Genuine, Homemade Italian Gelato in Door County?

Yes – it is right here in Egg Harbor! Double Delites brings it on! Gelato is Italy’s version of ice cream, but it’s so different! Ice Cream has between 14% – 18% butterfat, while Gelato is a slim 4%.  The gelato and the gourmet popcorns are made in Door County, right in the shop!  Now there is the true Double Delites!

And new in 2009, they are also offering Italian sodas (strawberry, kiwi, mohito and raspberry), and Gelato Sundaes with Ghiradelli toppings of chocolate, caramel, and white chocolate. Double Delites keeps getting better and better!

Julie and Jeff Perley have done it! They are hand-making Gelato ice cream (the genuine kind!) in a wonderful little shop on the main road, Highway 42, right in downtown Egg Harbor (next to the Main Street Shops). The building is a delight, with cozy colors, log walls and owners who are passionate about their business. Now this is a real treat! And for those who love Sorbetto (sorbet), well, of course they have a variety of flavors for that as well! And they have gourmet popcorn too! Wow – what a find!

Now I am somewhat of a Gelato aficionado as I have traveled to Italy many times, and have always sampled my way across the country eating Gelatos wherever I could find them – from the Eternal City of Rome to small towns on the Adriatic side like Porto Racanati (see picture for proof)! So . . . what do I think of THIS Gelato? Read on! It was a lot of work tasting these local creations made in the Italian tradition, but someone had to do it!

With an authentic Gelato freezer case from Europe that maintains the proper temperature for that special and unique texture and flavor of Gelato, to the fun decorating inside – you will enjoy your entire stop here. All of their ingredients, except for the milk and sugar, come from Italy. Even the cups the Gelato is served in come from Italy. Wow. The gourmet popcorns are popped and drizzled with flavors right in the shop; there are some fanciful gift items, chocolate from Belgium, Flavia Home plaques with “wisdom” sayings and more. What a shop! What a stop! Don’t miss it.

We had to sample quite a few of the many fanciful Gelato flavors they have designed and made! I sampled

* Chocolate Chip (Straccitella, in Italiano). The chips with tiny bits, intermixed with the gelato – wonderful!
* Raspberry: tart, with a strong raspberry flavor. Nice!
* Banana: distinctive banana flavor – for banana lovers!
* Rum-raison: (“Malaga”) - what’s NOT to like about rum-raison – I love it! This was perfect.
* Mango: what a rich, tropical flavor – light and creamy.
* Pistachio: a delicate flavor, with bits of real pistachio. Wonderful again.
* Peanut with Wafer; “Nocciola” – if you are into peanuts, give this a try!
* Chocolate Hazelnut: these two flavors are blended to perfection, and compliment each other wonderfully. You might be lucky enough to get a genuine “amarena” cherry!
* Zambione: a favorite Italian flavor based on Marsala used in deserts as a sauce, this Zambione Gelato is, well, fantastico! The true Italian flavor is capture here in this delightful Gelato!

Julie can make, right in the shop, about 25 different flavors, but she can be as creative with the combinations as she wants to be. So you will always see about a dozen flavors available, but you may see certain ones on your late morning stop, and different ones in the mid-afternoon stop (as we did!). This is made fresh every day. More flavors, Amaretto, Cappuccino and Donatella (chocolate specialty) might pop-in there some time! And on weekends, you may find a sugar-free Gelato or two.

OK, for a moment, I thought I was back in Italy – no kidding – this stuff is authentic and wonderful! Wow! This is a great place!

Sorbettos (sorbets) like Limoncello (Italian lemon liqueur) and Melon remind you of Italy – definitely try the Limoncello – it is an awesome after dinner drink in Italy and fine Italian eateries, and a wonderful sorbetto! There is also raspberry, banana, mango, strawberry and more.

Try an affogato - gelato in a coffee cup covered with her delisious espresso coffee - delightful!

Gourmet Popcorns: 18 Flavors!
I taste-tested some of the popcorn as well, like their own caramel corn. They pop only the right kind of corn for glazed corn – the round variety (a special kernel) so that the glazing clings to it completely. Awesome. I ate almost a whole bag.

Then I tried the cheese corn. This is no ordinary cheese corn. This is top-notch with the perfect blend of salt and cheese. Loved it. Lastly, I tested the ripple Corn, which is laced with dark chocolate. I ate 3/4s of a bag in the evening – just so you know I did not do this all at once! (It took me two days . . . so far)!

And there is more: Salsa Verde, Caramel and Apple, Caramel, Cherry Chocolate, Ranch and Jalapeno. And their House Popcorn uses a tender, premium white kernel, and it’s cooked in cottonseed oil – I think you get the gist here – this is one creative shop, and all the popcorns and gelatos are made right here by hand.

Outside is dog friendly!

Julie is a delight (a double delite!). She is so enthusiastic about her shop and it shows in the products she produces. She has passion, and that’s good for us! Where ever you find yourself in Door County, get yourself to Egg Harbor and to Double Delites – you will be “delited” you did. Say “hi” to Julie and the friendly staff, and tell them that DoorCountyNavigator.com sent you!

For your convenience, here is a peek at their website. To open it fully, click the link on the lower left of the frame.

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