The Gelateria — Restaurant in St. Louis

Visited “The Gelateria” on a Saturday evening with the intention of grabbing a quick ice cream as a treat and work while doing so.

As a physician in training, I work 60-70 hrs a week and a lot of weekends. This was one of the weekends I was working, and after work I decided to treat myself to some gelato while completing patient care responsibilities, remotely, on my laptop.

After placing the order for my ice cream and tea, I casually sat at one of the tables and pulled out my laptop to work. Within minutes one of the staff members came up to me and said, “We have a no laptops policy in the downstairs seating area on the weekends, we ask you to move upstairs”. To this I asked, “How come?”. I was told “It’s to maintain the vibe”. I quietly grabbed my stuff and went upstairs. Only to find no seats to work at. While the downstairs had plenty of space.

I suppose as an establishment, they own the space and have every right to have their preferences. However this rule/policy makes little sense to me. Is one to assume that working on the weekends is to be discouraged? How does one’s act of quietly working on the laptop affect other patrons? What vibes are we trying to protect by embarrassing an unknowing individual who just wanted to catch a break from their stressful life a grab an ice cream?

Needless to say, I left feeling quite dejected and unwelcomed. For an establishment which evidently promotes liberal ideologies, this policy is quite extremist, judgemental and their actions suggestive of gate keeping.

For the sake of multiple individuals who contribute to society by working long hours and difficult jobs, for the sake of all humans who may be dealing with their own invisible struggles, for the sake of every introvert who was proud of themselves for taking themselves out for the evening and not rotting at home, let’s try to be more welcoming and kind.

Of note- I do not think the upstairs area is disability accessible, so this policy is discriminatory to those individuals who cannot possibly walk upstairs. And if you think they should ask for special permission to work downstairs then, I would say, that can be quite embarrassing to...

The Gelateria proved to be a bit of a pleasant surprise to me when I moved to the neighborhood. Read the other reviews for talk about ambiance or coffee or pastries or whatever. I'm here to talk sandwiches. I'm an insufferable sandwich snob and was pretty taken aback when someone in the industry told me that this place right down the road from me had the best breakfast sandwich in STL. Then someone else told me their lunch sandwiches were just as good.

Sidebar: Can I can make a plea to this local treasure? Tell people you sell sandwiches! Yes, I know you post them on your Instagram sometimes, but your website says literally nothing about sandwiches. Let the entire internet know!

Anyway, it's true, the breakfast sandwich is legitimately very good. I'm not sure I'd go literal best in the city, but worth your time and money for sure. Add bacon and spinach. The lunch sandwiches I actually like even more -- they're served on an excellent crusty focaccia and manage to be interesting while also being simple and elegant. For example, the roast beef combines medium-rare roast beef, two sauces (salsas rossa and verde), and arugala -- that's it. Really, really good without needing gimmicks. The menu seems to shift periodically and, again, you can't check their sandwich menu online, so you'll just need to read the board when you walk in. Lots of non-meat options.

Some sandwich caveats: They come out a bit slow, which is fine, but makes dropping in for a quick takeaway sandwich a 10-20 minute errand depending on the line. (No online ordering, unfortunately.) They're also not budget sammies -- the lunch offerings are $13+tax, plus a couple bucks if you want chips. I think they're worth it, but if you're hunting for a utilitarian and cost-efficient sandwich, you are barking up the wrong tree.

Overall, a worthy addition to my list of my very favorite sandwich places in town. Worth a trip, especially if you have the time to sit inside with your meal and enjoy the slow-paced...

I got together with my mother-in-law, Ms. H, at Gelateria! It was a rainy, gloomy afternoon, so it's cozy interior was particularly inviting. At the front of the shop, along the large windows, are comfy leather chairs and a short radiator that keeps the nook warm.

Once Ms. H arrived, we looked over the Calzone Menu. I ordered the Italiano and Ms. H ordered Sausage. However, right after we paid, the girl at the counter told me they were out of the Italiano and actually only had Maiale and Sausage. I disappointed to have to change and frustrated that the change in menu hadn't been noted on the board. However, when my Maiale Calzone finally came out a little less than ten minutes later, I had no regrets - it was delicious! The menu tells me that my calzone contained ham and pepperoni, but I have to say that the meat I saw looked more like sausage. Not that it bothered me - I was too busy enjoying the flavor. The ricotta had a fluffy texture and the dough wasn't what I expected. It was like pizza dough meets a flaky pie crust and I loved it! It was buttery and delicious! Unfortunately, Ms. H didn't like her calzone as much as I liked mine - she said it lacked flavor and needed quite a bit of salt and pepper.

I also opted to get some gelato for dessert, but I have to say that it wasn't quite as good as my calzone. I tried four flavors - Oreo Cream, Ginger, Sweet Potato and Blueberry Cheesecake. I'm beginning to learn that I just don't like gelato as much as ice cream - the lower fat content means it's not as creamy as I want it to be. And this particular gelato was very mild and not terribly sweet - I really wish it had been more flavorful. But after a few bits of particular flavor, I seemed to taste it less and less. I will say that the Blueberry Cheesecake was the strongest and therefore my favorite.

On the whole, this is a pretty great place. Very friendly service, large tables the are perfect for groups and file cabinets full of games, cards and...