When I went to Italy, there were two foods I couldn’t get enough of: pizza and gelato. It seemed that every day I had at least one or the other—most of the time—it was both.

You really must travel to The Old Country to see exactly how these foods are REALLY supposed to taste—the stuff in America that claims to be “authentic,” is too often so far from that it doesn’t even resemble the real deal in the slightest. I’ve found this to be especially true in the case of gelato.

True gelato (the way it’s made and consumed in Italy) is very hard to find, but I’ve found the place. Just as Ah’Pizz in Montclair has the closest and most perfect pizza to a pie from Naples, my choice for the best gelato is also in New Jersey. And that’s at Sotto Zero Gelateria in North Arlington, run by a true paisan, and a real cool guy (pun certainly intended), my pal Giorgio Klinar.

Giorgio’s bio is impressive. He grew up in Rome, working in his father’s gelateria, and later when he came to the U.S. at the age of sixteen, he learned all he could about American ice cream. Between the knowledge of his father’s traditional Italian recipes and what he attained here in the states, it was only fitting that he open up a place of his own. That place is Sotto Zero (meaning, “below zero”), which serves up not just the most perfectly chilled gelato to cool you down on a hot summer day, but also ice cream, Italian ice and other desserts. There’s cakes, tiramisù, cassata Siciliana and chocolate covered bananas—just to name a few of his specialties. Not to mention hot and cold coffee drinks, floats, and lots more...

Sotto Zero is a another hidden gem that I found with my pal Anthony, we stumbled upon it one muggy Sunday morning last year. I was so impressed, I just had to take some home to share with my family, and I’ve been coming back for more ever since. Giorgio’s treats are THE BEST around, you can tell he takes extreme pride and passion in what he does—these are the traits I look for in a chef whenever I eat out. He isn’t just a gelato chef, he’s a gelato genius, an absolute expert, and that’s conveyed with every single scrumptious scoop.

Giorgio’s gelato is made fresh every day—using chunks of fruit and wholesome ingredients—not any kinds of artificial syrups or flavorings. And unlike regular ice cream, it’s made with milk, not cream. This makes it a lower fat delight, but I’ll tell you this, even more delicious! It is so silky, and has so much flavor—with so many flavor selections (and countless toppings), you’ll be sampling several. And if you still can’t decide on what to get, just create your own half & half combo—there are no “bad” combos, trust me. Ok, I’ll list some of my favorites here to really get you drooling...

Amaretto cookie, Bacio (chocolate with chopped hazelnuts), cannoli filling, Nutella, and the most unbelievable gelato yogurt you will ever have—the Amarena (black cherry) and the Fragola (strawberry) are too good to even attempt to describe in words. Giorgio even mentioned he may consider teaming up with yours truly to create some sort of a meatball-infused gelato. Hey, you never know!


Go see Giorgio and get his “Gelato of the Day.” Tell him JOHNNY MEATBALLS sent ya!
Sotto Zero Caffé Gelateria
89 Ridge Road
North Arlington, NJ