REVIEW: The Fresh Market Pumpkin Spice & Everything Nice Gelato (Limited Edition)

While picking up a few things in The Fresh Market earlier this week, I noticed a new gelato flavor sitting in the freezer. Last year I’d enjoyed their Sweet & Spiced Gingerbread limited edition, which had been pretty solid, so I decided to give their in-house Pumpkin Spice & Everything Nice a try this season. This fall inspired flavor comes in at just 170 calories per serving, but also lacks any mix-ins to inflate the calorie count.

Aesthetically, the pale orange ice cream shows off the flecks of seasonal spices inside and its soft, pliable texture makes it easy to transfer into a bowl. The pumpkin flavoring is bold, well balanced, and even though it includes plenty of spice, never becomes overpowering. Especially when taking calories into account, this is definitely worth picking up at least once. Try adding a handful of crushed graham crackers if you start to get bored.

Where I Found It: The Fresh Market
Grade: B

READER REVIEW: Derek's Review of Talenti Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Gelato

I’ve been on a peanut butter and chocolate kick lately, and I felt in order to cover my bases I should give Talenti’s Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup a try. They describe the flavor by saying “We blend our Belgium milk chocolate gelato with a rich swirl of creamy, organic peanut butter. Then, we add all-natural mini chocolate peanut butter cups for our take on a flavor everyone loves.” While I haven’t sampled much Talenti, their eloquent description ramps up my anticipation. I untwist the top and see what’s in store.

Well, there’s no peanut butter swirl or mini cups present on first glance. I table my mild disappointment and go for the light colored Belgian chocolate base. The base is easily scoopable and unbelievable smooth as expected. Unfortunately, the chocolate flavor is rather dull. It’s only mildly sweet and almost imparts more of a butter flavor than chocolate. Still, the milk chocolate flavor is there and I push on to find the much anticipated mix-ins.

A quarter of the way through the pint and the tiny peanut butter cups finally show themselves. While much later than expected, the initial layer is laden with them so I snag a few. The cups are of the high quality nature that one would expect in a Talenti pint. The chocolate and peanut butter filling are overly creamy and blend together to provide a singular flavor profile. I’m not overly impressed with them, but given my preference towards a less natural cup, such as Reese’s, this was expected. Regardless, the textural crunch of the cups combos well with the buttery base providing the contrast one looks for.

This is typically where I post another picture about halfway through the pint, highlighting the crazy amount of additions and the highly anticipated last mix-in I’ve waited to talk about. Unfortunately, neither of these things was achieved in this pint. The mix-ins were so scant I was actually physically unable to find a shot that would show any more than the mute brown base and a few mini cups. I counted 3 “chunks” of peanut butter in the whole thing, and I use the term “chunks” loosely as they were maybe the size of a quarter both in diameter and thickness. The amount of mini cups in the ladder half of the pint never matches that of the initial scattering of them. Having seen older reviews of this flavor I was expecting so much more. In fact, I was so disappointed I tabled this review to run out and buy another pint the next day from a different store. Regrettably, the exact same results were produced. This may be the saddest ice cream has ever made me. Given the quality of the product, I certainly can’t give Talenti a terrible grade, but I fear that the amazing pint this once seemed to be is no more.

Where Derek Found It: Giant Food
Derek's Grade: C

READER REVIEW: Elliot's Review of Haagen Dazs Tiramisu Dark Chocolate Gelato Bars

Haagen-Dazs is continuing their onslaught of gelato products. This stodgy old brand continues to command a remarkable amount of shelf space, skating by on their name recognition and reputation built on what their products represented years ago. They are able to defend their shelf space against the competition by throwing their weight around with distributors and leveraging their expertise in the science of marketing.

At over $1 per bar on sale, these beautifully packaged and decorated novelties look like an attempt to introduce something new and exciting while providing a boost to the brand’s profit margins. Surprisingly, the “dark chocolate and vegetable oil coating” is the best part. Complete with “dazzle” (see label).

