If you follow me at all on social media you know that I have a bit of an obsession with ice cream (obsession would be an understatement – as I write this there are 6 pints of ice cream in my freezer and nothing else.) Well, move over ice cream, and make room for my new infatuation – gelato, and specifically the gelato at D’Ambrosio in Ballard.
Strawberry Ricotta
Knowing about my addiction to cold, sweet things, a friend of mine recently insisted I try D’Ambrosio and, y’all – I was blown away with utter delight. The Strawberry Ricotta gelato pictured above was the first of many I had to try here and it was fantastic. Creamy and delicious, like all their gelatos it’s made from local, organic milk from Fresh Breeze in Lynden, Washington. Fresh Breeze is one of the only organic dairy farms in the US and it’s family owned and operated; just one of the small touches that makes this gelato so special.
Stracciatella (Cream & Chocolate)
This Stracciatella gelato is reminiscent of a cookies and cream ice cream – but BETTER. A beautiful vanilla cream with rich flecks of chocolate is in store when you order this yummy flavor at D’Ambrosio. No artificial colors, flavors, texturizers or stabilizers are used in any of their gelatos, so it’s nothing but that creamy goodness. The husband and wife team at D’Ambrosio also make their own base for their gelato on site from scratch and their gelatos are made fresh daily in the summer (and several times a week in the off season).
Pistacchio di Bronte (Sicilian Pistachio)
I hesitated to try the Pistachio Gelato because I don’t like pistachios (or really nuts of any kind – it’s been a sad life to miss out on peanut butter and other wonderful things of the sort). However, D’Ambrosio is known for their Pistachio and my friend John insisted I at least have a taste. All I can say is WOW, y’all. I loved it. There weren’t pistachio chunks in it – it was very creamy and the pistachio was unassuming and delicious. They import their pistachios from the Mount Etna region of Italy, which is renowned as having the best pistachios in the world.
Chocolate Sorbet
I have to admit that my favorite thing here was actually a sorbet. That’s right, making outstanding gelatos wasn’t enough, they are also creating and scooping bomb sorbets, too. I have a pint of this in my freezer right now which leads me to another point – D’Ambrosio does pints and quarts to go so you can carry your goods home and live your best gelato life on your couch. You won’t believe this chcolate delciousness is vegan, but it is as sorbets use water instead of milk for their base and the absence of the fat from the milk makes the chocolate taste even richer tasting. Chocolate lovers (and vegans!), this one’s for you.
Well, by now y’all know the gelatos and sorbets here are to die for, but they also have an AFFOGATO BAR. I personally can think of no better combination than coffee and ice cream so affogatos are basically my version of heaven and you can bask in the affogato greatness at D’Ambrosio. They have a set menu of five different affogatos to chose from that include their fantastic gelatos, Blue Star Coffee espresso, and an array of toppings. Or you can go rogue and create your very own affogato with your fave gelato flavor. When you combine two things as amazing as D’Ambrosio and Blue Star, you know it’s going to be outstanding (and it is).
I hope you’ve enjoyed taking this delicious frozen dessert journey with me. I for one am now craving some gelato and thank goodness there’s some in my freezer. You can find D’Ambrosio and all the delectable things they’re doing in the heart of Ballard. And if you’re downtown like me, here’s an insider gelato tip – Moorea Seal will be having a gelato happy hour on September 21 from 4 to 7pm! There will be FREE GELATO available until it’s gone, so get there early, I know I will be! Happy eating, y’all!
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