The Promised Land - Latte E Miele

Cuisine Rouge Rating:

5 plates

It’s hot outside!  You need a cool treat to fight the heat.  Of course there’s ice cream, or frozen yogurt if you are watching calories.  And there’s frozen custard in our area now, which is much richer but in the opposite direction of frozen yogurt on the calorie chart.  There is another option though that combines the richness of custard with the lower calorie content of the yogurt, called gelato.  The simple definition of gelato is that it is the Italian version of ice cream.  Gelato however, has less air in it than ice cream (which makes it denser and creamier) and it is made with milk rather than cream, making it lower in calories.  Also, gelato is served slightly warmer than ice cream, giving it a semi-frozen consistency that makes it extra smooth.

Of course the problem with gelato is that to get really good, authentic Italian gelato, you have to go to Italy.  True Italian gelato is an art form, and something that is not easily replicated without the long held traditional methods perfect by artisans.  Lucky for us here in Baton Rouge, Latte E Miele has recently opened on Highland Road near I-10, next to the Country Club of Louisiana.

Owner Corrado DiMartino is a native Roman and his nephew Simone Romano is not only a gelato artisan, but was one of the best in Italy before moving to Baton Rouge.  He won the very prestigious Gambero Rosso award, which basically declared his gelato as the best in Italy.

Corrado’s  son Luca also moved to Baton Rouge from Boston to help out with the business, and he describes it as being more akin to a bakery than your typical ice cream shop.  “We make everything fresh, every day”, he told me.  Flavors like strawberry, melon, and the unbelievably delicious pineapple are made from the freshest produce around, picked up every morning from Fresh Pickins, a local produce market.

Every flavor that I sampled (and you can sample as many as you like) was crazy good.  The flavors are so intense and rich that it will make you never want to eat ordinary ice cream again.  For $4 you can get a small cup of two flavors of gelato, like orange chocolate, tiramisu, swirled white chocolate, or banana.  If you’re really hungry for a sweet treat, the $10 sundae is enough to feed 3 people, and comes in a variety of exotic variations.  The signature version features simple cream gelato topped with the freshest seasonal fruit, and drizzled with Louisiana orange blossom honey.

If you’re a coffee lover, take a break from the green and white chain store coffee to have some real, authentic Italian espresso or cappuccino.  Or, get a signature drink that combines a scoop of the gelato topped with a shot of espresso, for the best of both worlds.

Give this place a try.  Not only do they produce one of the most delicious treats you will ever have, they also make it a point to use local ingredients; fresh Louisiana produce from Fresh Pickins market, and milk from Kleinpeter Dairies.

Latte E Miele is open seven days a week, from 10AM to 10:30PM, has wireless Internet connectivity, and will quickly become one very busy place.