Gelato Classico IN the city?

[Bob Peck]

I have a half-day layover at SFO on Thursday, April 30 and will be heading into the city to spend a few hours. It appears that my regular ice cream stop, the Gelato Classico
location on Union Street, has closed. Their website now shows the closest retail
location in Palo Alto.

1) Is that information accurate?

2) The website show a separate category of "cafes and creameries" in several locations
around the city, but it's clear that these are not dedicated Gelato Classico shops. Does
anybody know exactly what is offered there? Is it fresh scooped out of a display freezer
like at the old retail store, or just pre-packaged pints, half gallons, etc.

A sample of the listed "Cafes and Creameries" is...

Eternal Springs
750 Clement St.
San Francisco, CA 94118
415.751.1522

Chinatown Food Court
601 Grant St.
San Francisco, CA 94108
415.516.0595

Safeway - Deli
2020 Market St.
San Francisco, CA 94114
415.861.7660

Each of these appears to be an entirely different type of establishment. I suppose I
could call and ask, but would prefer first hand consumer info? Thanks in advance.
I'll drive to Palo Alta if I have to, but staying in the city would greatly simplify things.

[ChowFun_derek]

I enjoy Tango Gelato
http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&client=safari&rls=en&ei=BYXwScnyI5q6sgPFtYHQCg&resnum=0&um=1&ie=UTF-8&q=tango+gelato+fillmore+st.,+san+francisco,ca&fb=1&split=1&gl=us&view=text&latlng=10335675215156035452&dtab=2&pcsi=10335675215156035452,1&ei=GIXwSbTdHZCOtgOwvsTmCg&sa=X&oi=local_result&ct=result&resnum=1

and for Asian fruit flavors.. Marco Polo on Taraval
http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&...

[rworange]

The man likes his Gelato Clasico. You should be able to answer this. Has Safeway on Market suddenly opened a gelato counter? Last I looked was a while ago so I'm guessing it is only sold in cartons at Safeway.

That being said, there are lots of good gelato shops in SFif the OP is interested. .

[ChowFun_derek]

The Market St. Safeway added a gelato counter when they redid the store...haven't partaken as of yet....so I can't vouch for the quality...

[ceekskat]

When the new Safeway in Menlo Park opened 1 1/2 yrs ago, they spinkled a Gelato counter, a Jamba Juice & a Starbucks throughout the store. So if the one in the Marina is similar to the one in MP, should have display freezer. I was a fan of the Coppa Mista/Bavarian mint combination for as Iong as I could remember. Until my recent discovery of salted caramel at Bi-Rite in the Mission :) There is no going back. Haven't tried Humphrey Slocumbe, another small creamery nearby; will rectify this soon.

We were recently in L.A. & had the opportunity to try CIAO gelato...really enjoyed their vanilla (& I'm not even a vanilla fan) & thought the dulce de leche wasn't bad. Locally, you can find CIAO at the Ferry Building in SF. It's been a while, but I've enjoyed their pistachio too.

[rworange]

Don't agree about Ciao Bella at all. They were good in the beginning but when they went national, the corn syrup instead of sugar started going in and the quality dived. The only one I still like is the blood orange sorbet which just uses juice and sugar.

Here's what is in the dulce de leche

gelato base (milk, cream, sugar, corn syrup solids, non fat dry milk, whey, dextrose, guar gum, locust bean gum, carrageenan), Dulce De Leche Swirl (milk, sugar, corn syrup, sodium bicarbonate, potassium sorbate, lactase, vanilla), Dulce De Leche base (milk, sugar, corn syrup, sodium bicarbonate, potassium sorbate, lactase, natural caramel color, sodium chloride, calcium chloride, vanilla).

And seriously ... how do they pass this off as "all-natural gelato and sorbetto "

Oh wait, I just notice they screwed up the blood orange and changed the ingrediant list: Blood Orange Juice, Orange Juice, Sugar, Pectin, Guar Gum

You know, that flavor worked just swell for at least a decade without the extra stuff ... and ALL blood orange juice.

[ceekskat]

Good to know, thanks. It's just that we were headed back home after the Warner Bros. studio tour & they have a counter on the ground floor of office bldg & gave us coupons. It was hot, we have two kids...

[Robert Lauriston]

They were open when I walked by there a few weeks ago, and there's a report on Yelp from someone who went there last week. You might call them at [phone]‎ to verify.

[bbulkow]

Ok, you've got the PA branch 'scoped. I'll only point out they're a short walk from the caltrain, if that floats your boat. Probably not, if you have only a half day. At least the PA one is right in downtown pa, the parking's ok (your best bet is probably the Alma parking structure) and some wandering around can be had.

But you should really check out the alterntives. PA has Michael's, which I detest because of their one-flavor-rule. I like Naia in Berkeley because of the taste selection - black sesame, huzza! The basic flavors are simply good, not great.