Gelato in FirenzeGelato in Firenze it’s lunchtime.it’s lunchtime. You just ate a You just ate a

huge calzone.huge calzone. You’re feelin’ You’re feelin’

that cravingthat craving

GELATO.GELATO. Hmmm… Hmmm…

Where should you go?

…..mmmm.

IIt depends on what you value t depends on what you value most in a gelateria….most in a gelateria….

PRICE

# of flavors

Produzione Propria?

quality

Si parla inglese?

Hours of operation

Winter Quarter GelatoWinter Quarter Gelato

I started this project on a whim. Pure and simple. I started this project on a whim. Pure and simple. Even before it became a formal assignment for Even before it became a formal assignment for CS 99D I was out there doing “research”. Like CS 99D I was out there doing “research”. Like most American students who study abroad in most American students who study abroad in Florence, I eat lots of gelato. You could even Florence, I eat lots of gelato. You could even say that this winter term I have been on a say that this winter term I have been on a mission to try as many places as I could find. mission to try as many places as I could find. On the pages that follow I have compiled a few On the pages that follow I have compiled a few maps and a few charts and graphs in a feeble maps and a few charts and graphs in a feeble attempt to make some sense out of the mouth-attempt to make some sense out of the mouth-watering business that rivals even the most watering business that rivals even the most famous art and the architecture of this famous art and the architecture of this Renaissance town. I have tried to be as precise Renaissance town. I have tried to be as precise as possible in collecting my data, but as we all as possible in collecting my data, but as we all know, Italian businesses rarely exhibit “precise” know, Italian businesses rarely exhibit “precise” qualities. What follows is less of an exact qualities. What follows is less of an exact picture and more of an approximate sketch of picture and more of an approximate sketch of the Florentine gelaterie that I visited...the Florentine gelaterie that I visited...

There are many gelateria in Florence…some There are many gelateria in Florence…some right in the center of town and some farther right in the center of town and some farther out….out….

So when it’s time for gelatoSo when it’s time for gelato,,

it’s time to take a walk.it’s time to take a walk.

•Some are heavenly.Some are heavenly.•Some are not.Some are not.

LocationsLocations Festival

Neri

Vivoli

Badiani

Granducca

Frilli

Pinguino

Girasole

Slurp

Carraia

Veneta

Perche No

Antica

Botega

Ermini

Mio Bar (sans)

Bar PonV(sans)

Bar (sans)

Maioli

Damiani

Pergola

De’Medici

Righi

Carrozze

Dolceneve

Ghiottone

L’Angolo

Orafo

Perso

Fiorenza

Bermude

Tutti Fruti

Black Bar (sammont.)

Stranamore(sammont.)

Moka Efti (sammont.)

Bar Due P (sammont.)

Tabacchi (sammont.)

Bar Past (sammont.)

Il Gelato (sammont.)

Caffe Mokarico

Carabe

Snack Self S (?)

Dini Caffe (prato)

Cabras

Moka Arra (Nestle)

Gelaterie are most concentrated in the highly touristed center of Florence. Here they are listed in descending order according to the quality of coffee flavor gelato (my favorite!).

<----------------The Gelaterie are placed in order of location along the horizontal axis of the map, reading from left to right. ------------------>

On this chart you can see that medium cups of gelato get slightly more expensive toward the middle part of

the map (the center of the city) and level off at 3000 lire as you get further from the center (out of the touristed areas).

Price vs. Location Price of Medium Cup

in thousands of lire

0

5

10

Before you decide which gelateria to visit based on just location and price, it is important to realize that all gelato is not created equal. In Florence, there are some gelaterie who get their gelato from a company called Sanson in Verona, some who import from Sammontana in Empoli and some who import from other companies in Rome.

But the best gelato by far comes from those gelaterie who make their own. Among this subcategory, the quality also varies. Accoring to the guide books, many of the places in the center of town make their gelato from mixes rather than from fresh ingridients. Yet in gathering info from gelato proprieters, none of them would admit using anything but fresh ingridients. Ah well. Such is life in Italy. So I took it upon myself to try the product of each place to see which places are the best, taking into account factors like # of flavors, whether they sell sugar cones or not, and their range of available cup sizes/prices.

I tasted the coffee flavor at all the gelaterie included in this report and the chocolate flavor at most.

OriginsOrigins Make own gelato

imported (random Rome)

imported (Sanson, Verona)

imported (Sammontana, Empoli)

Relationship between number of Relationship between number of flavors and quality* of coffee gelatoflavors and quality* of coffee gelato

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

0 4 8 12 16 20 24 28 32 36 40 44 48

Rank

nu

mb

er o

f fla

vo

rsCOFFEE RANKING 1 Festival 2 Neri 3 Vivoli 4 Badiani 5 Granducca 6 Frilli 7 Pinguino 8 Girasole 9 Slurp10 Carraia11 Veneta12 Perche No13 Antica14 Botega15 Ermini16 Mio Bar (sans)17 Bar PonV(sans)18 Bar (sans)19 Maioli20 Damiani21 Pergola22 De’Medici23 Righi 24 Carrozze25 Dolceneve26 Ghiottone27 L’Angolo28 Orafo29 Perso30 Fiorenza31 Bermude32 Tutti Fruti 33 Black Bar (sammont.)34 Stranamore(sammont.)35 Moka Efti (sammont.)36 Bar Due P (sammont.)37 Tabacchi (sammont.)38 Bar Past (sammont.)39 Il Gelato (sammon40 Caffe Mokarico 41 Carabe42 Snack Self S (?)43 Dini Caffe (prato)44 Cabras45 Moka Arra (Nestle)

*high quality coffee gelato (to me) is of a medium consistency (between American ice-dream and mouse) not syrupy, and slightly sweet but not enough to overpower the rich coffee flavor.

