Better Than Ice Cream

On Valentine's Day, Tim treated me to a home cooked dinner.  He spatchcocked a chicken and roasted it.  It was chicken at its best served along side rice and asparagus.  The grand finale, though, was the dessert he picked up at Whole Foods.

Madisono's Dark Chocolate Orange Gelato. 

Before I even tasted it, I appreciated that my husband purchased locally.  Madisono's is Cincinnati's first gelato company.  When we lifted the pint's lid, I could immediately smell the intense flavors of chocolate and orange.  How had I forgotten these two were a match made in heaven?  Then when I had a scoop I nearly exclaimed (in the manner of Willie Wonka), "The orange tastes like orange!  The dark chocolate tastes like dark chocolate!"  The flavors were individual yet blended and the result is reminiscent of a Chocolate Orange that my mom used to slip into our Christmas stockings. 

Every bite was smooth and creamy with none of the iciness you often get from pints of ice cream.  That richness is gelato's best asset.  Even the next day when we polished off the pint, there was still no graininess, no apparent ice burn, and the flavors were still strong.  Honestly, I can't see how a pint would last more than a day or two in our house anyway.  It would be dangerous to stock up on this stuff--to say it's addicting is an understatement.

For a list of locations you can get Madisono's gelato, just visit Matt Madison's blog.  We picked ours up at Whole Foods in Mason, and when we went there last night, the choices were slim as many of the flavors seemed sold out.  We did get the last Dark Chocolate Orange to indulge in while we watched Sons of Anarchy, so I'm hopeful that they get more in soon.  I'm not sure how long I will last without it.