Back to Farinella got some icy treats

• Farinella, 492 Rochester St.

Farinella was the subject of one of my first stories but it’s been years since I’ve been. The recent weather made it clear that I needed to remedy that and revisit some of their excellent gelato.

They’re best known for their Roman style pizzas (now available at the Trainyards Farm Boy) but they’re no slouches when it comes to making some of Ottawa’s finest frozen treats.

I recall having a discussion with co-owner Nina about the density of her gelato and she proudly declared that they don’t whip extra air into it. 

Their recipes are as good and inspired as ever and both the strawberry-lemon and the yuzu pineapple cardamom had an abundance of those flavours front and centre. They were restrained in their use of sugar but there was one thing that stood out: the gelato was easier to scoop and it was stretchy. 

I don’t remember their gelato having this feature and it marks a small departure for them. It’s common to find vegetable gums such as guar gum, carob bean gum, or carrageenan in frozen desserts as it makes them easier to scoop. It also gives a smoother, more readily available mouthfeel to the consumer and it creates a larger volume while at the same time using less of the base material. 

That observation aside, this is still one of your better bets for great gelato in Ottawa.