Tour del Gelato: Golosia in Gioiosa Ionica Marina, Calabria
Here is, finally, my first contribution to the Tour del Gelato, brainchild of Sara of Ms. Adventures in Italy–and from what I’ve been reading in the blogosphere, my timing isn’t too bad as it seems many of you in the US could use a touch of relief.
To my readers enjoying cooler weather, I’m jealous, but at least I have gelato!
Today’s destination today is actually a place I’ve mentioned in a previous post (Eating Out in Calabria), and it remains my favorite gelateria (place where they make gelato, of course) around here.
It’s appropriately called “Golosia,” which means something along the lines of gluttony or greed in Italian, and it’s been holding down a well-trafficked corner of the SS 106 (Calabria’s version of California’s Pacific Coast Highway) in Gioiosa Ionica Marina since 1989.
There are 32 different flavors in the gelateria section, but they also make cakes, pastries, cannoli, and torrone di mandorle–an almond nougat that’s shipped all over Europe and even to America. Their concoctions have been honored in various prestigious events throughout Italy, including the famous EuroChocolate in Perugia (ooh, which I now see will be held on and around my birthday this year…hmm…).
Golosia also operates as a restaurant, and the place itself is rather large with seating for 60 inside and another 300 outside–some nights there’s even a piano bar.
Right, but you want to see the gelato, right?
See those wafers in the “crema” flavor? They stick one of those in every cup or cone (two if you ask nicely). Pretty!
Now, as you might know, I’m currently cameraless, so these shots were taken with my friend Carla’s camera–which had precisely 15 minutes of battery life left even though we were heading to a fun event (report coming soon!); needless to say, I had to snap quickly and then close the camera, snap and close, snap and close. So these aren’t the greatest photos, but I think you get the idea.
Since Carla was dolce enough to give me free reign with her camera during our adventure, I promised her a spot on the blog. Here she is enjoying a banana cone, which I highly recommend as the banana flavor is *so* good. All their fruit flavors are made with fresh fruit, of course, so there’s no weird artificial, medicinal banana flavoring going on here.
I’m sure the guy in the background only thought I was a *little* weird for snapping and closing repeatedly.
This visit I had a small cup of pistacchio (my staple) and “bacio.” For those who don’t know, bacio means kiss in Italian, but in the chocolate world, it’s a small candy made by Perugina with a hazelnut inside. That description is pathetic for just how good they are, but it’ll have to do until you can try one.
Anyway, the “bacio” gelato is made with them and, whoa, is it chocolatey. And delicious. Especially with pistacchio. Yum.
So next time you’re in Calabria and looking for a great gelato, head to:
Golosia
Piazza Zaleuco
Gioiosa Ionica Marina (RC)
Italy
44 Beans of Wisdom to “Tour del Gelato: Golosia in Gioiosa Ionica Marina, Calabria”
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[...] summer I featured Golosia in Gioiosa Ionica Marina, which is just down the SS106 from me. But today we&#... bleedingespresso.com/2008/08/tour-del-gelato-in-badolato-calabria.html
Recipes
Gosh I love gelato.
There is a small bakery downtown that makes and sells their own gelato. OH! It’s sooooo yummy!
I like the chocolate, pistacho and lemon flavors. DIVINE!
Excellent!!! I’ve already added you to the TdG…
I never understood the pistachio fanatics until I tasted gelato…it’s also a staple for me and one I use to judge any gelateria!
Yum!
OK, proof positive that Blogger is wonky today–I received comment notifications from three other comments that aren’t here now–I had lots of trouble posting this as well, so I do apologize if anyone else is having difficulty commenting.
I’ll wait and see if those comments reappear, but if not, I’ll post them later (they’re in my inbox!).
JennieBoo, lucky you to have some gelato nearby; I’m not a big fan of lemon anything, though, so I’ll have to join you on the other two 🙂
Sara, glad you approve. I always loved pistachio nuts, but until I came here, it wasn’t such an obsession 😉
Why do you write a post about gelati . I would die for a italian gelato . When you come to France , don’t forget to come with gelati ..OUps I’ve forgot it melts ..too bad.
mélanie xx
That gelato looks sooooo good! I am sad that I never had any when I visited Italy. I did have some when I was in Philadelphia earlier this year though!
