A smart choice in Del. college town

Although not a student place, the four-year-old Caff Gelato has a university link. The dessert-bistro is the brainchild of UD alumnus Ryan German, who turns 27 next month. Fretting about jobs even before his senior year, he took matters into his own hands.

In April of 2000, the month before he graduated sixth in his class with a business degree, he opened Caff Gelato and introduced the town to gelato -- Italian-style ice cream -- and a northern Italian, Mediterranean-inspired menu. On the May day his classmates were receiving their degrees, German said in a recent telephone interview, he was overseeing his busiest day at the restaurant.

German said he decided on a gelato cafe when he attended a food fair in northern Italy in 1999 during UD's independent study winter session. To learn how to make it, he went to the source: Italian artisans who shared old family recipes. He uses locally produced milk and cream, some from UD cows, and fresh fruits, nuts, and chocolates. Gelato is much creamier than ice cream, even though it has less butterfat.

The 65-seat restaurant's wonderful split personality is obvious when you cross the threshold. The front section is an ice cream parlor with a rainbow of gelato in a glass case. Customers can sample a flavor or two from 24 selections, among them wild berry, banana, peach, pistachio, coconut, peanut butter, and many variations on chocolate. On an afternoon stop, I finally selected two: white chocolate hazelnut and coconut. So creamy, so delicious.

The spacious dining room is an inviting environment of raspberry and peach hues, white tablecloths, candles, fresh flowers, and original art on the walls. The sidewalk cafe opens in good weather.