READER REVIEW: Bob's Review of Gelato Fiasco Cookie Therapy

After having the Peanut Butter Straciatella from this line, I had high hopes for the Cookie Therapy selection that they offered. I was eager to see how this stacked up against Milk and Cookies from Ben & Jerry's or Graeter's Cookies & Cream. Cookie Therapy Gelato is "cream-filled chocolate cookies folded into cold, frothy milk. An after-school snack taken to a whole new level."

After opening the lid, you get exactly what that title gives you: a nice, bold looking milk/vanilla base with lots of small cookie pieces along with a larger chunk of a chocolate cookie sitting on top. I was a bit thrown off by the "cream" aspect of this pint only because in the similar Graeter's pint, you sometimes get 1/2" thick pieces of sandwich cookies that keep the creme filling intact. Following my first bite, I then understood what the cream filled taste was all about.

The taste of the cream filling and vanilla base is superb; something unique and different from anything else out there. Next up are the little chocolate cookies or chunks/pieces that are included in every bite. The great thing about this are that the pieces are on the softer side, but still have a bit of crunch. I found these to be nice and they really amplified as you continued towards the bottom of the container.

Where Bob Found It: The Fresh Market
Bob's Grade: B

READER REVIEW: Bob's Review of Gelato Fiasco Peanut Butter Straciatella

First of all, this is my first go around with Gelato Fiasco after reading a few reviews regarding this brand. In Columbus, Ohio, I got to scoop up 3 pints which I will review over the next few weeks. Before I bore you let's get right to the chase and see if this lives up to the hype. There has been not a single bad review regarding this flavor.

The gelato's description reads, "Our Peanut Butter Stracciatella Gelato features a stellar combination of seductively smooth freshly ground peanut butter and an equally ambitious crunch of abundant chocolate slivers with a dash of sea salt". As pictured, as soon as the lid is removed you can see the fine peanut butter base combined with little chunks and specks of chocolate. Right away I had high hopes before even digging in. Not to mention they also added a touch of sea salt into the flavoring which I found interesting because salt is utilized to help enhance flavor and I was curious if this would take away from the gelato, but it did the exact opposite and made it stand out.

I was blown away by my first bite. It was basically like the grinders you see at Whole Foods crushing the peanuts up in front of you right to a nut butter but put that into a base and that is what you get. The combination of the salty peanut butter and the extra grit and mix-ins of chocolate make it a killer one-two punch. The peanut butter flavor is very genuine and robust like your scooping straight out of a peanut butter jar with small little flecks of peanuts that are scattered around the gelato.

As you dig through the pint, you start to get more and more of the chocolate and peanut pieces in each bite; along with the overwhelming peanut butter base. The texture of the overall gelato throughout has a great enhancement similar to Talenti and Haagen Dazs but a touch harder (not as soft in my own opinion). I honestly found nothing wrong with this gelato at all. From start to finish it was a very great experience of a brand that I was lucky to run into seeing there is nothing around Erie, PA that carries this (based off their locator on their webpage). You get a very powerful peanut butter base that is like fresh ground up peanut butter, small flecks and chunks of peanuts, great chocolate compliments that are not lacking in size or texture, and not to mention a bit of salt that is there to help enhance the overall peanut butter flavoring.

Where Bob Found It: The Fresh Market
Bob's Grade: A

REVIEW: Gelato Fiasco Molasses Peppermint Stick

In my neck of the woods, yesterday brought a winter storm system that left me snowed in and unable to leave my house. Luckily, I had still had the majority of my Gelato Fiasco stash sitting in my freezer. Inspired by the snow, I broke out my pint of Molasses Peppermint Stick. It had been way before Christmas since I’d opted for mint ice cream, but I was intrigued into trying Josh’s childhood flavor fantasy finally came gruel, and guess what. Grown-ups love the unexpected juxtaposition of flavors!

Molasses isn’t a flavor profile you typically find in ice cream, and when combined peppermint stick mix-ins, this promised to be truly unique. My first bite of this 190 calorie per serving creation was interesting to say the least. The strangely sweet taste and thick, sticky feel was not something I’d imagined would pair well with peppermint sticks, but even before reaching the large concentrations of red mint swirls, the cooling sensation had already taken effect.

When the sugary gelato and gooey peppermint come together, the result was unusual, yet satisfying. Given the circumstances, Gelato Fiasco’s Molasses Peppermint Stick was an extraordinary way to enjoy the snow showers.

Where I Found It: Gelato Fiasco (Portland, Maine)
Grade: B

REVIEW: Gelato Fiasco Sweet Resurgam Gelato

After Gelato Fiasco’s strong start with their Torched Marshmallow S’more, I was eager to pick up my next pint. Grabbing the first one I saw, my second sample would be from my clear container of Sweet Resurgam. With a little research I was able to find out that this was a limited edition flavor to celebrate the city of Portland, Maine (Sweet Resurgam or “I Shall Rise Again” is the cities motto) and to support a national grassroots job creation program. Originally back in 2012, Gelato Fiasco donated $1 from each pint created to Create Jobs for USA, a national program that supports the funding of low-interest loans to promising small businesses. After the supply had been depleted and there was to be no more, customers overwhelmingly showed support to keep this well-received flavor around as a permanent addition to their lineup.

Now that I had my own personal pint of this 290 calorie per serving creation, I was ready to dig in to the caramel colored base. Gelato Fiasco encourages the eater to envision a burnt sugar and almond gelato with dark chocolate slivers and a soupçon (a very small amount) of salted caramel. Now Taste it! The thick gelato tastes just as it reads. The combination of burnt sugar, almond, and salted caramel all have something to contribute to the overall taste. The type of complexity you get with this gelato is something I’ve only been able to find with small-scale operations like Gelato Fiasco and a handful of others.