OK, so did you just go about minding your own business snapping photos? Or, did you ask first? Somehow, I can’t imagine myself just snapping away in these parts without the owners ‘wondering’ what the hell I was doing! lol
I think all of the photos came out well! 🙂 We got to see Carla eating her cone. How come we don’t get to see Michelle eating hers? ;p
I have a place in mind that I would love to post about. But, I wouldn’t DARE go in there on a busy day as I don’t feel like getting elbowed trying to get shots of the gelato. It’s the tiniest of gelaterias I’ve seen, and people pack in there like sardines in a can!
Sognatrice, I’ve solved the mystery of your missing commments…your post is in here twice, so those comments are attached to the other version of it, below this one!
OH, and I don’t like ice cream, so I’d never tried gelato, thinking it was the same. I finally tried some last year, and boy was I ever wrong….LOVE gelato. Now I want some!
Michelle, about your blog being wacky today – I see two of the same gelato post. I replied in one of them, and my comment is there along with a few others.
I thought I’d pop over to this post and let you know what I’m seeing. Strange!
Aha! Thanks Karina and Kathy! How weird that it posted twice–even changed the time for me 🙂
Anyway, I’ll post the four comments from the other post here in a sec–want to be sure that people’s links are in them as well, of course 🙂
Mélanie, so sorry! All the more reason for you to come and visit!
-R-, I don’t think I had any the first time I came to Italy either. Oh wait. Yes I did, but only once. And I can’t even remember the flavor, so it couldn’t have been too memorable.
Giulia, honestly I’m so used to making a spectacle of myself taking photos I don’t even notice anymore. It probably helps that I don’t live in that town so could completely play tourist 🙂
Michelle only had a little cup, which was far less exciting than a cone–thus no photo. Plus I hate having my picture taken.
You should definitely go to your gelato place–scope it out for low time and then bust in. They’ll be happy to know they’ll be famous shortly 🙂
Karina, *so* glad you tried gelato. I’m not a huge ice cream fan either, but there is something about gelato that makes me happy 🙂
Kathy, I’ll reply to your other comment when I get it up here, but let’s just say that I’ve eaten my share of Baci as well 🙂
OK, the missing comments:
Tarie said:
Ack! I envy you. The gelato looks great. I want some!!!!!!
The (Mis)Adventures of a Single City Chick said:
Okay, is it bad that my eyes immediately went to the guy in the background of that photo of Carla with her gelato? Hee hee. Now THAT’s what I call dolce! 😉
Christina
Tarie said:
That guy in the background IS good-looking…
And Kathy said:
The gelato looks delicious…and they guy in the background isn’t bad either!
I *love* the Perugina chocolates! I stock up on the Baci and bring an unbelievable amount back with me each time I’m in Italy. (Yes, I can order them online, but it’s much more fun to eat chocolate that I personally bought in Italy). As a matter of fact, I brought a few Bacetti to work today. 🙂
Phew. Now…
Tarie, come on over!
Christina, I don’t think it’s horrible at all, but I am a little sad to realize just how taken I am because I didn’t even notice that guy in person–only in the photo!
Tarie, I have to agree as well 🙂
Kathy, I agree with you–ordering online really isn’t the same. I have the reverse with American products. Of course if my mom or someone else sends them, they are always quite tasty 🙂
I think it’s hilarious that the guy in the shades has no clue that he’s such a hit 😉
Uuu! aren’t gelatos always sooo yummy looking! I’ve been to EuroChocolate before, good gelato memories from there!:)
Yes, Sognatrice, I’ve had problems blogger too 🙂
Hehe… they made you work there!
Ciaosito 🙂
Not much else to say, but oh yum!
Oh my gosh…
That looks sooooooooooooo good. My favorite flavor is alla crema, mmm I can still remember chatting with cute little scugnizielli nnapulitani (there goes my pathetic attempt at typing in napoletano!) in Rome, with a cone of gelato alla crema in my hand.