The flavor of the tiramisu gelato is off, tasting like coffee that was sugared and creamed with Coffeemate by a teenage girl. The lack of a ladyfinger element confuses the issue on whether this is tiramisu or some version of an affogato encased in thick casing of dark chocolate.

If I wanted chocolate, I’d buy a nice, high quality chocolate bar. These bars are not worth the 270 calories and 17g of fat. Without the cocoa ladyfinger pieces found in the pint version, which I don't love either, this is even further off the mark for me.

Where Elliot Found It: Dierberg’s Markets

Elliot's Grade: C

READER REVIEW: Elliot's Review of Talenti Pumpkin Pie

They say pumpkin addiction is a progressive disease. You pick up each season where you left off, as though in spite of the dearth of pumpkin themed delectables available throughout the dry period of spring and summer, you never stopped finding ways to add more of the orange gourd to your diet. This year I picked up right where I left off last winter when the hoard in my cupboard and freezer finally ran out. Pumpkin is one of my preferred cinnamon and nutmeg delivery systems. Pumpkin ice cream and gelato that deliver the goods take me to "that place"..

Talenti is one of those brands that use mix-ins sparingly; sometimes so sparingly it feels like a tease. They use spices, swirls and mix-ins as accents to highlight the texture of the gelato. Their Pumpkin Pie Gelato includes a minimal dose of soft, mild "pie crust" crumbles, and showcases a well balanced blend of cinnamon and nutmeg - a real flavor disco. The soft, easy-melting texture of the gelato beckons you in with great visual appeal, and grabs hold of you when you take a taste. This creates an experience from love at first sight all the way to the scraping the bowl, or should I say heading back to the store to stock up.

Elliot's Grade: A

READER REVIEW: Derek's Review of Talenti Caramel Apple Pie

I’ll start this review with the caveat that I have only had Talenti, and gelato as a whole, one time previous to this. I definitely prefer the dense nature of a super premium ice cream, but I will keep an open mind because this concoction sounds quite tantalizing. Talenti Caramel Apple Pie is described as an abundance of real cinnamon sticks are used to make our signature cinnamon gelato. Pieces of apple and sweet flaky pie crust are blended into the cinnamon gelato. Finally a caramel swirl is added for a unique take on caramel apple pie. The caramel swirls visible through Talenti’s signature clear container certainly peak my interest. Upon removing the lid a tiny bit of caramel swirl peaks through the slightly speckled white base. Time to dig in.

The white base didn’t give my high hopes but wow, Cinnamon Buns. They somehow found a way to make a gelato equivalent of one of Ben and Jerry’s signature flavors, a flavor in which pretty much every person I know ranks among their top 5. The gelato has a creamy, almost milky texture that is hard to understand if you’ve never experienced it. At 200 calories per serving, I’m not sure I could ask for much more from this base. Gelato is amazing in the fact that in terms of weight, a serving packs the same heft as a super premium ice cream, but its soft nature makes the act of consuming it so much easier. This can make it very dangerous for those who don’t look to eat the whole pint in one sitting so be forewarned. After the initial shock from the amazing base starts to wear off, I dig deeper in pursuit of the mix-ins.

It definitely doesn’t take long to hit the mix-ins even though the surface was devoid of them. First I went for the caramel. It definitely through me for a loop because I was in full on cinnamon buns mode and was expecting a cinnamon packed swirl, but instead got a smooth natural caramel. The swirl is extremely sweet and packs the punch of a dulce de leche. The caramel immediately sent me back to childhood and the individually wrapped square caramels I used to get from by grandparents. Any ice cream that invokes nostalgia is a winner in my book. The pieces of pie crust are quite abundant immediately under the surface. Their buttery texture and slight crunch give a different mouth feel that is needed in a pint as velvety as this. How they managed to get the consistency of the crust such that it retains its “fresh out of the bakery” texture is beyond me. I think a crispy mix-in is typically vital for great ice cream so the fact that the crust pieces vary in both size and the amount of crunch is welcomed.

