Gluten Free And Glittery

I HAVE to tell you all about the magical gelato shop in Italy that is 100% gluten free. Yes, all flavors of gelato are gluten free & they ONLY carry gluten free cones that they make themslves. This is a dedicated gluten free gelato shop. This wonderful celiac paradise is GROM gelato. As usual, all photos in this post are mine (sorry, they aren’t Instagram perfect but I couldn’t help but dive right in!)….and are a very tiny tiny fraction of the photos I took of my gelato. I also missed a ton of photos because I quickly ate the gelato in the grueling summer heat in Rome. Yes, I ate at this place every single day. No, I was not paid in any way and yes, I am frankly surprised my credit card company didn’t call me for suspicious repeated purchases at GROM. I am seriously obsessed with this safe amazing gelato. Read on for more details…

GROM gelato is located all over Italy, but I visited them in Rome & Venice. The Italian Celiac Association (AIC) is involved with GROM—checking all materials, recipes, and production to ensure safety for those celiac. How cool is that? GROM works with a celiac organization because they care about celiac (or coeliac if you are from the UK!). They aren’t catering to some fad diet, but a very real and serious autoimmune disease. Kudos to you, GROM. Very happy that I spent so much money (read: ate here twice a day for 8 days straight) on such a celiac friendly and celiac safe gelato shop.

Not only are all of the flavors & cones celiac safe, but THEY ARE BEYOND DELICIOUS! We aren’t talking about boring, run of the mill gelato flavors either. In addition to classics (because who doesn’t love chocolate or vanilla??), GROM offers a wide selection of gelatos and sorbets.  Pink grapefruit, fig, hazelnut with chocolate from Ecuador, to name a few! They also offer dairy free options. My personal favorite was stracciatella and chocolate. DELICIOUS!!!

Now onto their cones…I always ordered a cone dipped in chocolate because the more chocolate the better. After a devasting incident involving an untimely loss of gelato onto the hot pavement, I ordered all of my gelato in a cup with a cone on top to prevent any further loss of gelato deliciousness. I also tried the cones dipped in chocolate with white chocolate shavings as well as one coated in nuts (by accident…I ordered the wrong one. My bad). For those with nut allergies, some of their cones are coated in nuts so assess for your own safety.

And there’s more than just frozen treats..GROM carries gluten free baked goods!! Personally, I never tried them because I was always so focused on my gluten free gelato but…..they did look great!

GROM is also 100% natural–no added flavors, colors, elmusifiers, or preservatives.

I will be honest..I did not try another gelato shop in Italy. I was blown away by the safety of GROM (thank you AIC!!) and the quality of gelato. I didn’t have to worry about cross contamination or any mixups or language barriers. EVERYTHING was safe. I could just walk right up and order whatever I wanted. And that was an incredible feeling. My mom, who is not gluten free, also loved GROM and joined in for my daily (or twice daily) gelato trips—best gelato buddy ever. GROM was a lifesaver in train stations too and when on walking tours. I knew whenever I passed one that it was SAFE. I could easily order a gelato to go to cool me down from the hot weather or give me a bit (or a lot) of sugar during an exhausting walking tour. Or when waiting for our train from Venice to Rome, I knew I could order it at the station and eat on the train without worrying about spending the train ride in a bathroom.

It may just be gelato, but to me it gave me the freedom to explore and enjoy Italy with my mom. It gave mea  worry free, easy dessert. With this being Celiac disease Awareness Month, I wanted to share with you all a company that cares about celiac and DOES GLUTEN FREE THE RIGHT WAY! If you are ever in Italy, you should check them out, because I definitely will be returning. Thank you, GROM.

PS. Having GROM gelato withdrawal but live in NYC or LA? Lucky for you, GROM has a storefront right in NYC and Los Angeles (YESSS FOR ME!!!) so you can continue to get your sweet fix. See a full list of locations here. As a side note, I have only eaten at GROM in Italy so I am unsure of difference in menu or gluten status in the United States or other countries. Be sure to check with the staff at every single location you visit to ensure that they are safe for you.

**Please note that this review solely reflects my own honest opinion. I was neither paid nor compensated for my visit here. Also, kitchen protocols and menus can change at any time and availability may vary based on location. Make sure to speak to the staff at any restaurant before eating to make sure that they can accommodate your dietary restriction.**