Confession: It’s damn hard to not eat all the goodness Italy serves up on the daily. I would like to eat like I’m on vacation every moment. However, as we know this is real life and eating ice cream multiple times per week is not great if I want my pants to fit.

So when I received multiple Operation Vicarious requests to consume gelato I was ON IT. It not only tastes like vacation, but it’s also an opportunity for me to feel like a language genius. Confession two: my Italian isn’t stellar (yet), but I can tell you I order gelato like a pro. It sounds like my name is Maria, I grew up down the block, and Italian is my first language.

In the States I prefer Häagen-Dazs coffee ice cream and in Italy I prefer caffè gelato. Also, hazelnut, pronounced nocciola. Hard to say, but worth the effort.

Also, that pillowy white goodness on top? Yeah, that’s cream — as in whipped. In Italiano, it’s called panna. After you order and they ask you “Con panna?” Say yes, because they just asked if you wanted the taste of ecstasy in your mouth. For the love of God, don’t bypass the panna!

{Pro tip} – one of the best ways to tell if a place has good gelato is to look at their pistachio flavor. It should NOT be bright green. It should be a pale green like a green of little girl’s Easter dress.