Papalani Gelato has brought the tastes of Hawaii to Delray Beach! They have opened it’s doors to the public as of May 2015 giving the area a taste for some deliciously Hawaiian-inspired gelato. Papalani Gelato is all about staying true to it’s roots and only serving up the freshest, cleanest ingredients – I’m talking about organic, non-GMO, gluten-free & vegan options.
I was able to visit the newest location that opened up in Addison Place Shopping Center right on the Boca Raton/Delray Beach borderline. Talk about a Polynesian experience! I felt like I was transported to a funky hut off the beaches of Hawaii, full of sweets and of course gourmet gelato. As soon as you walk through the door, you are greeted with a friendly aloha by the awesome staff and owner Mark Rubenstein. He took us through their extensive menu of gelatos, sorbettos, chocolates, pastries, pies, cookies, drinks and homemade waffles.
You all might know gelato as the Italian version of ice cream. It is slightly different than the ice cream we all know and love as it is made with more milk and less cream and eggs. It is served on the softer side and so deliciously creamy. With over 37 flavors of gelato, each are hand-crafted in small batches to get the freshest flavors and you will have the most unique mixes. Papalani Gelato takes those traditional flavors like Belgian chocolate, vanilla and pistachio and infuses them with the tropical flavors like papaya, coconut and macadamia nuts from the islands.
delicious variety of gelatos & sorbettos
With specialties like Key Lime Pie gelato, perfect for us down here in Florida, and their famous Papalani Pie – which was my favorite! Rich, espresso gelato with laces of chocolate sauce, coconut and espresso crunchies mixed in, I am pretty sure I could have eaten the entire container. Papalani doesn’t stop at cups, get your gelato filled in waffle cones or bowls, on a stick or even one of their gelato cookie sandwiches. You can even get specialty gelato pies filled with your favorite gelato flavor.
The Girls getting down and dirty creating their very own cookie sandwiches!
Next we tried some of Papalani Gelato’s sorbettos. Holy.Mother.Of.Sorbetto. This stuff is addicting and the best part about the sorbettos is that they are guilt-free! Made with fresh fruit, every sorbetto flavor is dairy-free, gluten-free and fat-free. It did not taste icey like other sorbets you may have tried, it was so smooth and each bite bursted with fruity flavor. My little ice cream lover was all over the Strawberry Sorbetto and killed about 3 tastings of it! I was partial to their POG flavor which was a mix of pink guava, blood orange and passion fruit.
If gelato and sorbettos aren’t your thing (all though I don’t know WHY!), Papalani Gelato has delectable chocolates, truffles, pastries and even freshly made waffles that you can just about top with anything! The waffles are so light, fluffy but still has that crunchy exterior. Be sure to stop off in the mornings for a hot breakfast and one of the most delicious cups of coffee you will ever have! Each cup is brewed right in front of your eyes in a unique single-serve brewer that dispenses the coffee right into your cup.
So, to all my fellow gelato (& chocolate & sorbetto & coffee) lovers, do make your way to Papalani Gelato Delray Beach, go say aloha to Mark and to try their Hawaiian treats. When it comes to sweets, I would never steer you wrong! To learn more about Papalani Gelato visit their website and be sure check out their Facebook and Twitter for updates, deals and flavor alerts!
– Amanda
