Part two of my food adventure with Jordan! We hopped over to Chocolaterie Stam for dessert after brunch. Its never too early for gelato, right?
Chocolaterie Stam is a Dutch chocolate shop and bakery that has been in the Des Moines area for many years. They were originally founded in the Netherlands in 1913, and pride themselves on fine european chocolates and sweets.
The store itself was quite barren, but then again, it was 11:00 on a Friday morning. The gelato counter featured 10 flavors, I would have liked to see more variety. The prices are quite reasonable for a gelato shop, 3.95 for a small and 4.5 for a medium.
I got a half-and-half of Creme Brûlée and Key Lime Pie. The Creme Brûlée was too caramel-y and not enough cream for my tastes, but the Key Lime Pie was excellent. Jordan got Red Velvet and Creme Brûlée, which he enjoyed.
The fun part of this experience was this giveaway they were doing. You spin a giant wheel, and if you land on one of three spots, you win a new dessert they were testing: the “ijs Tosti,” or “Ice Toasty.”
The employee described it as a warm toasty bread with cool gelato in the middle, a mix of sensations that was supposed to be delicious. Instead, it ended up tasting like someone put a scoop of chocolate ice cream on a bland dinner roll. It was a terrible combination of textures, temperatures, and flavors. I’m glad this was a test dessert, Chocolaterie Stam should not be selling it. Stick to chocolates!
Overall, this was okay. The store atmosphere is very cute and historical looking, but the gelato itself is pretty average. The ice toasty was an innovation gone wrong, 0/10, would not recommend.
The Bottom Line
An average spot for gelato, but not impressive.
Cone Rating: 3 Cones 
Price: $
Location: Ingersoll Ave, Des Moines, IA (Many other locations)
Website: Chocolaterie Stam
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