Baldarotta’s Gelateria: A crowd pleaser for children and adults alike
On a recent dinner outing in Urbana, we decided that it was the perfect time to try the long awaited treat. Located right across from Baldarotta’s Porketta & Sicilian Sausage in the Lincoln Square Mall Food Court, there is ample seating for families. With the gelateria housed in a large open space, there is plenty of room available for children to move about, enjoy their desserts, and to “be kids.” If you’ve never tried gelato before, don’t let the name fool you. It has all the same deliciousness as ice cream, but has a more rich flavor.
Because my husband and I were intent on trying the gelato flight, our hardest choice to make was deciding which flavor to eliminate from our order. The hand-dipped flavors included Italian espresso, Belgian dark chocolate, pistachio, raspberry sorbet, bourbon apple pie, vanilla, sea salt caramel, lemon pie, and hazelnut chocolate crunch. Each gelato flight comes with eight flavors.
The kids were excited to build their own sundaes with their choice of toppings such as fresh fruit, candied fruit, sprinkles, chocolate chips, nuts, hazelnuts, maraschino cherries, granola, and a variety of sauces and syrups. The toppings were 25 cents each, so our girls had fun being creative with their concoctions. Premium topping can also be added to your treat. These include macarons, white chocolate pistachio cookies, and more.
Our oldest daughter decided that she was in the mood for raspberry sorbet, so she had a dish of raspberry sorbet with fresh raspberries and raspberry sauce. Our youngest had a sugar cone with hardened chocolate on the inside of the cone and raspberry sorbet to go with it.
Crowd favorites were raspberry (13-year-old daughter), Belgian dark chocolate (9-year-old) and Italian espresso, Belgian dark chocolate, and lemon pie from the adults. Sundaes ranged from $3.50-$6. At $7 for the flight of gelato, my husband and I felt that this was a good deal considering the amount of gelato that we were provided and a fun option because we were able to sample nearly every flavor. It was perfect for sharing amongst the two of us.
If you aren’t in the mood for gelato, the gelateria offers several other treat options, as well. Fruity treats, crostatas, and cookies are also available for purchase, as is their delicious Italian sponge cake. Hand stuffed cannoli is made to order. To supplement your Baldarotta’s porketta order, handmade adult beverages are also available at the gelateria. For the kids in the family, there are Italian sodas in flavors such as desert pear, Swiss chocolate, ruby red grapefruit, blood orange, strawberry, cucumber, and lime.
During our next visit, we look forward to enjoying a whole meal, drinks, AND dessert at Baldarotta’s Porketta & Sicilian Sausage.