“A single rose can be my garden… a single friend, my world.” – Leo Buscagli
When I began research for Ice Cream Travel Guide, ice cream lovers happily shared photos of their ice cream experiences. One particular struck me: a rose topping a cone. “I had it at this shop in Paris,” the ice cream lover would dreamily describe. “I don’t know the name, but it was amazing.”
Due to constraints, I couldn’t include Paris in the current version of the book. But for years, I always wondered where it was and especially how it tasted. Despite having a rule against reviewing ice cream shops, I can tell you upon taste whether something is naturally made—without the use of syrups or powders. Obviously, I prefer the natural kind. Gelato shops, especially those in the United States, often opt for syrups and powders. “I got the real stuff,” a gelato maker once said, pointing his tins and bottles imported from Italy. “I am making authentic Italian gelato.”
When I came across Amorino Gelato in Las Vegas, of all places. I was hesitant. But that rose. That gelato rose. And the 100+ degree heat. I headed inside and tried the flavors. The shop was nearly empty at 1 PM in the middle of the week. But we were here for a brief respite (from walking 300 feet in the desert heat) and in need of a recharge, we came here. I tasted the gelato. I typically choose the fruit flavors, because I believe that they represent the quality of the shop. Obviously, I knew that barely any produce could be grown locally, but Las Vegas is the epicenter of direct flights from all over…so they needed a repeatable process.
And it was quite good.
And the rose? It had to do with the presentation. Why have a circular ball of gelato when you can see each slice of gelato on a cone? Not a fan of macarons, I chose to have a small cone.
What is authenticity anyway? What this embodied was gelato in its pure form. For me, capturing the strawberries, lime and basil.
Las Vegas, you surprised me with the quality of food. Keep it coming.
Amorino Gelato (in Las Vegas)
Website
A Paris-based gelateria that has shops throughout the US with naturally made gelato flavors
Address: The LINQ Promenade, Ste 3, 3545 S Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89109
Hours: Open everyday · 9 AM – 12 AM
Phone: (702) 229-2807