Early August isn’t late summer. I am not a crank.
Yes, the big-box chains have stocked up on school supplies and dress code-compliant polo shirts. Yes, as I write this, I have received the “Welcome Back!†letter from one of my kids’ schools. Yes, of course, the Pumpkin Spice is nigh.
In this column, however, we respect the autumnal equinox. Warm temperatures will linger past the end of the Cardinals’ season, if not past the final game of World Series. Frankly, I can enjoy a frozen treat deep into winter.
Anyway, I’m already two years late to visit Tre Cuori Gelateria & AçaÃ, which opened in early 2022 by the intersection of Clarkson and Clayton roads in Ellisville. So while it may be too late in the season to declare this year’s Song of the Summer — “Espresso†if my kids are in the car with me, “They Not Like Us†if they aren’t, my status as Cringe Dad unimpeached either way — this week I’m bestowing Dessert of the Summer honors on Tre Cuori’s gelato.
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Which flavor of gelato, though? Tre Cuori has calibrated a delight for those who prefer the elegant simplicity of fresh, whole milk (Fior de Latte) and those who crave a kindergarten-level sugar buzz (the uncannily accurately named Birthday Cake). My personal favorite has fluctuated between the Mediterranean breeze of pistachio and Arachidi, a Bacchanalia of peanut butter gelato striped with both milk chocolate and dulce de leche.
Gelato enjoyed a moment in ºüÀêÊÓƵ several years ago, sometime after the cupcake craze of the Aughts and before last decade’s next-generation ice-cream parlors (Clementine’s Naughty & Nice Creamery, Ices Plain & Fancy). If that moment has passed, local gelato aficionados can still seek out the Gelateria in Tower Grove South, Gelato di Riso on the Hill and Pastaria in Clayton.
The name Tre Cuori is Italian, but owner Tássia Vicentin Rezende is a native of Brazil. She and her husband, Rafael, and their son lived in the countryside in São Paolo state before they came to the United States. (Tre Cuori, or three hearts, refers to the trio.) Rezende’s grandfather immigrated to Brazil from Italy, and she told me in a phone interview that gelato was her favorite dessert there, a year-round treat in the tropical country. She saw a need for gelato in her new home.
Tre Cuori hoists its independent flag in a storefront between a Dunkin’ and a Five Guys inside a shopping-plaza outbuilding. The interior is bright and attractive, designed for the Instagram and TikTok era with a pastel-green feature wall and, at the rear of the dining room, one swinging seat suspended from a chain in front of a neon sign.
(I suppose gelato and ice-cream parlors are child-friendly by definition, but Tre Cuori features a toddler-sized counter with seats, a few toys and a TV showing “Paw Patrol†or similar shows. My younger kid has mercifully aged out of his “Paw Patrol†phase, but as a parent, I appreciated the thoughtful touch.)
If Tre Cuori is your first experience with gelato, the wavy peaks on display in metal canisters at the parlor’s front counter suggest how it differs from ice cream. By tradition, gelato recipes favor milk over cream (to say nothing of eggs), and the finished product is denser than ice cream and kept at a higher temperature. Practically, gelato delivers an even richer texture than ice cream does, with a spoon-twirling smoothness that might remind you of soft-serve.
Rezende imported her gelato machine from Italy. It makes only enough at a time to fill two of those metal display canisters, so her gelato is small-batch by necessity. You will feel that freshness in the gelato’s texture and taste it in the quality of the ingredients, the pure flavors of pistachio or milk you can’t fake, the rich, creamy chocolate from Belgium in the appropriately named customer favorite Ciccolato Belga. (A vegan version of the Belgian chocolate is also available as are a few fruit vegan and gluten-free options.)
Tre Cuori’s açaà bowls are the obvious nod to Rezende’s Brazilian background, but you can also find it in the gelato case. Her personal favorite flavor is guava cheesecake, cream cheese gelato with guava paste. In Brazil, Rezende said, this “perfect†combination is called Romeo and Juliet. In the dessert, at least, the twist is a happy one: a graham-cracker crunch.