Fat Lorenzo's blood orange gelato: 100 Favorite Dishes, no. 13

Gelato is the reason Italians can strut around with their cravings happily sated and still button their skinny black pants: the creamy frozen treat is just as satisfying as ice cream, but has a fraction of the butterfat.

After a few slices of pizza or after a jog around Lake Nokomis, the house-made gelato at Fat Lorenzo's will satisfy the need for something sweet, but won't leave you feeling weighted down.

How to choose from among the array of flavors in the case? Try a few samples--mango, chocolate/coffee, Banana Pompei--and ask for a recommendation. Blood orange was suggested as a staff favorite and it was, indeed, fantastic: creamier than a sorbet, but with just as robust a citrus-y bite.

One tip: be patient with your gelato and don't dig in right away and wait a minute or two until the stuff just starts to soften (as pictured above). Gelato's texture is best when it's ever-so-slightly melted and has the same soft, whipped delicacy of a French mousse.