One Woman Revival

A few evenings ago, I was strolling through the Mission with my partner. Nights have been warm recently and almost stuffy, at times making me wish for the chill of winter. But then I also feel uneasy, wondering if the California frost will arrive along with National Guard troops sent against our wills to occupy our city. It’s strange to realize that the only country that could invade America is America itself.

But I tried to push these thoughts out of my head as my partner and I wove through our fellow pedestrians on Valencia Ave. We were determined to make it to an ice cream shop before it closed. Our planned destination was Smitten Ice Cream, apparently renowned for its liquid nitrogen enabled production. I am sure the ice cream is an impressive creation. But the glare of the fluorescent light in the shop as soon as I entered put me on edge. I assure you I had not partaken in anything which might affect my perception. I just did not like the vibe.

So I nudged my partner towards the gelateria across the street from Smitten, an unassuming establishment called Hila Gelato. We had recently also listened to a podcast where the founder of the Talenti expounded on the differences between ice cream and gelato, implying the superiority of the latter. Half-jokingly using that as the basis of my decision, we traversed the street to Hila instead. I was relieved to be greeted inside by soft lighting above vats of churning gelato. But there were stern signs on the counter declaring that they did not offer samples which meant any choice we made was an inalterable one.

A cheerful woman behind the counter took our order and prepared our ice cream scoops. I went with malt chocolate as a safe bet but topped with corn flakes and fudge as an intriguing twist. We stepped back onto the street, dodging a couple in a passionate embrace near the doorway and walked a bit further while enjoying our gelato on this balmy evening.