07/10/2025: EXCUSE A GOOD GELATO AROUND THESE PARKS
Thus begins my adventure in the heart of Piazza Vittoria, in Brescia.
Not with an algorithm, but with something much older and more reliable: word of mouth.
A passerby, without hesitation, points me in the direction:
"Go to Pecora Nera. That's where the good gelato is hidden."
And indeed, from the outside, the place seems like the kind of place that doesn't shout, but whispers: if you know, you know.
A PLACE THAT WILL MAKE YOU REMEMBER
Don't expect a grand hall or an Instagram-worthy gelato shop.
Pecora Nera isn't big.
At the entrance, a minimalist, light-colored counter, where the real show is inside the tubs, not the decorations.
Further along, a small room with a few seats for those who want to take it easy, although most prefer to enjoy their cone while walking.
The lights? A bit like a futuristic post office, but forgivable: the moment you choose a flavor, you're already somewhere else, with your own little frozen paradise.
FLAVORS, NOT TOO MANY
Here you won't find fifty shades of pistachio, nor ice creams with names straight out of fantasy novels.
The philosophy is clear: fewer flavors, higher quality.
The ingredients are seasonal, and if a flavor isn't there... it's because it's not in season.
There's an almost ethical sense of respect for the ingredients, as if each tub tells a brief biography of the fruit or cocoa that inhabits it.
The labels are legible, sincere.
And even the prices don't make you regret not choosing a fixed-rate mortgage.
COLD STAFF? YES, BUT ONLY AT THE START
The first impression is a bit like the first spoonful of ice cream:
a bit cold.
But a joke, or perhaps a compliment on the flavor of the month, and your defenses melt away like cream in the sun.
A girl with the shyest smile in the world recommended a particular variety of chocolate, with figs and almonds.
She hit the nail on the head.
And in the meantime, she taught me that even a welcome, sometimes, needs to be warmed with patience.
ZABAIONE AND CHOCOLATE: THE COUP DE GRACE ON THE PALATE
And then it arrives: the moment of truth.
The spoon sinks into the chocolate, dense, elegant, serious like a tuxedo, and into the zabaglione, which instead has the sparkling character of a lively old friend.
Together? A perfect pair, worthy of a standing ovation.
And the cone... ah, the cone!
Elsewhere it's an accessory, here it's a crunchy delight, a travel companion that doesn't give in even under the afternoon heat.
THE VERDICT
Four full stars.
The fifth will come when the smile is served with the same ease with which ice cream is served.
But even so, La Pecora Nera is a little rebel in the sugary world of identical ice cream parlors: authentic, consistent, and with that touch of irony that makes it… unforgettable.
IN SUMMARY
If you happen to pass by Piazza Vittoria and hear the call of real gelato, follow the herd, but choose La Pecora Nera.
Because in life, and in the cone, courageous choices always mean more.
05/10/2025: Nice spot, great workers, great gelato! The gelato "Pane di morti" wow!