Joe DiBartolo, left, and his brother
Jim DiBartolo offer up some gelato and pizza at Divino's, a gelato cafe
on Center Street in Grayslake.
(Michael Schmidt/News-Sun)

Gelato is creamier than ice cream because it contains far less air. "Ice cream is typically 18 to 22 percent butterfat and 97 percent air. Gelato is 8 to 10 percent butterfat and 50 percent air," said Jim DiBartolo, Divino's gelato chef.

The result is a dense product with a more intense flavor. There is less butter fat to coat the tongue and it leaves no cloying aftertaste, like ice cream. "Have you noticed that after eating ice cream you are thirsty and want a drink of water to clean the tongue and get rid of the aftertaste?" asked DiBartolo. "That's the result of a high level of butterfat."

More butterfat means more calories, but Divino isn't touting its gelato as a low calorie alternative to ice cream. "It's a nice benefit, but the real appeal is the flavor and creaminess. Because it is dense, a little gelato goes a long way," explaining why the three sizes of gelato cups offered at Divino are smaller than the typical serving sizes offered at ice cream shops.

DiBartolo enjoys giving out free samples of the product, and takes delight in customers' reactions to their first taste. "I love to watch their faces," he said. "They practically swoon when they try it for the first time."

Divino Cafe, only open a few weeks, is already seeing some regular customers. "We are offering a free pint of gelato with the purchase of a pizza. Customers who take advantage of the special are starting to return just for the gelato," he said.

The brothers decided to open the café because gelato is a unique product to the area and Jim, with 20 years in the restaurant business, wanted to offer a variety of Italian specialties, including his favorite, pizza. The café also serves strombolis, panini sandwiches, calzones, salads and other desserts. Joe is the planner, financer and business person behind the operation.Jim is the general manager.

DiBartolo trained at Aromi d'Italia, a gelato company that has its headquarters in Glen Burnie, Md., when they decided to launch the wholesale gelato business. DiBartolo said only a few years ago gelato made up 1 percent of the premium ice cream market, today it captures about 8 percent.

They sell their product to other independently owned restaurants, fine dining restaurants, catering companies, institutions, and resorts and conventions centers throughout the Chicago and Milwaukee areas.

"We make and ship out about 45,000 gallons a year," said DiBartolo, who makes dozens of flavors each week. "We have our usual favorites but I like to experiment and try new flavor combinations."

Gelato is typically made with fresh fruit or other ingredients such as chocolate and nuts. All of Divino's gelato-making equipment and ingredients are imported from Italy, as is the freezer in the front of the store, where as many as 24 flavors might be offered on any given day at Divino.

"Gelato is served from a forced air freezer -- which is usually held at about minus 11 degrees," said DiBartolo. This allows the gelato to be served immediately after being extruded from the gelato machine -- the "forced air" blowing around holds the product at a consistent temperature.

The creation of the special flavors of gelato -- which may include such standard flavors as chocolate, vanilla, lemon, banana, strawberry and peach to zabaglione, tiramisu, passion fruit, green apple, panna cotta, rum raisin, pumpkin, peanut butter and mango -- starts in the back of the store.

The best gelato is made fresh daily, said Jim. Part of the gelato experience lies in its semi-frozen consistency -- therefore the need for the special freezer. The mixture of milk, flavorings, emulsifier and fruit are combined and cooked, then immediately frozen.

For more information contact the café, (847) 223-2500.