be stopping in Rome, Florence, and Milan to visit cafes, gelaterias, and meet with our torrefazione (eye-talian for coffee roaster) and gelato artisans to make sure Teo remains true to its Italian roots!

We’ll be posting live updates here on our blog, Facebook, and Twitter, so connect with us to feel like you’re a part of our journey!

Arrivederci! (’til we meet again)