You can see by this graph that in general, gelaterie with more flavors also are highly ranked in coffee quality. This is perhaps because these places specialize in gelato while those of lower rank are also bars or cafes. Frilli (#6) is an obvious exception…a small place that sells groceries but also has great gelato.

sell sugar cones

don’t sell sugar cones

sell only small sugar cones

Sugar Cone DistributionSugar Cone DistributionAs you can see, they sell large sugar cones in the touristed central area and small or no cones in the “local” areas on the periphery.

Name Med cup Sugar cone Reg cone # flavors hours: invernale hours: estivo Day Closed DOVE? English spoken?

Vivoli 5 33 7:30-8:30 7:30-1:00 QUI YFestival 5 10 8 67 8:00-11:00 8:00-1:00 QUI YSnack Self S 5 5s 3 13 10:00-10:00 10:00-12:00 Sanson NBlack Bar 6 5 24 10:00-8:00 10:00-11:00 Sammontana YMokarico 6 10 4 9 9:00-10:30 9:00-10:30 QUI YMoka Arra 6 7 11 6:00-1:30 6:00-1:30 Nestle YBermude 8 12 6 35 8:00-12:00 8:00-1:00 MON QUI NMoka Efti 5 10 4 12 7:00-1:00 7:00-1:00 Sammontana YMio Bar 5 13 4 16 10:00-11:00 10:00-1:00 Sanson YBar Ponte V 5 10 4 11 8:30-1:30 8:30-2:30 Sanson YMaioli 9 12 16 7:00-8:00 7:00-8:00 QUI YFrilli 3 7 2.5 14 7:00-8:00 7:00-1:00 WED QUI YNeri 4 8 3 27 11:00-11:00 9:00-12:00 WED QUI YPerso 6 10 5 29 7:30-8:00 7:30-12:00 SUN QUI YPerche No 4 10 5 25 9:00-8:30 9:00-1:00 THURS QUI YPergola 5 8s 6 17 7:30-10:30 8:00-12:00 MON QUI NErmini 3 3 19 8:00-8:00 8:00-12:00 WED QUI YBar 6 12 5 27 9:00-1:00 9:00-1:00 WED Sanson YBotega 4.5 10 4 13 7:00-8:00 7:00-12:00 MON QUI YL'Orafo 5 12 5 28 8:00-12:00 8:00-12:00 THURS QUI YBar Due P 3 3 6 8:00-8:00 8:00-8:00 MAI Sammontana YCabras 5 5 12 7:00-10:00 7:00-12:00 SUN QUI NStranamore 4 9 4 9 7:00-1:30 7:00-1:30 THURS Sammontana YBadiani 4 5s 3.5 38 7:00-1:00 7:00-1:00 TUES QUI YDini Caffe 3 5 10 7:00-8:00 7:00-8:00 SUN Pratp NFiorenza 5 10 7 9 7:00-9:00 7:00-1:00 WED QUI YDamiani 4 3 31 11:00-1:00 11:00-1:00 MON QUI NDolceneve 4 4s 3 32 12:00-1:00 12:00-1:00 MON QUI YRighi 4 4s 3 20 8:00-8:30 8:00-12:30 MON QUI YSlurp 3 7 3 24 7:00-3:00 7:00-3:00 TUES QUI YGhittone 3 3 8 8:00-8:00 8:00-10:00 SUN QUI NDe'Medici 3 3 42 9:00-1:00 9:00-1:00 MON QUI YAntica 3 8 28 1:00-11:00 ? MON QUI NTutti Fruti 5 6 5 18 10:00-11:00 10:00-12:00 MON Algida, Roma YGranducca 5 8 4 51 8:00-12:00 8:00-1:00 WED QUI NCarraia 4 7 3 35 8:30-10:00 8:30-10:00 MON QUI YL'Angolo 3 5s 2.5 28 8:00-1:00 8:00-1:00 MON QUI NTabacchi P 4 3 11 7:00-1:00 7:00-1:00 MON Sammontana NBar Past 6 8s 6 12 8:00-12:00 8:00-12:00 MON Sammontana YCarabe 4 10 3 18 10:00-6:30 10:00-6:30 MON QUI NCarrozze 5 10 5 27 11:00-8:00 11:00-1:00 WED QUI YIl Gelato 5 5 17 CHIUSO 10:00-9:00 MON Sammontana YVeneta 3 3 24 8:00-8:00 8:00-12:00 TUES QUI NPinguino 3 3 22 9:00-7:30 9:00-9:00 TUES QUI YGirasole 3 4 24 11:00-9:00 11:00-9:00 MON Qui Y

On this table you will find the raw data that I have been working with including HOURS OF OPERATION and ENGLISH SPOKEN--two categories that I have not charted but which may be useful.

OVERVIEWOVERVIEW

THE ENDTHE ENDOkay.Okay.

You’ve got the scoop.You’ve got the scoop.

Now go get some gelato.Now go get some gelato.

Jennifer Zwarich . jzwarich@leland.stanford.edu