Iorio's Gelateria

Rama Sarraj  

Tucked away on East William off of State Street is a cozy family-owned gelateria called Iorio’s. The gelateria is modernly decorated and boasts over 20 delicious and unique flavors ranging from rum raisin to peach cobbler. If you have trouble picking a flavor – fear not! The friendly staff allows you to taste as many flavors as you would like, and, the best part is that you can have as many flavors you want in any size cup. My friend and I tried quite a few flavors – raspberry tiramisu, chocolate, chocolate chip, rum raisin, and fig (not to mention the spiced fig biscotti – a delicious combination with the fig ice cream). The raspberry tiramisu was a lovely mix of creamy goodness and frozen, citrusy raspberry. The chocolate gelato had immaculate texture – creamy like a mousse, yet not too thick. It was very flavorful and I enjoyed the tiny chocolate bits. A word to the wise – if you are getting several flavors, eat the milder flavors and save the chocolate for last as it is rather strongly flavored. The chocolate chip, on the other hand, is a lighter substitute for chocolate lovers. A lovely Italian twist to the classic American chocolate chip ice cream, this sweet and creamy gelato pairs perfectly with the semi-sweet chunky chocolate pieces. The fig flavor is also fabulous – mild and light with large chunks of fig. My personal favorite, however, is the rum raisin. Made with a zuppa inglese base gelato, this flavor has a rich custard taste, a hint of rum, and contains juicy raisins. The fig biscotti was also very tasty, and would work perfectly with a nice cup of coffee. All in all, Iorio’s was a short escape from Ann Arbor to Italy – recommended for all to try!