We tried the best gelato outside of Italy (it’s in Cary!). Here’s what we thought
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Gelato at Geluna is kept in closed tubs topped with silver domes to control temperature.
- Strawberries & Cream ranked first for its sharp, sweet strawberry and whipped topping.
- Sea Salt Caramel ranked last and tastes like a Werther’s candy with a note of salt.
Gelato is not ice cream. There are laws that say so, but Geluna Gelato owner Diana Diaz says that’s almost unnecessary — you can taste the difference.
Gelato is warmer, made from milk instead of cream and churned much slower so you don’t have as much air frozen in place. What that means is your tongue doesn’t go numb and your taste buds aren’t coated with as much fat as you’re eating gelato.
“You can really taste the flavors in gelato, they really pop and they’re really intense,” Diaz said. “And you don’t get brain freeze.”
This week, the downtown Cary scoop shop Geluna Gelato was named the best gelato outside of Italy by Southern food magazine The Local Palate.
That’s a big claim and quite a crown for the four year-old shop, owned by married couple Diana Diaz and Warwick Sheehan.
I ventured to Cary this week with service reporter Renee Umsted to sample the classic and seasonal flavors at Geluna right now. We tried the Stracciatella and Sea Salt Caramel, the two most popular flavors at Geluna, and two of the current specials, Strawberries & Cream and Sour Cherry Labne.
Here’s what we thought:
Drew’s Picks
- Strawberries & Cream
- Sour Cherry Labne
- Sea Salt Caramel
- Stracciatella
My gelato experience is limited. I haven’t been to Italy so the only gelaterias I’ve tried have the large open bins of ribbon-like gelato. Geluna was quite different in that you can’t actually see any of the gelato, it’s all carefully kept in closed tubs topped with silver domes. The owners said that even light can affect the taste and the domes help control the temperature.
While you can’t see the wonders on display, you can sample anything.
Now in the peak of strawberry season, the Strawberries & Cream was like tasting the field’s best berry topped with and overly generous dollop of whipped cream. The strawberry was sharp and sweet and intense.
Sour Cherry Labne stood out from all the other flavors as a bit more complex, playing the sweet and sour note of the cherry with the tang of Greek yogurt.
Sea Salt Caramel tastes so much like a Werther’s candy you might hear the crinkle of a wrapper in you ear. This flavor is familiar but heightened, set of with a note of salt and a creamy chill.
A classic in every way, Stracciatella is not in last place, it’s just the simplest of the four flavors we tried. The gelato is silky sweet and balanced by the bitter flakes of shaved dark chocolate. This is the chocolate chip of your dreams.
Renee’s picks
One thing about me: I haven’t met many gelatos I didn’t like. So pretty much every flavor is at an advantage from the outset, simply by nature of being gelato.
But if I must rank them, here’s how I’d do it:
- Strawberries & Cream
- Labne Sour Cherry
- Stracciatella
- Sea Salt Caramel
It’s hard to beat strawberries in season, especially on a sunny spring afternoon. Strawberries and cream is a tried-and-true flavor combination, and Geluna’s version really hits the spot.
Labne Sour Cherry would be my second choice. I don’t think I’ve ever come across labne in frozen dessert form, which is a shame. This gelato was tangy, fruity and a little unusual, in the best way.
The chocolate-studded Stracciatella was solid. I’m putting it in the bottom half of the ranking because it’s expected — an old faithful of the gelato world. But classics are classics for a reason, and if you ordered this flavor, I wouldn’t punch you in the face.
Sea Salt Caramel would be the last flavor I’d go for. It wasn’t bad; I’m just not a huge fan of caramel. And it did taste like caramel.
This story was originally published April 24, 2026 at 3:26 PM.
