La Divina Gelateria - New Orleans

Located along bustling Magazine street, La Divina Gelateria provides its customers with a small taste of Italy through its gelato and sorbettos.  As you can read on their web page, owners Katrina and Carmello are gelato artisans who have traveled around Italy studying the art of making gelato and sorbetto from scratch.  And they do! Seasonal ingredients are often used, and as a result you don't see the same case of flavors twice (which I guess can be good or bad, depending if they are missing your favorite flavor).  

I have a made a few stops into the shop since moving to New Orleans, and this time I finally remembered to bring my camera. During each visit I have been pleasantly pleased with my selection.  I particularly enjoyed the Pineapple Mint Sorbetto, which tasted very much like freshly juiced pineapple, with just a hint of mint to tease another part of the taste buds.  During today's trip, I chose the Dark Chocolate gelato and the Saigon Cinnamon gelato (I love chocolate and cinnamon together).  Served in a chilled metal dish, both choices provided an intense flavor in a little scoop. Yum!

Creme Brulee gelato

I asked the friendly gelato scooper a few questions about the gelato-making process after finishing my dessert.  She explained that all of the gelato made by La Divina is made with milk, not cream, which gives it a light texture while still providing a punch of flavor.  [I actually think heavy cream would take over some of the delicate flavors that they use.]  Also, some flavors are made with eggs and some are not...it depends on the what flavor they make.  I'm guessing that my husband's Creme Brulee scoop was made with eggs, but maybe not.

The gelateria also serves freshly made paninis and other treats, but I have not had a chance to try the food.  With outdoor seating, I imagine it would be a great place for lunch and ample people watching. Stop in the next time you are browsing the shops along Magazine!

La Divina Gelateria
3005 Magazine street (1 of 3 locations)
New Orleans, LA 70115
www.ladivinagelateria.com