It was a hot, 90° day in May. I was in Alexandria, Virginia and decided I could use some ice cream. There are lots of options in Alexandria, but Casa Rosada – Artisan Gelato caught my eye. I went there and was not disappointed.

Casa Rosada is located in downtown Alexandria, on South Payne Street near its intersection with King Street (the main restaurant street in Alexandria). Casa Rosada is the creation of Benjamin Umansky and his wife Raquel; the pair began developing gelato recipes in 2004. After retiring from chemical engineering in 2014, Benjamin, along with his wife and two sons David and Mark, opened Casa Rosada. The name, Spanish for “pink house”, has a double meaning. First, it is a reference to the Argentinian presidential palace, which shared the name. Second, it refers to the building itself. It is the only house on the block that is colored pink.

The Menu

Casa Rosada has 23 flavors of ice cream gelato (gelato is not ice cream), plus 3 sorbets and 4 vegan flavors. They have the standard flavors: Vanilla, Chocolate, and Strawberry. But the rest are quite unique. Some notable flavors are: Banana with PB & J, MOM ( Mango, Orange, and Maracuya), Melon, Dulce de Leche, Tiramisu, Korean Pears, and ChocoTorta (Dulce de Leche, cheese, coffee, Oreos).

One flavor that peaked my interest was Walnut Port Wine. I was expecting it to be a sorbet, but it was gelato. I had a taste; it has a mild port flavor. I liked it, but ended up not getting it because it would not have paired well with the other flavors I was interested in.

In additon to Gelato, Cafe Rosada has a small number of coffee drinks. These include Espresso, Cortado, and Cafe Con Leche.

My Choice

I ordered a medium size, which allowed for 3 flavors. I chose: Hazelnut, Pistachio, and Peanut Butter Chocolate. The gelato is rich and creamy, and all three have the distinct flavor advertised. The Hazelnut and the Peanut Butter Chocolate were strong, which overpowered the more delicate Pistachio. I would get all three again, but I would choose a different pairing for the Pistachio. Maybe the port?

Ambience

Located in a house built in the 1870s, Casa Rosada exudes ambience. The servers at the counter were prompt and helpful. Seating space is at a premium. There is a couple of tables inside, but not many. The bulk of the seating is outside. But even outside patio, there are only a half dozen tables. I suspect most people order gelato to go. It was not too crowded the day I was there, so I did manage to get a seat. I was with other people at the table; other tables were available, but I wanted to stay out of the sun. Thankfully, they did not mind me sitting with them.

With incredible gelato and fantastic ambience, Casa Rosada is a great place for a summer treat.