The people at Venchi have been making chocolate since 1878….and they are good at it. Here is what they say about themselves.
Since 1878 the ‘chocolate soul’ has been expressing through unique products, in which the Italian taste is the absolute protagonist. Exclusive recipes and extraordinary raw materials, which have never been altered by chemical processes or preservatives, are the key points of Venchi’s success.
Now the good people at Venchi make gelato and there is a store in Florence in Via Roma, not too far from the Ponte Vecchio.
In the name of research I had to try the gelato on a recent trip to Florence. I sampled the fig and marscapone and it was too delicious for words.
Their gelato is made on site using only natural ingredients and flavours that change with the seasons.
Now I have to divide my gelato eating between Grom, San Crispino and my all time favourite, Paolo’s gelato in Fornaci di Barga. Life is tough.
Don’t ever eat inferior ice cream, life is too short. Soft serve ice cream is made from hydrolyzed muck.
On our third week here and we haven’t missed a day of gelato!
By: Melonie Carideo on June 29, 2012
at 2:53 pm
Well done! Have you been to see Paolo yet?
By: Debra Kolkka on June 29, 2012
at 2:55 pm
OH yes please! I’ve been on a gelato kick for a few weeks now, it’s part of my daily diet! 😉
By: Jennifer Avventura on June 29, 2012
at 3:23 pm
Italian gelato is the BEST!
By: Debra Kolkka on June 29, 2012
at 11:47 pm
Your title implies people need more than one reason for gelato! 😉 …. and to those people, get a life!
By: aFrankAngle on June 29, 2012
at 3:42 pm
I agree! Gelato eating is necessary.
By: Debra Kolkka on June 29, 2012
at 11:48 pm
I ate Gelato every single day while I was in Italy. You can never go back to cheap ice cream after that. This makes want to go back so bad….
By: Damommachef on June 29, 2012
at 5:30 pm
I would rather go without than eat bad ice cream.
By: Debra Kolkka on June 29, 2012
at 11:49 pm
Ah Debra we share the same passion. We have only been back in England 5 weeks and we are missing our morning gelato from Il Monaco!
By: Andrea & David Waterhouse on June 29, 2012
at 7:06 pm
I missed you while I was there. I was at Il Monaco every morning.
By: Debra Kolkka on June 29, 2012
at 11:50 pm
What a dilemma Deb – we will just have to eat more – now 2 great spots in Florence that investigating on each visit
By: Liz Litzow on June 29, 2012
at 7:09 pm
Yes, we will be on the horns of a dilemma….Grom or Venchi. We could do both, which would solve the problem.
By: Debra Kolkka on June 29, 2012
at 11:51 pm
Gelato research is hard work but someone has to do – lucky you.
By: Just Add Attitude on June 29, 2012
at 7:45 pm
I take my gelato research very seriously.
By: Debra Kolkka on June 29, 2012
at 11:51 pm
Glad I’m sipping a yummy cappuccino as I read or I’d have to start hunting for ice cream (and of course nothing here compares with gelato there). Fortunately yummy cappuccino does it for me.
By: yogaleigh on June 29, 2012
at 8:06 pm
I love my coffee, and once again, I think Italy does the very best….and it is inexpesive there.
By: Debra Kolkka on June 29, 2012
at 11:52 pm
I get my coffee from a small company owned by an Italian and a blend that’s like what my Tuscan guide/friend explained to me so I do my best to capture that flavor but yes, nothing quite like a cup in Italy, preferably sitting in some lovely piazza…
By: yogaleigh on June 30, 2012
at 4:39 am
As another gelato “researcher”, I’m glad to know about this place – I will definitely go there next time I’m in Florence!
By: megtraveling on June 29, 2012
at 8:08 pm
You will love it!
By: Debra Kolkka on June 29, 2012
at 11:52 pm
When we were in Bagni I read that there is a “gelato diet”. I may try that one next time… possibly, because the real Italian gelato is all natural and without chemical additives it may work. In any case… it would be yummy!!!
By: mulino dominillo on June 29, 2012
at 8:58 pm
I think it would work….anyway, I am prepared to give it a go.
By: Debra Kolkka on June 29, 2012
at 11:53 pm
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! How delicious Italian galeto… I was crazy with them… Your photographs made me hungry now… Thank you dear Debra, have a nice weekend, love, nia
By: niasunset on June 29, 2012
at 9:52 pm
I love Italian gelato. I have to wait until September for more.
By: Debra Kolkka on June 29, 2012
at 11:54 pm
Well that was mouth wateringly good! Thanks for sharing
By: GetawayGuru on June 30, 2012
at 3:10 am
Italian gelato is delicious…you need to eat lots.
By: Debra Kolkka on June 30, 2012
at 11:50 pm
Those photos are so seductive and “fig and mascarpone” — we wants it!
By: Jan on June 30, 2012
at 7:17 am
I am keen to get back there for more.
By: Debra Kolkka on June 30, 2012
at 11:50 pm
Yummy! Now I can’t WAIT to get back to Firenze in Novembre for gelato at Venchi. What a treat that will be. Thanks for doing so much “research” for us all out here! LOL!
By: Our Kitchen Inventions on June 30, 2012
at 4:28 pm
I had heard that Venchi had opened in Florence, but somehow I missed it on earlier trips.
By: Debra Kolkka on June 30, 2012
at 11:51 pm
Fig and marscapone gelato……..yum! I love anything with figs so this would be a must for me! What a great job…gelato researcher!
By: jenny@atasteoftravel on June 30, 2012
at 10:34 pm
Gelato research is something I take seriously.
By: Debra Kolkka on June 30, 2012
at 11:52 pm
You had me at gelato!
There is a GROM right near my office in Manhattan. I had no idea there were locations in Italy. Now that you’ve recommended it, I will absolutely have to try GROM next week.
By: Jackie Cangro on July 1, 2012
at 1:18 am
Grom started in Torino and is slowly expanding. I go regularly to the one in Florence and occasionally to Siena. They are consistently good, so I’m sure the New York one will be too.
By: Debra Kolkka on July 1, 2012
at 6:28 am
Debra you tease. How can you do this to me? You know ice cream here is very hard to compare to.
Totally agree about the soft serve. Life is way to short.
By: cityhippyfarmgirl on July 1, 2012
at 3:54 am
I think is the freshness and lack of preservatives that makes the most difference. Paolo makes his gelato on site every morning.
By: Debra Kolkka on July 1, 2012
at 6:29 am
Sage advice. Quality gelato all the way…Life’s too short. I spotted this gorgeous new store a few Sunday’s ago. It was hard to get close – and it wasn’t even a hot day! Do you know Perche’ No? My top gelateria in Florence. One for our big day out in Firenze. We can tick off all our favourites!
By: janinevasta on July 1, 2012
at 9:50 pm
I haven’t tried that one. We will definitely have a day in Florence together soon.
By: Debra Kolkka on July 2, 2012
at 8:16 am
I’ve never had gelato as delicious as the one that I had in Italy. All those flavours! Heaven 😀
By: Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella on July 2, 2012
at 10:39 am
I think Italian gelato is the best!
By: Debra Kolkka on July 3, 2012
at 7:29 am
[…] to fit in a gelato at Grom or Venchi. Click here for Grom and here for […]
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at 11:24 pm
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at 12:57 am