Cold Stone Creamery's vast and rapid invasion of suburbia will surely keep ice cream lovers skeptical of any dessert chain successful enough to franchise in more than two states. But Paciugo is different – a small but ever-growing chain that offers over 35 flavors of gelato daily, with no annoying sing-song employees, no bizarre "like it" or "love it" sizes, and only about 4 to 8 grams of fat per serving. Mercifully, this is not the Cold Stone of gelato.

Upon entering, the glorious, well-lit sight of several kinds of gelato gleam into your eyes; milk-based, soy-based, water-based – they all look colorful and appetizing, from the coffee and chocolate-based mainstays to the sour and tangy tropical flavors. Each size offers the opportunity to try multiple flavors (a clever business model that could hook the customer on multiple products), up to three choices for small ($3.49) and as many as five choices for large ($5.19). Don't be afraid to mix and match – tiramisu with Irish coffee and orange basil; rocky road with red apple and honey; cappuccino, pistachio, and black cherry swirl. The divisions of ice cream don't quickly melt into one another, so separate flavors can be enjoyed no matter how much they don't particularly complement each other. Careful though, gelato can still give you an ice cream headache, so don't eat too quickly.

Coffee helps to warm up your potentially frozen tongue, like an espresso, cappuccino, an affogato-style treat, or a sweet and silky cioccolata (hot chocolate). And the interior provides several leather seating areas to take in all this sugar and/or caffeine in style. You have to respect a company whose motto is "Ante Lucrum Nomen," or "Reputation before profit," and that won't sing to you when all you want to do is blow off a little steam.

Centerstage Reviewer: Andy Seifert