Gelato da Cielo By Denise Cummings “Gelato da Cielo,” when translated into English, means “ice cream from heaven” – an appropriate name for this wonderful gelato café in Gilbert. Saving the dessert for last, let me first tell you about this quaint little place and its delicious Paninis. I stopped in for lunch one day with my daughter, Mandy, and my coworker, Christine. We were met with a cheerful greeting from owner Cheryl Brown. The restaurant is a charming place, beautifully decorated with hand-painted murals depicting family members in Italian countryside settings. The round tables feature collages of photos of all things Italy under glass tops. Gelato da Cielo boasts free wireless Internet and also has a flat-screen TV for customers to watch while enjoying great food. We chose from a menu of seven Paninis. Mandy chose the Siena, made with ham, Swiss cheese and pesto. Christine decided on the Friuli, which consisted of prosciutto, mozzarella, tomato and mayo; and I settled on the Genoa, filled with pastrami, salami, provolone, tomato, pesto, mayo and Dijon. Upon recommendation from Cheryl, I substituted the salami with roast beef. All three of us were happy with our choices. All Panini sandwiches are priced at $6.95, and include choice of potato salad, pasta salad or a bag of chips. However, the main event of the outing was the gelato, and we were not disappointed. If you are not familiar with gelato, it is very similar to American soft-serve ice cream, but is much smoother and has a more intense flavor. There were so many flavors to choose from! Cheryl came to our rescue and let us know that we can have as many sample tastes as we want (customers average 5-10 samples before they make up their mind), and you can have as many flavors as can fit in the cup. Mandy chose the Leo Leon (a caramel base with caramel and chocolate drizzle); Christine went fruity with peach and blood orange; while I enjoyed every bit of my heaven-in-your-mouth chocolate coupled with toasted almond. Gelato da Cielo makes its gelato fresh daily. The restaurant also is proud to be the home of the Gelato Pizza – its own creation. It also carries a variety of crepes, smoothies, shakes and gelato cakes. Gelato da Cielo is available for fundraisers or catering, as well. Gelato da Cielo is located on the northeast corner of Lindsay and Warner in Gilbert at 860 E. Warner Road. See the menu at www.GelatoAz.com. It is open Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m.; and Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Questions? Give them a call at 480-635-8200. If you visit, tell them NearbyNews sent you!