Gelato

Have you ever been to a gelato shop somewhere in the United States?  It feels fancy and sophisticated (it's from Italy, right?).  It's smooth with many exotic flavor choices.  Not to mention how luxurious the display is.  

Floral-like flavors WITH actual flowers in the display?

Coffee gelato with delicately placed coffee beans on top?

Strawberries & Cream with actual strawberries & cream?

Dulce de leche or caramel with decadent caramel drizzle?

If you are like me, gelato seems rare and like an art-form.  It is SO beautiful to look at.  Also - when you go to a gelato shop, you are totally willing to pay the price because it's so special and unique.  $6, $8, $10 - blinking an eye yet?  Nope - it's so exotic and unique and fun it has to be worth the extra price (and did I mention from Italy??)!

Well, guess what Americans?  They (whoever they are) have you fooled!

When we had ice cream in "normal" places with Marisa, she kept stating how it's different it was than what she was used to in Germany.  She also noted how expensive it was to get a standard ice cream cone.  She said you can get "ice cream" for around a dollar where she is from.

But when we stumbled into our first gelato shop in the U.S. she said, "this is just like our ice cream shops in Germany".

So, guess what?!?!  Our fancy, expensive, specialty gelato shops that we pay so much extra money for are totally the norm in Europe, and super cheap over there. 

I'm so disappointed, but what can we do about this very serious crisis???  This needs to be made known so it's regularly available and reasonably priced.