The bits of dark chocolate broken up and strewn about are small enough to sneak into every bite; starting each spoonful with a crunch and ending each with a rich, dark chocolate finish. Not only does Sweet Resurgam Gelato support a good cause, it tasted good enough to warrant another A. I’m sensing a trend with this company.

Where I Found It: Gelato Fiasco (Portland, Maine)
Grade: A

REVIEW: Gelato Fiasco Torched Marshmallow S'more Gelato

For those of you that don’t know, I recently started an Instagram account, which I’ve almost been using exclusively to keep readers updated on new posts and recent releases. Through this medium, I was able to connect with a company based out of Maine called Gelato Fiasco. Starting in October, this small-scale artisan gelato and sorbetto company began offering their products pre-packaged in pints. Read the entire story of what this company is really about below:

After scanning through their 24 available flavors, I offered some insight to my particular tastes, and about a week later I had a cooler sitting on my doorstep. Inside I found their Maine Wild Blueberry Crisp, Stracciatella, Sweet Resurgam, Molasses Peppermint Stick, Mascarpone Pistachio and the one I tried first, Torched Marshmallow S’more. Gelato Fiasco has this to say about their new offering, “evoking warm summer nights by the campfire in Acadia, chocolate bar pieces and house-made marshmallows are kindled into graham cracker gelato.

Throughout our hundreds of ice cream reviews, this would be my first time tasting a graham cracker base. Most of the s’mores competition use a chocolate or marshmallow base, but the utilization of graham cracker, one of my favorite mix-ins, could elevate this into the upper echelon. After putting down my first bite, not only is the consistency just right, but the bold taste is spot on. It’s unlike any other base I’ve tried and is the ideal foundation for a s’mores flavor. Even though this melts down slowly, there's no waiting around to uncover mix-ins. From top to bottom, they're included in every bite.

The crushed pieces of chocolate bar pieces are the perfect size to capture the rich, chocolate flavor without becoming rock-hard like fudge chunks from other companies. Because of their small stature, they work themselves into every single bite. To finish this gelato off, Gelato Fiasco tossed marshmallows inside. These soft, house-made, gooey mix-ins make this the best s’mores product we’ve ever reviewed. Keep a lookout for more reviews from Gelato Fiasco in the very near future.

Where I Found It: Gelato Fiasco (Portland, Maine)
Grade: A

REVIEW: Gelato Fiasco Stracciatella

Following a short hiatus from our stash of Gelato Fiasco in the freezer, we continued our exploration with their Stracciatella flavor. The rear of the carton reads, “This elegant Italian version of chocolate-chip ice cream unites creamy vanilla gelato with luscious dark chocolate slivers.” At less than 750 calories for the entire pint, this one is easy on the waistline as well. We always look forward to trying flavors like this one; where the passionate, small-scale creameries can fully show how using fresh, top-shelf ingredients can result in an extraordinary experience with very simple flavors.

After we let our pint sit out for a few minutes to soften up, we dug right into the off-white base freckled with dark chocolate. The mild, vanilla base was smooth, creamy and provided a rich finish. The flakes of fudge made their way into each bite and attributed not only a crunchy texture, but just enough chocolate flavoring as to not overpower the vanilla gelato. Even though this one wasn't quite up to par with some of their other offerings, Gelato Fiasco really excels with this simple concept.

Where I Found It: Gelato Fiasco (Portland, Maine)
Grade: B

REVIEW: Gelato Fiasco Mascarpone Pistachio Caramel

While we were sad that we only had one remaining pint left in our stash from Gelato Fiasco, little did we know that we had left the best for last. Gelato Fiasco writes that their Mascarpone Pistachio Caramel was, “a customer suggestion that hit big time, this gem was inspired by the seductive, creamy filling found in Sicilian Cannoli."

We’ve tried our fair share of Pistachio ice creams over the years, but this was unlike any other. Not only is the consistency of the gelato top-notch, but the complex, ever-evolving flavors made this our favorite of the entire six-pack we tried. Only Creole Cream Cheese from New Orleans Ice Cream Co. even came close to this one in terms of richness.

In addition to the full-bodied taste of the mascarpone base, the gelato became even more impressive when the notes of caramel and pieces of pistachio come into play. Even without the assistance of large mix-ins, Mascarpone Pistachio Caramel received high-marks across the board.

Where I Found It: Gelato Fiasco (Portland, Maine)
Grade: A

REVIEW: Gelato Fiasco Maine Wild Blueberry Crisp

With multiple inches of snow still on the ground, ice on the unsalted roads, a steep driveway and a rear wheel drive equipped vehicle; I was yet again stuck at home all day. Luckily, I still had three more pints of Gelato Fiasco sitting in my freezer and Maine Wild Blueberry Crisp was calling my name. The description on the back reads, “Remember blueberry crisp with a scoop on top? Our version has blueberries, crunchy oat streusel, and vanilla gelato. Wow.”

Blueberry themed ice creams are among my favorite and since they don't come around often, I eagerly unscrewed the top to this 220 calorie per serving selection. Even though the whole blueberries blended up in the gelato give the impression of two separate flavors, this is vanilla through and through. This means the all-white portions of this pint are pure, high-quality vanilla gelato; sweet and simple.

To cut the vanilla, Gelato Fiasco employs deep, dark purple blueberries that add flavoring, texture and vivid colors. The final component of Maine Wild Blueberry Crisp comes from the small broken bits of oat streusel sprinkled in. Bites combining all three ingredients not only warrant an A, but send this soaring up our overall rankings. Gelato Fiasco continues to impress.

Where I Found It: Gelato Fiasco (Portland, Maine)
Grade: A