Toto’s Gelateria And Caffé – The Taste Of Italy In Our Very Own Backyard

“Ah, Italia!” To visit Italy and explore its rustic towns, scenic landscapes and legendary cuisine would be any traveler’s dream vacation. It would also probably cost an arm and a leg. But as luck would have it, for just a few bucks, you can keep all your limbs and enjoy the ambiance of the Beautiful Country while eating handmade gelato right in your own backyard.

At Toto’s Gelateria & Caffé in Ambler, PA, the authenticity of Italy is everywhere; from the food to the decor, which features a large painting of Maida Calabria — Ambler’s sister city.

The inspiration for the North Main Street mainstay came from a family trip to Italy where owner Maria Palagruto rediscovered her roots and felt compelled, along with husband Ralph, to bring a touch of that beauty back home in the concept and design of Toto’s Gelateria and Caffé.

“We’ve stayed to our roots and provided a very homey feel” said Ralph and Maria’s son Antonio who managers the caffé.

“We always have traditional italian flavors; customers love our Stracciatella,” — which we decided to google shortly after our interview. Think vanilla ice cream with chocolate chips, but WAY better.

“It’s great to see people come in and they hesitate to ask about a flavor…you know it’s the Stracciatella. I’m proud that traditional flavors hold their own, but we keep it interesting. I’ve made Avocado Gelato, Blueberry Mascarpone…I have an apple Jacks in there right now.”

Needless to say, we had to get a taste of every flavor Antonio mentioned, but we were curious: What’s the best seller at Toto’s?

“I’d say it’s a tie between pistachio and hazelnut.” Antonio mused. “Whenever we make them, they sell out quick. They are popular but very tedious to make, especially the pistachio. When we make it, we put out posts on social media to let folks know its back.”

Since Antonio has taken over the day-to-day responsibilities of running the store, Toto’s has become more tech savvy, especially when it comes to social media. Behind the scenes looks at how the gelato is made and requests for new flavor ideas can be found all along their timeline. They recently won “Best Of The Main Line” Top Gelato for 2017 and have been actively involved with special community events.

They’re also becoming a local favorite for espresso and other beverage delights. “We import espresso beans direct from Italy so the taste we can reach is really authentic,” says Antonio. “I’ve had some unique orders on the beverage side too. I come across folks ordering red eyes often, but I recently had a customer order a custom black eye, which ended up being a coffee with not two, but five shots of espresso!”

It takes passion to craft the perfect gelato. The magic behind this decadent treat — made with no eggs or heavy cream — goes far beyond the recipe. And the Palagruto family’s passion is evident the moment you walk through the door.

To see (and taste) first hand, visit Toto’s Gelateria & Caffé located at 35 N. Main St in Ambler PA and tell them Get To Know Montco sent ya! If you can’t make it by, give them a follow on facebook or instagram.