Needless to say, I went back again after I finished it and had the pistachio.
And then the next day.. the coffee gelato.
Come to think of it, my trips to Italy have really been nothing more than a string of visits to gelaterie. 😉
Farfallina, Blogger was very mean to me yesterday–at first I couldn’t change the color of my text, then I couldn’t upload photos, then it wouldn’t let me save *or* post, and then, the double post. Let’s hope it’ll treat me better today 🙂
Shan, yeah, I feel about the same 🙂
Audra, hey you have a photo now! Ciao! I definitely think there are worse ways you could’ve spent your time in Italy. I don’t think I’ve ever had the crema in a gelateria; I’ve had it in the vascetta, though, and always liked it there 🙂
That all looks so good! Bacio gelato is my favorite and I haven’t had any in SO long (not since a business trip to Milano 4 years ago).
And thanks for the link, I added you to my link list also!
“To my readers enjoying cooler weather, I’m jealous, but at least I have gelato!”
Sognatrice, this is not right…so not right! You can’t rub it in like that…I want gelato!!!!! 😉
Now THIS is a post I can sink my teeth into. Gelati…oooooo
Straciatella (I think that’s chocolate chip over there) my favorite.
My favorite tour yet, thanks!!!
Hi! I have taken some delicious pictures of gelato and sweets during our trip last week. I’ll let you know when I post them, so that we may exchange wise opinions on sweets (Did you know that people who have sweets once a week live a better and probably longer life?)
And we had shrimp spaghetti, too! (but I am going to have a look at your original italian recipe, you know in case I miss something!)
Christina, you’re defintiely due for some Bacio! And thanks for the add 🙂
My Melange, sorry, that was mean. When you come to visit, the gelato’s on me 🙂
Karen, yum! One of my favorites too–although I can’t think of a flavor I *don’t* like….
Irene, fun! I hope the shrimp dish goes well, and if what you say is true, I’ll still be blogging for a long, long time 😉
Oh dear god, pistachio gelato. Just the thought makes me weak.
I ate gelato every day I was in Italy. Sometimes twice in one day. LOL.
p.s. I have already received my Bella Green Shopping bag.
Just another friendly “ciao!”
I’m still salivating at the thought of real live gelato!!
Ohhh, ever have frutti di bosco? Wow.
I’m with Audra – salivating and jealous – that you have access to such delights! Ashamedly, I have never tried pistacchio gelato but certainly will now.
ok, so tease your american buddies with all this gelatophoto! what are you trying to do to us??? i have had to make all my own here in NC
OMG…i am absolutely sure we were in the same place at the same time at least once a year if you were doing the CMN telethon – that was a staple in our Geisinger days!
Witness, me too, and there’s no gelateria in sight. Drat!
NYC, I personally think gelato is a perfectly acceptable breakfast, lunch, and/or dinner 🙂 And you got an organic shopper already? Woohoo!
Audra, ooh, I love frutti di bosco anything, but especially gelato…yum 🙂
Palate, you *must* try pistachio. As Sara said above, it’s really a great test of a gelateria, although I’ve been lucky and had all tasty ones so far.
Yeah, I’m going to have to get a gelato now….
Home made gelato and DQ in the same post! Gotta be some kind of big sin. I don’t mind a small or medium DQ cone in a rush.
Small world as my Wife and Daughter just found a place that makes their own gelato about an hour from where we live. It used to be a used car lot that I passed daily on my way to work. Good improvement.
I missed the special DQ day. :-/ (For some reason your blog wouldn’t load for me yesterday. The sidebar would, but the posts wouldn’t. Weird!) Oh well….
That gelato looks SO yum!!!!!
Oh, yum. I haven’t had gelato in so long! Really ought to remedy that soon.
Gil, I do love me some DQ, I can’t lie–especially the blizzards. Yum! And yes, from a used car lot to a gelateria is *definitely* an improvement!
