The sun was shining bright on this weekday afternoon, and as our final hurrah as this column’s current authors, we decided to treat ourselves to the desserts that Castro Street has to offer. As two of the most popular ice cream parlors in downtown Mountain View, Gelato Classico Italian Ice Cream’s rich, traditional gelato and Kween’s unique ice cream rolls would make worthy competitors for us to compare.

Gelato Classico Italian Ice Cream

Gelato Classico is a quaint ice cream store located in the middle of Castro. While it may be small, it is a staple downtown, with a consistent flow of customers eager to try their variety of gelato flavors. Visitors are greeted by a red LED “Italian Ice Cream” sign and multiple “Best of Mountain View” signs posted on the glass windows. Once you step inside, a wall of mirrors has the effect of enhancing the small store and making it feel wide and airy. The parlor’s limited seating is compensated by plenty of seating in its pleasant outdoor space.

Gelato is a traditional Italian frozen dessert that has its roots in ancient Rome. Its journey to stores all around the world today has been influenced by many figures, including the alchemist Cosimo Ruggeri, artist and architect Bernardo Buontalenti, and restaurateur Francesco Coltelli. Compared to ice cream, it uses more milk and less cream, is often made without eggs, and is served at warmer temperatures. 

All of the gelatos we tried were creamy and rich. Moreover, the gelatos were served with small spoons that we believe made us savor them more. While the store might have been busy, the staff were patient. We appreciated that we could sample many different flavors before making our choice. 

Honey lavender (8.83/10) 

The honey lavender gelato was fresh and creamy. The lavender flavor was perfect—not too subtle nor too strong. We thoroughly enjoyed this pairing; however, the honey flavor could have been more pronounced.

Burgundy cherry (9.17/10) 

The burgundy cherry gelato was creamy and would serve as the perfect palate cleanser after a delicious night of dining at any one of the first-rate establishments on Castro, especially the Italian restaurant next door (shoutout to Don Giovanni). The soft shade of pink was calming and reflective of the perfect subtlety of the cherry flavoring. The taste itself was natural rather than artificial. This was probably the doing of the small bits of cherry that provided a necessary sweetness and texture to the gelato. If there is any criticism to be had it would be that there could have been a little bit more of these cherry chunks. 

Cappucchino chip (7.33/10) 

The cappuccino chip lived up to its name, featuring a prominent and vibrant coffee flavor, along with an ideal amount of perfectly-sized chocolate shavings that were evenly distributed throughout. While we were impressed by the strong flavor, not all of us are coffee lovers, so the ice cream did become a bit intense after some time. Additionally, it melted more quickly than the others, which contributed to its relatively lower rating. However, as one of the best coffee-flavored ice creams we’ve ever tasted, we’d say that the cappuccino chip is a must try for any coffee lover.

Kween’s

Rolled ice cream originated in Thailand in 2009 where it quickly gained popularity on social media, eventually making its way to the United States. The process of making rolled ice cream involves pouring a liquid ice cream base onto a metal disc that is below freezing. As the ice cream itself freezes, it must quickly be rolled using two metal spatulas. One of the advantages of rolled ice cream is that consumers can request mix-ins and toppings like candy, fruit, and sprinkles to be incorporated into the ice cream itself.

Kween’s prides itself on being a California artisan ice cream shop, according to their website. This website features a blog which reports on a variety of topics ranging from community events and partnerships to the science behind their creation of flavors. Featured in one of these posts is a history of artisan ice cream in the Golden State, emphasizing the humble beginnings of artisan flavors as part of the larger farm-to-table movement of the 1970s. Thus, artisan makers prioritize organic tastes, sustainable practices, and innovation when it comes to flavor profiles and blends. It is worth mentioning that Kween’s was rebranded in February 2024, as the store had previously been known as Icicles. The owner did so in order to move away from the Icicles franchise and operate as an independent business, although it is admittedly difficult to notice any distinct differences between the two. 

While the experience of watching the employee roll the ice cream was quite enjoyable, the ice cream itself was less so. Overall, the flavors were mediocre and didn’t really live up to our expectations. To be fair, though, Gelato Classico was a tough act to follow. The menu is both overwhelming and lacking. Customers can choose between scooped ice cream, ice cream sandwiches, and customizable ice cream rolls. If they select the latter, they choose one base, two mix-ins, and two toppings for a small size, with an additional topping for an extra two dollars in a regular size cup. While there was an abundance of flavors, mix-ins, and toppings, the menu appeared to be devoid of the artisanal innovation they boast of. Rather, the flavors themselves were quite basic and there was no lavender honey or olive oil sea salt that they mention in their online blog. 

Cookie butter ice cream rolls (6.33/10) 

For our first dessert from Kween’s we chose a cookie butter ice cream base, mixed-in caramel and chocolate chips, and topped it all off with brownie bites and Oreos. The ice cream itself was good, though nothing noteworthy, and the addition of the Oreo crumbs added a nice texture contrast. However, we quickly found that the combination was overly sweet. Furthermore, the ice cream melted too quickly and became soupy, making this dessert difficult to finish.

Raspberry sorbet rolls (6.67/10)

In addition to an ice cream roll, we decided to give one of their sorbet options a go. We chose to get the raspberry sorbet without any mix-ins, which we topped with popping boba and rainbow jelly. The sorbet used real raspberry—seeds and all—which we highly appreciated, as it gave the roll a fresh and authentic flavor. The popping boba was enjoyable, though its exact flavor was hard to identify. Meanwhile, since the jelly was rainbow, it included a mix of different jelly flavors, adding some variety to the texture and taste.

Ultimately, as the ratings suggest, we found Gelato Classico Italian Ice Cream to be the triumphant winner of the battle of the ice cream parlors due to its superior taste and atmosphere.