Halfway through the pint and I finally hit an apple. To be honest I had been so pleased with the rest of the offering I had forgotten apples were supposed to be a mix-in. The apples provide a chewy mouth feel with the consistency of partially dried fruit. The sweet, natural sugar flavor is unlike anything else in the pint and is quite distinguishable when in a spoonful with everything else. I’m slightly sad it took so long to find one, but the sudden wealth of them now makes it hard to complain. I still prefer ice cream to gelato, but the amazing base combined with 3 unique, well matched mix-ins has gone a long way toward changing my mind on what gelato has to offer.

Where Derek Found It: Weis Markets
Derek's Grade: A

REVIEW: Ciao Bella Key Lime Graham Gelato

Although I had seen cartons of Ciao Bella gelato before, it wasn’t until I discovered their Gelato Squares that I became really interested. Their Sea Salt Caramel, Belgian Chocolate S’mores and Key Lime Graham squares had all been among the best ice cream sandwiches I’d ever had, so when I finally found their Key Lime Graham flavor in a pint, I took full advantage. Most of their offerings seemed to be unexciting sorbets and fruity gelatos, but I had already discovered the deliciousness of their graham infused key lime base sandwiched between two soft wafers and was ready to taste even more without the accompanying cookies.

This super premium gelato contains a substantial 270 calories per serving; even more than the gelato squares sharing the same flavor. The first layer of Key Lime Graham is light in color and shows off plenty of the graham cracker flecks inside. The graham crackers haven’t been tossed in as a mix-in, or even a swirl, but have been blended directly into the Key Lime gelato to build on both the taste and texture. Even without an extended thaw time to allow the gelato to soften, Ciao Bella’s Key Lime Graham scoops out with ease. The velvety feel as I pull my metal scoop through the first few inches has me reminiscing on my last experience with this stuff.

Each bite starts out smooth and sweet before slowly incorporating that signature sourness provided by the key limes. The graham cracker built into every spoonful not only adds an interesting texture, but also gives enough flavoring to sway the overall taste towards key lime pie. Even though this doesn’t state to be an interpretation of key lime pie, the graham cracker aspect impersonates the crust particularly well. The result is a well-balanced taste with enough texture to keep your taste buds occupied for multiple servings in a sitting. While I still prefer the Gelato Squares over the base only offering, Ciao Bella does key lime much better than most.

Where I Found It: Ingles Markets
Grade: B

READER REVIEW: Bob's Review of Talenti Southern Butter Pecan

Going into this pint I was kind of guessing this would be a similar to the Sea Salt Caramel base mixed with Pecans instead of Truffles like in the Sea Salt Caramel, so lets see what this had to offer. After looking at the side of the pint I saw a few chunks of pecans, I saw a nice looking Caramel Gelato Base, and a small dulce de leche swirl which was interesting.

Upon cracking the lid you can see a few nibs of a pecan and the fine gelato base. I must comment the base was pretty damn close to Sea Salt Caramel in essence that very rich caramel flavoring that is very soft from being a gelato. I have to say this was a great way to start the pint on my very first bite, so I have zero complaints as this was fantastic. It's no Jeni's Salted Caramel in my opinion, but its still very good and probably my 2nd favorite behind it.

After you dig into the first bite you can see that the pecans are small little chunks nothing like Graeter's Chocolate Chips, but they are very small like when I had a Breyers Chocolate Chunk Cookie Dough Quart in nearly every single bite they blend right into the base and provide a very nice flavoring and small crunch (they are not Ben & Jerry's solid) but give a nice nutty flavoring to the base and pint which makes it a good mix.

