Since I started working in Mid-City for my internship this summer, I've gotten pretty familiar with the restaurants on North Carrollton. There are a bunch of good and pretty good ones, but by far my favorite eatery in that strip is Angelo Brocato's (214 N. Carrollton Ave.; 486-1465; angelobrocatoicecream.com).Okay, it's not a restaurant, it's a bakery, confectionary, and ice cream parlor. It was opened by one Mr. Brocato about a 100 years ago, and the little restaurant with its elaborate neon sign, pink walls decorated with old pictures, heart shaped chairs around (faux) marble topped tables, and little old lady servers, is proud to be a throwback.
It has something for everybody, as long as you enjoy sweet, creamy goodness. (Do I sound like an ad yet?) Momma loves their lemon ice, and my co-intern, Mary, says their cannolis (made fresh to order) are a tradition for her family, but for me, nothing beats the spumoni.
The prism-shaped, multi-colored ice cream wedge comes out on a little plate, resting daintily on top of a doily. Since each brick has a unique distribution of the flavors, each order is a challenge - Which end to start at? Scrape off the top? Oh, the big questions.
Foregoing the the traditional chocolate layer, Brocato's combines pistachio, lemon, and pink ice cream to great effect. The pink layer, which isn't strawberry, remains a mystery to me. Brocato's website calls it "tutti frutti." It bears some resemblance to Maraschino cherry. Whatever it is, it's pink and its delicious. There's also a white layer (almond, perhaps?) that the description on the store's website completely fails to mention.
Anyway, this technicolor dessert is absolutely awesome on a hot day (is there any other kind anymore?) and costs less than a scoop of store's gelato. Gotta love it.
