Strawberry Fields – Norfolk, VA

This week we stepped into a new realm: homemade gelato. It was a first for us on the blog, but it definitely won’t be the last! This gelato was everything you want gelato to be: light, creamy, and flavorful. It was the kind of gelato you might stumble upon in a European country and eat in a plaza while people watching. We also want to note, we are not cheating on ice cream but when you find homemade gelato you eat the gelato!

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Instead, we settled for enjoying our gelato and people watching from our vantage point on the U-shaped bench next to the shop. There is a good amount of outdoor seating (including the bench and other tables with umbrellas), which is absolutely perfect for those who want to enjoy their frozen dessert right away.

As we were documenting this delicious experience with plenty of photos, a fellow gelato-patron called over to us and stated “do it for the Instagram!” Little did he know, that is exactly what we were doing it for: the Instagram, blog post, and to share the ~inside scoop~ on Strawberry Fields…

We were very impressed by the creative nature of the flavors and their vast range. With classic chocolate and vanilla, two vegan options, and other delectable creations ranging from berry citrus to blueberry amaretti cookie and golden Oreo to pecan caramel swirl, there were more flavors than we had stomach room to try.

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Strawberry Fields seems to pride itself on using fresh, homemade, and in-season ingredients, and they did not disappoint! The mix-ins were definitely homemade (their Pineapple Upside Down cake was to die for) and the menu reflected the many fruits of spring. And, they change flavors daily, so while you might have to roll up blind as to what the flavors of the day are (the flavors do get posted on social media), there’s no doubt you’ll find one to suit your fancy.

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The Flavor Review:

Caramel Chocolate Chip (Natalie): This flavor reminded me more of vanilla chocolate chip than caramel, but I still enjoyed it and thought it paired well with the other flavor in my cup (see below). There is just something that I love about chocolate chips in ice cream so that probably helped it gain some more points for me.

Caramel Chocolate Chip (Rebecca): This flavor was good, but not great. The caramel flavor was very mild and I only got hints of it every few bites. Besides for the occasional notes of caramel, it was honestly hard to distinguish this flavor from the other one in my bowl (stracciatella). Overall, it was light and creamy, but I wish the gelato base had more of a caramel flavor.

Berry Citrus (Natalie): I had no idea what to expect with this flavor because in my head berries and citrus are completely different and I was not sure how they would pair. Despite my doubt, this flavor blew it out of the park for me. It was creamy liked I wanted (obviously) but it had the refreshing vibes you may experience with water ice (I promise it was not icy). Berry Citrus is what I would consider a fancy flavor and something perfect to enjoy outside on a warm day, but I don’t think I would call it comfort flavor that I’m eating out of the container on my couch.  

Stracciatella (Rebecca): I went for this flavor because it is a gelato classic, and it did not disappoint. The vanilla flavor of the gelato was on point and the chocolate shavings added just the right touch of bitterness and crunch. It was delicious and absolutely met my expectations for what this flavor should taste like.

Pineapple Upside Down Cake (Rebecca): I was too scared to order this for myself, but wow, it blew me out of the water. We ended up with an extra portion of this flavor, and thank goodness because I could have eaten it all day long. The base was a light, creamy vanilla, swirled with chunks of pineapple upside down cake. Mmm. The cake pieces were soft, pineapple-y without being overpowering, and had the perfect amount of chew. It was my ~favorite~ flavor of the day.

Overall Scoops (out of 5):

Natalie: 4 Scoops. I was skeptical of eating gelato instead of ice cream, but ultimately I was very impressed with Strawberry Fields and their homemade gelato. Their gelato making passion was evident and the constant line at the door made guarantees its legitimately tasty! I loved all the flavor options and honestly can’t wait to go back to try more flavors.  

Rebecca: 4 Scoops. I enjoyed the lightness and freshness of the gelato, and how it tasted homemade. I was also impressed by the creativity and the uniqueness of the flavors. I do wish there were more flavors centered in chocolate, coffee, or peanut butter, as those are my favorites and I would’ve loved to try them here. Overall, a delicious experience (but I am partial to ice cream over gelato, so I couldn’t give it the full 5 scoops).

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