As you get down into the pint you start to get into the swarm of pecan pieces and i also had a few signs of a dulce de leche swirl in the mix as i saw on the side of the pint and as i got down to the middle/bottom. With my 2nd Talenti Pint i have to say the further you get down the more mix-ins you find, It becomes an absolute mine field of pecans and its honestly sometimes a few in every single bite you take which is awesome. Talenti is really not shy when it comes to mix-ins as i have experienced on this pint and the Sea Salt Caramel. Overall i am not a huge nut lover, but this was a great change of pace with a very solid caramel base, loaded with good mix-ins and a small glimpse of a dulce de leche swirl A great way to mix all of the flavors to create a good pint that should be on the higher end of Talenti flavors based off the ratings from other consumers on the rest of their line. If you get a chance give this a crack its one of their best IMO after having only 2 flavors but reading a select few other reviews on the rest of the line!

Where Bob Found It: Giant Eagle
Bob's Grade: B

REVIEW: Talenti Limited Edition Peanut Butter Chocolate Pretzel (Southeast Publix Exclusive)

About a week ago, one of our readers submitted a Freezer Find of a new, limited edition Talenti Gelato flavor that hadn’t been seen in stores before. After speaking to a representative, he discovered that Peanut Butter Chocolate Pretzel is currently only available in Publix Super Markets throughout the Southeast. Although they didn't divulge any further information, I assume the limited availability means that this latest offering is being tested to see how well it sells before making adding this to their normal list of flavors; much like they did with German Chocolate Cake. After scanning the aisles of three different Publix locations, I finally found the one lone pint pictured above that would serve as my first taste of peanut butter gelato. After unscrewing the lid to this 260-calorie-per-serving, super-premium gelato, the first layer looks similar to many of their others; light in color with plenty of darker striped swirls. I consider Talenti’s caramel base as one of the best around, so I’m hoping for the same success from its peanut butter brethren.

Once I let the clear pint sit at room temperature for a few minutes, I scooped out my first bite; free of any of the chocolate swirls or chocolate covered pretzels. Just as expected, the texture and consistency of Talenti’s gelato are top-notch. As of late, it seems they’ve been able to capture the velvety feel better than in the past. All of their recently released flavors, such as Argentine Caramel and Southern Butter Pecan, just seem smoother than many of their earlier options. As far as taste is concerned, the peanut butter gelato is rich and complex. I’ve had plenty of simple peanut butter bases, but this gelato packs more of a sweet, full-bodied punch than its ice cream counterpart. While this may not be quite as amazing as their caramel gelato, it’s not far behind either. To accompany this peanut butter ice cream, they've chosen to add a chocolate swirl and a lot of chocolate covered pretzels. These long, skinny pretzels are more plentiful than most of the mix-ins I’ve seen from Talenti; enough to make their way into nearly every single bite.

The first few I came across had a rich, chocolate outer shell that melted away quickly and left behind a slightly salty pretzel with an audible crunch. Unfortunately, from them on, nearly half of the pretzels were stale and soggy. The gelato had consistently infiltrated the chocolate coating and had compromised the integrity of the pretzel sitting inside. Considering the effect of the fresh, crunchy pretzels, it’s a shame to see this flavor’s performance be effected by a bum mix-ins. With all the concentration I had been directing towards the pretzels, I nearly forgot about the chocolate swirl. Once again, it left me disappointed. Besides enhancing the pint aesthetically, it doesn’t offer much in the taste or texture categories. I had been extremely excited about the combination of peanut butter, chocolate and pretzels in super-premium gelato, but the mediocre mix-ins really left some serious room for improvement. If Talenti could correct the problem with their pretzels (and possibly ramp up the effectiveness of the chocolate swirl), this would be a real winner. Regardless, with all the chocolate peanut butter pretzels flavors floating around, I still expect to see this option added to their normal rotation sometime soon.

Where I Found It: Publix
Grade: B

READER REVIEW: Winston's Review of Cold Fusion Peanut Butter Cup Gelato

Being a calorie conscious individual that is a huge fan of all things peanut butter, and a particular fan of pretty much any form of peanut butter cups, Cold Fusions “Peanut Butter Cup Gelato” seemed like the perfect desert. Further, I simply had to know how this surprisingly low calorie (200 per serving) dessert racked up against its calorie-rich competitors.

