Best Gelato?

Or any gelato for that matter??? I did notice a gelateria in N. Beach on Vallejo?? (east of Columbus) but it's been closed twice when I've passed by with a sweet tooth.

Also noticed a creperie in the Japantown mall of all places that claimed to offer gelato, but had no time to check it out. Besides these two, any others?

Kara, one of our table mates at Thursday's Champagne tasting hear Larry and I talking about Lappert's ice cream and chimed in that she had done some recent research from SF to San Jose for an ice cream article. I asked her who had the best gelato. She said Dolce Spazio which has locations in Los Gatos and Willow Glen (SJ). She described them as very intense and available in many liqueur flavors.

Have you heard of Emporio Rulli in Larkspur? It's an Italian gastronomic temple! It's an Italian coffee and panino bar/pastisseria/gelateria/wine bar & store! Of course, they make their own gelati and sorbetti and has many authentic flavors you find in Italy like Torroncine, Amaretti, Zabaglione, Nocciola etc. If you are an Italophile (spelling?), you've got to go there. You'd think you died and went to heaven (above Italy)!

Thanks, Melanie! I love reading all your comments -- you seem to know about everything and your comments are always well put. You seem the doyenne of the site!!!
Thanks for all your comments and thanks to everyone else!

Thanks so much for the energy you've put into this board, Kara, to make it that much better for all of us. It takes a pack to keep this going.

I hope this will be the last time someone embarasses me with this doyenne, queen, diva thing. The only title I lay claim to is Princess of Zin. :-)

The creperie in Japantown has much to recommend it but I think what they call gelato isn't what I call gelato. The green tea gelato had a nice texture but lacked zing. I had the white chocolate almond that the guy behind the counter recommended and while the flavor was pretty good (all right, fair) it was strangely gooey. Most of the customers were ordering the mixed fruit crepe (kiwi, banana, etc.) and they probably made the better choice.

*A brief aside*

What really brought me to Japantown was Mifune. It hasn't been updated or given a thorough cleaning in years, but the prices haven't gone up either and a bowl of their soup always rids me of whatever miserable cold I have. It's uncanny. A huge $6 bowl of broth with scrambled egg with soba noodles and a few shards of scallion does it every time.

--And back to the original thread--

I like the gelato that Draeger's in San Mateo serves in their bakery/cafe -- I think it is Ciao Bella's which has it's own location in San Francisco which is somewhere not too far from Moscone -- on Howard perhaps?

I like the NB one, I think you mean on Union between Stockton and Grant, but don't know if is the best, don't eat it much elsewhere.

My favorite gelato place in SF is probably Marco Polo on Taraval, which makes rich gelato in many tropical fruit flavors e.g. guava, coconut (one of my favorites), durian, taro, jackfruit, lychee, soursop and the like. Couldn't recommend it more.

Absolutely agree. Ciao Bella over on Howard is good (and available at Bryan's in Laurel Village), but Marco Polo is the best in the City. You can get Marco Polo gelati on Clement Street at the sweets store (can't remember name -- south side of street) near New May Wah, Kamei, and (on the other side of the street) Tokyo-Ya. Around 7th Avenue, give or take a block

I would stick to Marco Polo (Taraval and 24th) itself if possible, as the dessert place on Clement does not offer the more interesting flavors like jackfruit and guava.

We also love Marco Polo. Haven't been there in a while -- thanks for reminding me about their wonderful gelato.

Yes, I would agree. Marco Polo is the absolute best gelato I have had in the Bay Area. They serve it at the Slanted Door restaurant in the Mission as well.