Jessie Oloroso might have had a who's who of hip restaurant clients for her gelato, but she always wanted to have her own storefront. Now that she does, she's trying to push the limits of what you can expect from a place that only serves gelato-based treats. The hand-lettered windows and mirrors for menus are more whimsy than easily legible, and tastes of any and all flavors are encouraged even if the customer seems to have their mind made up – details like this show that Black Dog Gelato is definitely a labor of love.

The flavors vary and change with the season, but a cup of gelato is $3.35, and a large is $4.75. The contents of that cup could be something standard like the Mexican hot chocolate or the orange cream. Then again, you might go out on a limb and get the avocado cinnamon or the red plum moscato sorbet. Or maybe you want to go all out and get the goat cheese fig and caramel flavor half-and-half in a cup with whiskey gelato (which has just a little bit of actual whiskey in it).

Of course, that's just ordering plain gelato – how about putting it in a cookie sandwich, or a gelato float? Black Dog even makes gelato-filled cakes and pies. If you want, you can even order your own special-order half-gallon or gallon of gelato ($15 or $25) for your very own.

If you need something more than water to wash it all down, Black Dog offers Turkish iced coffee for $3.75, or house-crafted sodas for $2.50. Luckily for those with weak resistance to frozen temptation, you can only get as stuffed as your wallet – Black Dog is cash only.

Average cost: <$10

Centerstage Reviewer: Dan Morgridge