Normally if I’m awake before 9 a.m. on my day off, I’m not a happy camper. But yesterday, despite taking the day off from job No. 1, I found myself not only awake, but dressed and in motion by 7 a.m.
Sure, we had things to do that required a bit of travel, but the early start was credited to wanting to try a new establishment that held its grand “soft” opening Friday morning at 7 a.m.
Giacinta’s Gelato & Caffè began welcoming customers for the first time Friday inside its 166 East Main Street location in St. Clairsville. I could rave about the aesthetics, and will go over it in detail when we do a full workup on the new eatery later this month.
The remodeling job alone is extensive and has really spruced up that corner of downtown St. Clairsville. So, kudos there.
But this fat man had to eateth, and this Friday morning was about trying Gelato, which I admit, I am now a convert. When I first messaged the owner about doing a story on the opening of Giacinta’s, I mentioned that I’d never really tasted Gelato and wasn’t entirely sure what it was.
She assured me that I’d like it, and that the café would offer other tasty items. She was correct on both accounts, but more on that later.
For the uninitiated, gelato is an Italian-style frozen dessert. It’s made with a base of butterfat whole milk, plus some sugar. It’s dense and rich and not as airy feeling as your more traditional ice creams.
But Giacinta’s has more than just gelato. There are two menu boards in the café, one consists primarily of drinks: coffees and teas, along with multiple flavor shots and toppings you can add to said drinks. Think Starbucks, but less expensive.
The other side features the gelato prices, along with soup, and both breakfast and lunch paninis.
We each opted to try a flavor of the gelato, while she snagged a London Fog to drink. I definitely plan to return to try out the paninis, but that will have to come at a later date.
The food
The gelato comes in two sizes, 4 oz. and 6 oz. I decided to “tis the season” and went for the pumpkin gelato, while she took a serving of the vanilla.
The flavor was rich on both accounts—we each sampled one another’s choices—and personally, I wasn’t disappointed with either. Truth be told; however, the pumpkin flavor was delicious. And it is a much denser texture than ice cream and provided that rich flavor I’d read about.
It also helps that while the cup was a 4 oz. cup, that gelato was really packed into it. It felt like A LOT of gelato despite the 4 oz cup size.
On to the London Grey drink, which is British-style Earl Grey tea, with milk and vanilla syrup. I’m not a usual drink of teas other than lemon tea and the occasional Pure Leaf Unsweetened (don’t ask). Nor am I a fan of hot tea. Cool it down, over ice, and I’m set. But the hot London Fog was a pretty good drink, even in my estimation. But that one sip was enough as I returned her drink to her.
I read online where others were raving about the “Affogato,” a scoop of gelato with an espresso shot poured atop. If I need a tasty pick-me-up, I may have to sample that in the future.
That being said. Giacinta’s is a welcome addition to the St. Clairsville food landscape, and much like For the Love of Pierogis, which also recently opened down the street, it provides something different that city residents, and beyond, aren’t used to having.
Find a need, fill a need, right? Consider this town’s need for coffee, tea, gelato, paninis and more properly filled. Well done, indeed.
