I Tried Gelateria Uli’s Olive Oil Gelato, and Its Way Tastier Than It Sounds
Lately, I've been visiting L.A.'s best ice cream shops to try the most unusual flavors on each menu.
Most recently, that took me to Gelateria Uli on West 3rd St. in Los Angeles to try their olive oil gelato. They make all their gelato by hand and from scratch every day, so I was curious to see how they'd incorporate the flavor of a cooking oil into creamy gelato.
When I stepped inside the shop, I saw a number of interesting flavors on display. As I eyed the menu, I discovered that their small size actually consists of two scoops. That's because the experience is all about tasting a pairing of two flavors that bring something different to the table and complement one another.
Already knowing I had to try the olive oil, I asked the gelato expert across the counter what she recommended for my second scoop. Based on her special rec, I got the fig balsamic with almonds along with my olive oil gelato (with the olive oil scoop on top for a lovely photo).
Of course, I had to try the olive oil flavor first, and I was completely surprised by how delicious it was. It was as smooth as it was creamy, and had a buttery sweet finish with an only slightly bitter aftertaste. While I usually can't stand olives, I tasted a hint of green olive in the mix and the flavor really worked. Despite the sweetness, there was something savory about the flavor, too, and it even tasted like there was a bit of spice in the mix.
The fig balsamic flavor was also good, but nothing too unusual. The dried fruit flavor was strong and meshed well with the slightly tart flavor of vinegar. Though I enjoyed the almond slices, occasionally, I'd also encounter bits of fig seeds, which I don't enjoy so well. Still, the flavors blended well with the olive oil taste—though I almost wanted the fig gelato to have a purer vinegar taste because I love mixing olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
Though the flavors were meant to be mixed, I felt like I could eat a whole pint of the strange, rich olive oil flavor in a single sitting. I now feel slightly tempted to pour olive oil all over my next scoop of vanilla ice cream. We'll see how that goes.
Think olive oil ice cream sounds weird? Click HERE to find out what I thought of goat cheese-flavored ice cream.