by Jaime Vázquez for pdxguide.com
April 2007

Alotto Gelato 931 NW 23rd Ave. Portland, OR 97210

Alotto Gelato is a small, unassuming little yellow storefront on NW 23rd Avenue. The neon sign in their window sits right over a small countertop, where patrons sit and overlook the foot traffic. In fact, this counter space is about the only place where customers can sit and eat, so while you’re likely to find a crowd in the summer taking advantage of the air conditioning, the rest of the year it functions more as a dessert stand that just happens to be indoors.

I walked in and did the requisite shiver; standing in line took me back to grade school summer vacations, where everyone waited for hours in line and didn’t begin considering what they wanted until they got to the front. It wasn’t a long line, though, and when I got to the front it was easy to see the source of last-minute indecision: a glass case filled with gelatos ranging from yellow cake to ruby red grapefruit. I went with cheesecake; aside from needing something on the milder side, I was curious to see if they would err on the side of the cheese or the cake.

After being served, I turned around and remembered that Alotto Gelato is basically a standing-room-only joint. Initially I was annoyed, because really all I wanted was a place to sit down and savor my gelato. But then the Portlander in me spoke up: not having any tables means that patrons are either forced to leave and walk around the neighborhood, or join the standing community inside. And this is a good thing: dessert is a pretty social occasion, and having to either get exercise or socialize is actually a refreshing change from the uber-private experiences found elsewhere.

But Alotto Gelato is actually more Italy than Portland. Along with their namesake dessert, they offer Italian lunch goods, like fresh Prosciutto, Caprese, or even tuna sandwiches. That’s a fairly common combination in Italy, but rare in an American gelato shop. While I was in no shape to try one of their lunches (it was, after all, already evening, and I had a nasty case of brain freeze to boot), I knew that the Prosciutto would bring me back for an encore visit.

The gelato at Alotto Gelato is ultra smooth, another Italian touch. Some shops will serve gelato that’s more whipped, which can be OK, but traditional gelato is denser, colder, and on hot days is definitely more fun.

Stopping in to Alotto Gelato—and really, that’s all you can do—is worth it as part of a day in the neighborhood; just don’t count on it as a destination.

The opinions expressed within are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of pdxguide.com or The Columbian Publishing Co.