Dolcezza: Valrhona Chocolate Delivered via Gelato

It’s August.

I’m in DC.

Do you know what happens in August in DC?

For one thing, Congress, and most of their staff, run away on vacation. They do this because of one very notable aspect of DC life in August: It’s usually hot. And humid. I don’t mean hot and humid in the sense that you get sweaty if you go running in the afternoon. I mean hot and humid in the sense that in a three-block walk from the Metro to your office at 7 am, the air sticks to you. The good news? A typical August day in DC is a perfect day for enjoying frozen treats. Enter Dolcezza Artisanal Gelato.

I stopped by their Georgetown shop today in hopes that they had a specific chocolate flavor in stock. You see, the folks at Dolcezza take great pride in using the best ingredients in their hand-made gelato. Their chocolate is no exception, and they regularly have a Valrhona Chocolate Amargo. I was in luck today, and ordered the kid’s portion for $3.65.

I love the size of this treat – and found out that the gelato was so dense that it still took me 10 minutes to eat it. This is not a bad thing, as it melted at the perfect tempo to accommodate this, and it allowed me to savor every last drop. And was there ever a lot to savor: the texture was creamy (though just a tad gummy), the intensity of the dark Valrhona chocolate shined through and lingered after a bite was finished, and there was just the right amount of sweetness to cut the bitterness of the chocolate without overpowering it. I knew that anything made with Valrhona would have an outstanding chocolate flavor, but the folks at Dolcezza have worked it into a truly wonderful creation.

Summary

Dolcezza: Great gelato shop that offers a tiny portion size and several chocolate flavors, including at least one Valrhona-based flavor.

Pros: Wonderful blend of intense dark chocolate and sweetness, melts nicely.

Cons: Very slight gumminess to the texture. A little expensive for about four ounces, but I don’t think I could eat more in one sitting, and it’s worth noting that this shop uses the best ingredients around (Exhibit A: Valrhona chocolate).

Price: $3.65 for a kid’s portion, which is roughly four ounces.