State Street witnessed the opening of a rather unique ice cream parlor in early December. That's right: an ice cream parlor in December. But recall the "unique" bit. It's a cozy Italian-style gelateria, one of only a handful of its kind in Wisconsin.

Paciugo, located on the corner of State and Gorham streets, welcomes patrons with a comfortable ambiance. Dark wood tables and a rich mahogany corner sofa are accented by ocean-blue walls and a giant picture of the Rialto Bridge of Venice.

Co-owner Roberto Setiawijaya expresses that Paciugo strives to recreate the atmosphere one would encounter at a gelato cafe in Italy. For example, Setiawijaya says, "We use a spatula instead of a rounded scoop [for the gelato] because they don't use the rounded scoop in Italy. We try to give
the experience as best we can."

The franchise originates from a gelateria that has been in business for four generations in Turin, Italy (home of the 2006 Winter Olympics). In 2000, three members of that cafe relocated to Dallas, Texas, and opened the first American branch. The chain has since grown to encompass 14 national stores, with more set to open later this year.
Unlike its ice cream shop brothers along State Street, such as Cold Stone Creamery and The Chocolate Shoppe, Paciugo offers Italian gelato, which uses whole milk instead of cream or butter, creating a much smoother and more velvety dessert. Also, by using whole milk and all-natural ingredients, the fat
content of the product is significantly reduced. Depending on the type of gelato ordered, for example, milk-based, soy-based, water-based or no-sugar-added, the fat content is around 70 percent less than typical American ice cream.
Paciugo boasts more than 200 flavors of gelato with 32 of these selected to be featured every day. Setiawijaya explains that within these 32 varieties, 15 to 18 are staple flavors, and the rest are rotated. Some staple selections include tiramisu, black cherry swirl, pistachio and mint chocolate chip, which Setiawijaya says also happen to be some of the best-selling varieties.
Other gelato flavors range from the more standard, such as coconut, mocha and strawberry banana, to the more outlandish, such as lime cilantro, mamma mia apple pie and beer chill (which Setiawijaya says was last made with Miller, but that changes).
"We love giving samples," Setiawijaya says. "You can practically try as many as you like because we believe you will taste the difference from gelato and ice cream."

Setiawijaya says Paciugo keeps temperatures slightly warmer with the gelato, so that it won't be too cold on the palate, as ice cream can sometimes be.
Every flavor of gelato is distinctive. The black cherry swirl mixes vanilla gelato with candied black cherries imported from Italy for a sweetened flavor with added punch that can satisfy a sweet tooth without feeling heavy. Surprisingly, the beer chill was also tasty. It combines lime with premium beer and sorbet to create a light and refreshing combination — although customers won't likely want to order a full bowl of it. The water-based varieties are made with fresh fruit, water and sugar, and generally carry a tangier flavor.
In addition to the expansive collection of gelato, Paciugo also offers a full line of coffee and several traditional Italian desserts. The cioccolata con gelato introduces conventional Italian hot chocolate, which is very thick and rich, with a scoop of any flavor of gelato. Adding mint chocolate chip is a first-rate choice, because the mint adds a little kick to the otherwise heavy drink.

The affogato al caffe is even more rare to the Madison area. This treat submerges any three scoops of gelato in a shot of espresso, topped with biscotti and whipped cream. Early next week, Paciugo will begin offering tartufi truffle, a kind of softly frozen gelato cake, and this summer Paciugo plans on pushing their frappe (a type of milkshake) and the gelato frizzante, which blends gelato with San Pellegrino sparkling water or soda.
The advent of Paciugo to the State Street area gives Madisonians the opportunity to have a taste of traditional Italian desserts without having to actually travel trans-Atlantic. The gelato gives people a new spin on an old favorite of ice cream, and the flavors and character of the building, which is enhanced with free Wi-Fi, all work together to create an overall enjoyable experience — especially with those humid summer months lurking ahead.