Cheap Eats - Nucci’s: Gelato, my gelato

I had a moment in Italy once that took my breath away. Common enough. But this moment had nothing to do with a remarkable wine, artisan pasta, spectacular scenery or romance. Sad to admit, but the earth stood still when I first tasted Italian ice cream. Better known as gelato, this frozen wonder was not served in DayGlo-colored perfect scoops; rather, it’s slabbed onto a cookie cone. The aesthetic lies in that first lick: pure velvet with the essence of lemon zest, fresh berries or a soft breeze full of pine.

Italian brotherly love: While gelato and its nonmilk-based equivalent, Italian ice, is readily available in Northern cities, it’s been difficult to find in true form at a reasonable cost in our neck of the woods. But now Nucci’s, a Philadelphia franchise, recently opened its first licensee-owned eatery in Marietta. The panini and frozen-treat snack shop is slowly but surely finding a following with Northern transplants and natives alike.

Got milk?: Of course the major draw is the gelato, which is made from milk (not cream) and is denser than its American counterpart, as there is little air incorporated in the mix. Nor is it usually homogenized. The result is a semifredo treat lighter on the tongue but thicker in flavor. As for flavors, Nucci’s features 16 alternating choices of gelato daily. A classic favorite is the stracciatella, a mixture of milk, nut flavoring and small bits of dark chocolate. Customers’ favorites at the moment include the New York cheesecake, cookies and cream, and a dark chocolate with no sugar added. The gelatos are available as smoothies ($4.50) or stuffed in cannoli ($3.50), the classic Italian cookie shell. The Affogato ($3.75) features a splash of strong espresso over gelato for a guaranteed sugar and caffeine high. The Coppia layers gelato with Italian ice, flavored with chocolate, lemon or mango.

Out to lunch: Nucci’s is not just for dessert. The eatery offers six different panini ($5.99). All are created simply on a makeshift grill. Structured on crusty bread that holds its own, the panini use simple lunch meats and cheeses but dress up the basics with pesto mayonnaise, roasted red peppers and fresh grated horseradish. Try the Nuccini stuffed with spicy capicola, Genoa salami, aged provolone, basil leaf and special sauce. Vegetarians will prefer the Caprese.

Wash it all down with one of many flavored Italian sodas or a cappuccino. But no matter what, don’t leave without sampling the gelato, a whole lotta Italian soul in a little cup of frozen magic.