This week I was on a family vacation in Santa Fe, one of my favorite places in the world and a city I’ve come to know through my years singing here with Santa Fe Pro Musica and before that the Santa Fe Desert Chorale. I could make a very long post with a list of all the things I adore about this place, and high on that list would be Ecco Gelato:

Having been lucky enough to visit Italy three times, I’m kind of a gelato snob. Last year during a food tour of Rome N and I learned how to tell authentic gelato from the fake stuff, which is made from a powder. Ecco’s delectable offerings pass the test: no frothy swirling above the level of the pans, no eye-catching slices of fruit or shavings of chocolate adorning the flavors, and no unnatural brightness to the green of the pistachio (here, pictured in excellent partnership with zabaglione):

Ecco’s gelato makes me so happy, I decided to compose an ode to it:

Oh Ecco, your gelato is exceeding fair.
I love your many flavors, whether norm or rare.
Though far across these fifty states my taste buds roam,
Your gleaming case and tables are my heart’s true home.