Gelato Uno

Sad to say, Gelato Uno is no more.

yeah…
dont waste ur time.
the gelato is terrible.
the service is terrible.
and the crowd is also terrible.
if u want great gelato– i mean great gelato, try LABRIOLA CAFE. i promise u will not be dissapointed.

I’ve been here many times and I feel the place is really good. I’ve never had Gelato from Italy so, for me, if it tastes a bit richer than ice cream than its Gelato. I don’t get into specifics for «bases» and what not, I mean its just ice cream. My boyfriend and I have walked to Gelato Uno from our house and have good experiences with it. The owner is friendly will let you try as many flavors so you get the perfect one for you. I’ve never had the Nutella flavor, but supposedly it exists. I like the pistachio the best. I gave it four stars because my boyfriend is vegan and the only option they have for him is lemon sorbet, they could have a few more sorbet options. Also, its not open in the winter, at least when I drive by it it appears closed. It should be open all year long because who knows when a Gelato craving will hit. Deuces.

This place is really good in my opinion. The nearby Massa is much better, especially with portions and flavor varieties, but as an Italian gelato junkie, I’m a fan, especially since this place has a large parking lot you don’t have to stalk people in (unlike Massa.)
I was able to chat with the Italian family who runs it, who were real nice. They explained that the décor and furnishing were ordered from Italy, thus giving the place the authentic Italian gelateria look.
I’ve been here with friends who’ve been fortuante to have gelato in Italy, and this place comes pretty close to it, although to me they seem to use more milk in their recipies, thus giving thier gleato a more smooth, albeit milkier texture.
I still like it based on it’s good gleato, and how you’re transported to Italy upon entering it. Parking can’t be beat, and it’s also real close to the Blue line too.

we’ve been to Italia dozens of time and we’ve eaten our share of gelato.
this is as close as it comes as my taste buds remember. Service was very helpful for some newbees that were there at the same time.
the coconut great, chocolate «favoloso» and the «fragola» — strawberry —
is not to be missed.

So last week, I attempted going to Freddy’s Pizza and Gelateria in Cicero. Unfortunately, the owner was on vacation till September 12^th (and not to mention the fact that they regularly close around 7pm each day), so I reluctantly settled for going here. And unlike last year, when I unsuccessfully tried going to Gina’s on Roosevelt and didn’t come here after, I didn’t pass up Gelato Uno this time while in the area. Was also nice that they stay open till 11pm each day.
Despite that others may be (for all I know) right about the décor not giving off the most Italian feel (and it doesn’t matter to me if it’s authentic Italian décor or not), I will agree with a previous reviewer that they obviously went for an elegant look, and pull it off well with their interior décor. The guy working the counter was generous in allowing me to sample several of their flavors, and I appreciated that, despite a sign limiting customers to X (don’t remember the number) number of samples.
Ended up settling for a scoop of the Yellow Sponge Cake flavor (not it’s exact name, as I believe all their flavors had Italian names) in a cone. Pretty decent flavor, and I thought the lemon cake bits (or whatever the small cake pieces were supposed to be) gave an interesting sour kick to the gelato. They also serve coffee drinks, and a few other things, but I didn’t stay long enough to see all the other things that they sold in addition to gelato.
While I still prefer the gelato at Pasticceria Natalina in Andersonville, I would be fine with returning to this place next time I’m in the Cicero/​Berwyn/​Oak Park area, despite the gelato flavors here for the most part having some sort of sweet flavor. Even as much as I suspect Freddy’s Pizza could have better gelato! They’re located in a strip mall, and are connected to Di Nico’s Pizza next door, which has more than enough TVs for your viewing pleasure, if a single TV here isn’t enough. :)

the store itself is really nice inside to enjoy some coffee etc…
i’ve given this place a few chances, the last time i took my daughter to get some after school. they really push the fact that you can get as many flavors as you want in one cup. they gave me the feeling they wanted to get rid of the stuff.
basically the gelato tastes like its been frozen, melted, refrozen and set out. maybe in the summer when more people are purchasing it might be a bit fresher.

Try not to use this first description as an initial opinion of this place:
Ever seen ants on a sidewalk? When you look at them from far away, they’re so small and it seems like they’re everywhere. How could they be in so many places?
Now, picture the sidewalk as gelato and the ants as smashed up chocolate chips. WOW! How can you fit that many chocolate chip pieces into gelato? You certainly taste them when you’re eating it and they’re wonderfullllll.
However, there’s no backing taste and since this is supposed to be a review of gelato, I think that happens to make the difference. The owner is really nice and he mans the counter giving you free samples BUT that only goes so far if I can’t taste the gelato.

Just checked this place out the other night. It’s a small place next to DiNicco’s (pizza place.) This joint is bright with two HD TV. They had some chandeliers (must be an Italian thing.) The place serves gelato, candy, coffee, and some lunch sandwiches. I was able to sample some of the gelato to decide what I wanted to eat! It was a tough call!
I would come back for a visit!

Gawd I’m just going to kill myself now.
Another gelato place using bases and flavors from Italy… so yes, the gelato does come from Italy, but it just isn’t that great.
As a baseline, yes, Gelato Uno is fine. It is as good as any other gelato joint in Chicagoland that uses pre-​made bases and flavors from Italy. The shop is tacky elegant, shiny and bright, with lots of small treats to choose from if you aren’t in the mood for ‘made in Italy’ gelato.
Making amazing gelato in the US without bases and flavors is more challenging (because you actually need skill and an understanding of the chemistry of ice cream) but it isn’t impossible. The best gelato I’ve tasted in the US comes from a shop that does everything from scratch — Capogiro in Philadelphia.
Here’s an idea — start your own gelateria. Here are some resources for you.
They’ll sell you a kit, and tubs of pre-​made gelato, just drop and serve!
these guys will sell you your powders, bases, and flavors!
another option for your bases!
get your equipment here:
and learn about making gelato back in Italy here:
On second thought, just go to the university, come back to Chicago, and open up a real gelateria. I’ll be the first in line.

I am going to need some bigger pants.
Gelato Uno opened a short bike ride from my house, and after sampling the gelato, I know I am going to be back there frequently, and not just in the summer.
About a dozen years ago, hubby and I were in Italy, and we went to a gelateria near the Trevi Fountain in Rome that had the creamiest gelato with intense, vibrant flavors. This stuff is that good. The owner of Gelato Uno went to Italy to get all his equipment, and that premise seems to have successfully replicated the flavor and mouthfeel of the best Italian gelato.
The shop is very elegant, with a curved, swooping counter and crystal chandeliers. I’m yanking a star off for the two large TV screens that were showing pre-​season football while I was there. Not very Italian, my friends. We had a scoop each of chocolate and hazlenut, which as any fan of Baci or Nutella knows, is a force to be reckoned with. As soon as I arrived home, I wanted to turn my bike around and go back for some more.