Lifting the lid revealed a relatively basic chocolate surface with no distinguishable peanut butter cups or solids. My first taste of the base didn’t arouse my palate: a basic milk chocolate presence with moderate notes of peanut butter; not remotely as rich as Graeter’s Chocolate Peanut butter base in “Buckeye Blitz”; a relatively weak cacao presence (about on par with Turkey Hill, Edy’s and Klondike). The second bite: the same. Disappointed with the base, I hoped the peanut butter cups would redeem this desert. I dug deeper into the pint, and after 8-10 spoonfuls, I found no solids. Then it struck me: there aren’t any peanut butter cups. It’s “Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup” flavored gelato, but definitely not labeled as such. What a disappointment.

Comparing this dessert to anything “Peanut Butter Cup” is an insult to the concept. Comparing the base to Graeter’s or anything premium is like comparing a Ford Fiesta to a BMW M3—it’s not a very good base.

Where Winston Found It: Whole Foods Market
Winston's Grade: C

READER REVIEW: Kenneth's Review of Talenti's Limited Edition Peanut Butter Chocolate Pretzel (Southeast Publix Exclusive)

After one of our readers tipped us off to a new flavor from Talenti Gelato, it didn’t take long before we were able to track down a Reader Review for Peanut Butter Chocolate Pretzel. This limited edition offering is currently only being offered in Publix Super Markets in the Southeast, but may be expanded in the future (I’m guessing it will depend on sales). Kenneth has submitted a few Reader Reviews already, so I trust his opinion on the new flavor. Be sure to check out some of his other reviews over on his own blog: RecapHub.

Sad to say, but Talenti is about as good as premium frozen desserts get here in Stuart, Florida. This isn't to naysay them, Haagen-Dazs or Ben & Jerry's, but it would be nice to have access to stuff like New Orleans Ice Cream Company, Jeni's Splendid, Turkey Hill and Steve's. Regardless, my relative inexperience with Talenti, combined with news that they'd release a new, area-specific flavor meant only one thing: attentiveness at the store. And surely enough, one visit to Publix proved far more successful than all of my attempts to locate Ben & Jerry's Cotton Candy at Wal-Mart.

Before this, my only exposure to Talenti (and gelato in general) was with Mediterranean Mint, a strange-tasting amalgamation of mint and shredded dark chocolate. What I truly enjoyed about said gelato, however, was the soft and moist consistency. There was never any need to let it sit outside of the freezer; the borderline melted texture was always a constant. Between this and the enticing combination of peanut butter, chocolate and pretzels, my expectations for round two with Talenti were quite high.

Something that quickly caught my eye was the vegetarian claim on the container (amidst others). Sadly for any vegans, the prime ingredient is milk. For the rest of us, there's little guilt to be had. My initial dig is stiffer than I expected, given all the easy scoopings through Mediterranean Mint. Another surprise comes when I obtain a pretzel in this first scoop. As expected, however, these equate to half-stick pretzel bites, which provide an inconsistent texture within the gelato. The first victim is stiff and soft--as if stale, while the second crunches apart far more naturally. Yet others exhibit similar symptoms to the first, which throws the pleasantries of this flavor off.

The actual base is predominantly peanut butter with varying amounts of chocolate coming into play. If you like your peanut butter to taste sweet and milky, then this is the product for you. Talenti provide a top-notch combination of flavor and consistency here. The peanut flavor is so surprising that I begin to think I'm tasting coffee, but the persistent flavor snaps me back to reality as I savor the wondrous flavor and texture. Those who prefer just the right amount of chocolate to complement their peanut butter will definitely find a lot to admire here. For me, when the chocolate doesn't accompany the pretzel bites, it lingers and gives me just enough of what I want to enhance not just the peanut butter flavor, but the overall experience.

