Will You Pay $11 for an Iced Coffee? Zio Gelato Hopes So

Get ready for $11 iced coffees on the Strip. And a $14 waffle cone. "Artisanal" gelato will soon be served with your java at the Venetian. Zio Gelato, the 542-square-foot kiosk facing the equally pending Bouchon Bakery, is ready to open their doors. And their digital display menu reveals some serious sticker-shock prices for their twist on chilly treats.

The gelato joint breaks down their offerings into groupings. All feature "artisanal" gelato as the selling point. Iced coffees substitute cappuccino, chocolate or caramel gelato for ice and are mixed with Illy coffee to create the Chocolate Eruption or Caramel Sensation. Both retail for $11.

Smoothies include the gelato, plus fruit. The Pick Me Up features chocolate and cappuccino gelato with a double shot of espresso. The Nut Explosion is chocolate and hazelnut with a touch of Nutella. Smoothies sell for $12.

Cups, or Le Coppe as the menu fancily prefers, are waffle cups of gelato with your pick of sweet or fruit toppings. They start at $11. A tongue twisting choice for tourists, Coppa Fragole E Balsamico, features "vanilla and mixed berry gelato with aged balsamic marinated strawberries." That will run you $14 a cup.

Crepes, sweet and savory, range from $12 for a solo Nutella option, to a $13 artichokes and mushroom dish.

Customers will need to find their own spot within the resort to sit and savor. The tangerine tinged grab and go kiosk allocates no room for seating or loitering.

The promotional tag for the venture, "How do you say delicious in Italian? Delizioso," goes someway to explain the store's name. Inside, napkins and gelato cups are neatly stacked ready for use, despite Zio and the Venetian's complete silence on an imminent opening date.
· All Coverage of Zio Gelato [~ELV~]