One of the absolute best things you can have as a snack is gelato (even if it is below freezing out). So of course, I couldn’t help myself when I passed this coffeeshop/gelateria combo, Linz and Vail (2012 Central Street, Evanston, IL). The shop is tiny and cute, with a window counter in the main room, and a small dining room with comfy chairs, a few tables and… A box of Mr. Potato Heads. Linz & Vail serves Intelligensia coffee, which will probably appeal to the caffeine-inclined, but I made a beeline for the homemade gelato.
A single scoop cost about four bucks with tax, but had the neat option of allowing you to choose up to 4 flavors for your cup. I chose chocolate and nutella: other options were Stracciatella (chocolate chip), Pistachio, Coffee, Vanilla, and Lemon (I hear it changes daily). All in all, the gelato was good, but not amazing. The flavors were great, but the texture seemed a little light, I’m for dense gelato, so that put me off a bit. The chocolate was better than the nutella, which almost tasted like it was whipped. All in all, it was definitely tasty – plus the staff was very polite and friendly, which I cannot say for some other coffeeshops I’ve been to recently.
Eating The World 