Now I'm truly beginning to understand the praise and craze over Talenti. Peanut Butter Chocolate Pretzel appears to be but one more reminder of the quality Talenti are capable of and, subsequently, bestow upon the public. The only thing holding this particular pint back is the inconsistent consistency of the pretzel bites, which still provide a nice, salty enhancement for both the chocolate and peanut butter flavors. My only other concern would be whether Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup provides the same euphoria of this one, minus the off-key pretzel bites. But from the looks of things, that one incorporates a chocolate base. So if you live in an area that carries this pint and want to see how Talenti handle peanut butter flavored gelato, go ahead and indulge your spirits.

Where Kenneth Found It: Publix
Kenneth's Grade: B

READER REVIEW: Sam's Review of Ciao Bella Sea Salt Caramel Gelato

If there’s one thing I love almost as much as ice cream, it’s caramel. Or chocolate. I never can decide, except that ice cream is always the clear winner. OK, I guess you could argue that today it’s technically not ice cream, since it’s actually gelato. But same difference. The main point is, I got to try another new brand!

This is Ciao Bella Sea Salt Caramel gelato. There seems to be an overabundance of gelatos called “Sea Salt Caramel,” and they’re all a little bit different. Talenti’s addicting concoction contains chocolate-caramel truffles in a sea salt caramel base, while Haagen-Dazs only uses a salted caramel swirl. Ciao Bella combines the two in an almost-pint consisting of caramel base with caramel swirls and chocolate chunks. This flavor isn’t anywhere to be found on their website, nor does it come up with many Google listings. I’d like to think I picked up a new flavor and am about to be one of the first to blog about it.

 Anyway, it looks maybe a little icy on the surface, but at least the chocolate is showing through! But don’t worry, those crystals are only on the top, and then this gelato gets REALLY thick and creamy. My first taste, licking the residue off the inside of the lid, gave me a potent caramel kick in the mouth.

But then I started spooning, and it turned from caramel overload into a dominant chocolate. That’s right, it’s these fudge flakes, they’re everywhere. Even when you try to eat around them, they end up on your spoon because they’re small enough to hide within the gelato. Small, but powerful! They aren’t hard and they melt down nicely in your mouth as you savor this gelato. They are more of a dark, bittersweet chocolate than milk, but I’m a huge fan of dark chocolate anyway. The problem is that they totally override the caramel, so I really can’t get a good read on whether or not it’s caramel, let alone salty. If it weren’t for that initial taste (see, there’s a great reason to clean off the inside of the lid!), I’m not sure I would have known it was caramel. It just seems really mild, a bit of a letdown after Talenti’s variation. It also seemed more sweet than salty--though still not as sweet as dulce de leche.

Then I figured something out. I took one spoonful and didn’t savor it, I just crunched right through the still-frozen chocolate chunks. And then I could taste the caramel! So do we have a problem, in that I’m not allowed to savor my gelato? Well, once I’d tasted the base alongside the frozen chocolate, I was better able to appreciate it when I let the chocolate get all melty, too. Oh, and the swirl helped.

Lurking just below the surface, it looks like a pretty standard ribbon of caramel, right? But it just kept getting bigger...and bigger...

This puddle of swirl packs a bit more salty punch, though it still submits to the chocolate chunks. It’s definitely saltier than the base, and saltier than Talenti’s base as well. I’m starting to think I just have trouble tasting salt in caramel ice cream, though I will say it’s definitely not as sweet as those caramel chews you can buy at the store.

So, Ciao Bella is off to a pretty good start. They didn’t blow me out of the water like Talenti did, but then again they’re at a disadvantage because I’ve now tried so many “sea salt” frozen treats by now that the novelty may be wearing off. Still, this was really good stuff. I was torn between a chocolate craving and something caramel, and despite its name, this gelato really satisfied my chocolate craving, while the swirl was enough caramel as well. I will be back for more Ciao Bella in the future!

Where Sam Found It: Whole Foods
Sam's Grade: A