Eat This: Italy's Affogato Will Make You Feel La Dolce Vita

Gelato and espresso are two iconic symbols of Italy. And while asking an Italian to put espresso over ice will require you to locate the nearest emergency exit, ask one to put it over ice cream (or gelato, more specifically) and we have a different story.

According to Porte, the affogato may go back as far as the 17th century thanks to a Franciscan friar Angelico (the same guy who brought us the hazelnut-based Frangelico liqueur). More recently, however, according to Food & Wine "affogato" appeared in the Merriam-Webster dictionary in 1992, which may explain why the amazing treat is only starting to gain popularity locally, gradually appearing on more and more menus.

So, who's to thank here? A Franciscan friar or Merriam-Webster? We don't care whodunit, but whoever did deserves a nice firm handshake.
Traditionally, affogato is made with a scoop of gelato with an espresso shot poured over the top. There are also variations with amaretto, Bicerin, Kahlúa or other liqueurs.

If you're in Italy, ordering one could be a loophole to getting your iced coffee without disappointing some natives, but the espresso-drenched dessert is more than what it offers to curb cultural norms.

Lucky for all of us, we're in Texas, where you can have your espresso and eat it too.

With so many people moving to Texas, we were bound to end up with a couple of Italians who wanted to bring authentic gelato and affogato to Dallas.

But you can't just go anywhere, so go to one of the best gelato shops in Dallas to discover your newest addiction.

Botolino Gelato Artigianale

2116 Greenville Ave.

The affogato at Botolino Gelato comes with gelato drowned in espresso and coffee liqueur, topped with crunchy "burnt" chocolate. Even after 5 p.m., our white coffee gelato with an extra caffeine boost couldn't possibly have been a bad decision. This was actually so good that we had to shut our eyes for a few moments to come back down to earth.

Il Gelato (Eataly)

8687 N. Central Expressway (NorthPark Center)

The gelato bar at Eataly makes you feel like a kid at a candy store with the sheer amount of flavors and combinations you can create. It's made with Mill-King milk and ingredients imported from Italy. To shake things up, as Italians are wont to do, they also have an affogato al prosecco, which uses sorbetto and prosecco instead of gelato and espresso.

Palmieri Cafe

920 S. Harwood St. & 307 N. Bishop Ave.

Palmieri Cafe has locations at the Farmers Market and in the Bishop Arts District. There are many wonderful delicacies here, but the affogato is special. Palmieri sources and roasts all of its coffee beans, allowing them to control the entire process and ensure the quality of its espresso. They also make the gelato from scratch. You could double down and get their espresso coffee with an espresso shot — then maybe you'll hear color.

Zero Gradi

2000 Ross Ave.

If you can pass up on the pastries at Zero Gradi (Why do that? Buy four for later>), order a Lavazza espresso shot over your choice of gelato like caramel pecan, cookie butter and chocolate or Ferrero Rocher. Or just plain ol' 'nilla if that's your style. We respect purists. Park in the garage across the street and get that ticket validated in the store.

The Saint

2633 Gaston Ave.

We recently visited The Saint for its new Proper Jazz Brunch and spotted a St. Affogato on the menu. As with other affogatos on this list, the key here is that The Saint uses gelato for the base (not ice cream). Here it's served with a shot of fresh espresso and a choice of liquor ($16); we recommend Frangelico. It's the perfect end cap to a Sunday brunch.