Deb, that *is* weird about the blog not loading–guess the universe didn’t want you heading to DQ 😉
Stefanie, I hear that some pretty bad stuff can happen if you go too long without gelato, so yeah, I’d get on that if I were you 😉
This is weird… I swear I left a comment a couple of days ago, but I LOVE the Bacio flavor! I so miss real gelato. I last had Bacio when I was in Germany a couple of years ago.
I’m SO jealous reading this post!
Jen, thanks for coming back to comment! There was an issue of a double post, so perhaps as I was deleting the duplicate, your comment was coming through and it got lost in the shuffle?
Anyay, Bacio…mmmmm 🙂
I can’t belive I missed this post last time I was here. I guess hearing you’d be away for a while just got me so overwhelmed! 😉
Anyway, this sounds so good! Roberto and I had Gelato yesterday – guess what kinds?? Pistachio and Choc. Hazelnut! I guess great minds think alike! Those would be considered our staples, although generally I prefer just plain nocciola, however it was not in the offerings yesterday!
Qualcosa di Bello! How did I miss you in responding?! My mom and I never worked in the phone center (which is why I didn’t say “telethon”…and anyway, I was kind of forgetting whether I was confusing that whole thing with Jerry Lewis) but always outside in the carnival part. I distinctly remembering riding an elephant there, though, if that means anything. We always worked in a food or soda stand–and I have many old t-shirts at home to prove it 😉
JennDZ, heh, well when you know what’s good, you know what’s good 😉 I had a tiny bit of nocciola last night…shh….
Oh this post made me drool. I can’t find real gelato here, not even in Little Italy, but I remember it very fondly 🙂
That’s just lovely. Really, really lovely.
Sigh.
What is this knack you have for immediately putting me in a dreamy delighted mood? Oh wait… it’s your name/nature.
Thank you lady, I quite enjoyed that.
Quick question though… do they give you little tastes in case you can’t make up your mind, like Baskin Robbins? I’d be ashamed to offend…
Brava for supporting the Childrens Miracle Network… I’m a huge supporter of that as well. I’ve done lots of fund raising for it, and it makes me grin to see you doing it from clear over there. Grazie Bella PSofK.
Scarlett & Viaggiatore
Dana, real gelato is rather difficult to find outside of Italy even when Italians are making it–people who know far more than I about the process can explain it better, but in any event, it’s quite sad. Don’t worry, though, the next time I have some, I’ll think of you 🙂
Scarlett, actually yes, I have gotten samples of gelato at places (a certain “Smurf” flavor in Catanzaro comes to mind–blech!). It probably helps if it’s a cute young guy behind the counter, but I think they’re all just happy to make a sale 🙂
Ah, and *of course* you’d be involved with the CMN–this is starting to get scary (and if you happen to be reading this, I swear I have been working on an email to you for days now and every time I start typing, something comes up–phone, person, etc…it’ll arrive shortly!) 😉
This one kills me. My two brief summers in Italy, I practically ate gelato daily. I too had my favorite spots near my rented house. It was hard to find bad Gelato in Italy. It is hard to find edible gelato in the US. I’m so jealous.
Sarala, I have to say that I hardly ever ate ice cream in the US, but here, it’s hard to pass a gelateria without stopping. I’ll eat your share until you get back here, if that’s OK 😉
This is so exciting, Michelle! Thank you for sending this link to me! I didn’t visit the Marina, only the hill top town of Gioiosa Ionica as that is where my husband was born, and where he still has relatives. We stayed in Siderno, where my husband’s sistter has a house, and swam in the Ionian Sea there.
Such rustic areas, but so beautiful! And the food…….everythng so delicious and fresh. I loved waking up and smelling eggplant already being fried by all the women in the neighborhood for the siesta meal.
It is so much fun to read a blog written by someone in southern Calabria! I am adding you to my blog roll and will be checking in frequently.
Thanks!
Pat
Pat’s last blog post..Breakfast Challenge
It’s so wonderful to “meet” you too Pat 🙂
And you have to get some of that gelato next time you’re around! It’s *so* good 🙂