GELATO DOLCE VITA & ITALIAN GROCER – Mesa, Arizona
“La Grassa” (The Fat One) is the nickname of Bologna, Italy. While that sobriquet may seem unflattering, Bologna bears it with honor. This city in the north-central region of the country is considered the “gastronomic heart of Italy,” a place where food is an art form and a passion. This may be best exemplified by one of the foods born in Bologna. I’m talking, of course, about gelato. Throughout “Lo Stivale” (the boot, a nickname bestowed upon Italy because the shape of the peninsula resembles a high-heeled boot) gelato is revered. Not surprisingly, Bologna is not only the home of Italy’s oldest university (and the oldest in the western world), but home to Carpigiani, “Gelato University.” Mesa, Arizona is the…