21 Nov Stickhouse Gelato Santa Monica

One of the things I love about Italy is that everybody, no matter what age or gender, enjoys a gelato in the afternoon. There’s no excuse needed; there’s no rationalization. It is just pure enjoyment. But here in the U.S., I sometimes feel like I am being judged if I decide to have an ice cream in the middle of the day. Ice cream is seen as a dessert or for special occasions but not as an afternoon snack. But, maybe that will change with Stickhouse Gelato. With 92 stores around the world, including Italy, London, Germany, Spain and throughout Asia and the Middle East, Los Angeles is the location of the first U.S. store. Located in Santa Monica, just off the 3rd Street Promenade, Stickhouse Gelato will transport you to Italy as you are greeted by the young Italian staffers, Elisa and Andrea. Stickhouse Gelato offers a selection of freshly made gelato and sorbetto on a stick. Made with only the fewest and most natural ingredients possible (organic milk and cream and locally sourced fresh fruit), they never use any preservatives, coloring or processed sugars. The gelato and the sorbetto are gluten free and the sorbetto is also vegan. And even better, the sorbetto is only 80 calories per stick and the gelato starts at 150 calories per stick. Once you pick your flavor (which changes daily), you can select to dip it in white, milk or dark chocolate and then roll in pistachios, hazelnuts or coconuts. With no preservatives, the gelato and sorbetto is meant to be enjoyed right away. So, choose your flavors and enjoy without the guilt! Here are some of the tasty combinations I tried! Tiramisu Gelato with dark chocolate and hazelnut Orange Sorbetto with dark chocolate and pistachio Fig Gelato with dark chocolate and hazelnut Dragon Fruit Sorbetto with dark chocolate and hazelnut Coconut Gelato with dark and milk chocolate and coconut Coffee Gelato dipped in dark chocolate and coconut and Strawberry Sorbetto dipped in dark chocolate and pistachios. If you need a little caffeine pick-me-up, try an espresso, macchiato, latte or drip coffee made with their own blend called Merci Clement. Made with beans from three countries (Mormora Guji from Ethiopia, Emilio Lopez Las Nubes from El Salvador, Acatenango Community from Guatemala), the resulting coffee has a tart acidity with notes of chocolate, raisin and currants. Stickhouse Gelato 223 Broadway Santa Monica, CA 90401