A warm welcome to Zia's. A taste of Italy in El Dorado Hills:
Zia is Italian for 'Aunt'. The recreation of the unique feeling of warmth and contentedness enjoyed whilst visiting your favorite Italian aunt, is the cornerstone of Shari Coia Fulton's philosophy, founder and owner of Zia's. With hand crafted Gelato, on site house-made waffle cones and the use of Berkeley TCHO Chocolate, the taste of Italy is immediately evident. By carefully selecting only the very best ingredients, Zia's is a proud advocate of the 'slow cooking' movement. Everything is lovingly prepared by Cordon Bleau Chef Robert Cannon and sous Chef Sergio Mendoza-Orta, in that great Italian tradition of utilizing fresh, local produce wherever possible. The essence of Zia's; made to order, finely ground fresh coffee prepared by trained baristas in the Italian way, served in authentic Italian glassware, by friendly, attentive staff in comfortable, inviting surroundings. Zia enables you to experience a taste of Italy, from Italian espresso, gelato, and desserts through to delicious snacks, panini and salads, all in our very own El Dorado Hills Town Center.
Gelateria artigianale, caffè tradizionale, pasticceria Italiana e spuntini. Artizanal gelato, traditional coffee, Italian pasteries and snacks
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OUTSIDE SEATING
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DOLCI
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COFFEE
Spuntini
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Gelato
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Gelato the way it's meant to be:
Freshly made with a huge variety of ever changing flavors. If you like ice cream, you will love our Gelato. Straciatella (chocolate chip), hazelnut, coffee, coconut, chocolate, blackberry, yoghurt.........mmmm the list is long and rest assured, we make our gelato the Italian way, from authentic recipes, using time-honored, artisanal techniques.
Try our Sorbetto:
Sorbetto is a type of gelato that does not contain any dairy or milk. Typically, almost always fruit flavors, sorbettos are made from water, sugar and fruit, with no added milk. We use local seasonal fruits to make our sorbettos, just like in Italy.
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Gelato and why it's different from ice cream:
- Gelato has a lower fat content. On average, the fat content in gelato varies from 6%-10%. The fat content in American Ice Cream varies from 18%-24%, sometimes even reaching up to 38% in the super premium flavors.
- Gelato has less air incorporated into it during the freezing process. A total of 25% air is introduced during churning rather than 100% in American Ice Cream. The result is a richer, denser, silkier product with less air!
- Gelato is displayed at a warmer temperature, served at 5 degrees F versus -10 degrees F for ice cream. This results in a smoother texture with your taste buds able to enjoy the fullness of flavors without becoming numb due to the cold temperature.
- Gelato is always made in small batches throughout the day for immediate consumption, resulting in ultimate freshness.
- Gelato is beautifully displayed in stainless steel containers to facilitate the viewing of all the amazing flavors.
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Desserts and Dolci
We specialize in Italian and European pastries such as brioche, pastine da te, cannoli, biscotti, torte and ice cream cakes. Our desserts are made daily, with a mouth watering selection available. Few things are more enjoyable with your morning caffè! We also make delicious cakes to order, call or stop in for information.
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Caffé is our passion:
We Italiani love our espresso, and here at Zia's we are particularly proud of our caffé selection. We use only the finest fresh roasted beans from award winning, Mauro Cipolla's Caffe` D'Arte in Seattle. Our beans are shipped to us every week, just after roasting. We have the freshest, highest quality beans available! All are ground to order, hand tamped and extracted. We also give you a selection of fresh milk, including Sonoma grass fed, Jersey cow organic milk. It takes a little longer, but it is well worth it and exactly how it's done in Italy! Come taste the difference!
Our Blends:
Two traditional Italian espresso blends are available:
FIRENZE® Northern Italian espresso suggests the region of Toscana. Mild, great aroma, sweet and smooth.
CAPRI™ Southern Italian espresso suggests the region of Campania. Medium, dark, hearty, rich and velvety.
In true Italian fashion our espresso and cappuccino drinks are served in house only in their traditional sizes, one ounce for an espresso, and 5 ounces for a cappuccino. Our lattes and mochas are amazing and hit the spot on a cool autumn day, available in 8, 12 and 16 oz sizes. Our hot chocolates are made from rich, dark chocolate and frothy cream, add extra whipped cream for that touch of decadence. We brew our own Chai from a spice recipe developed just for Zia's. Our baristas are experts in traditional manual extraction techniques.
FIRENZE® Northern Italian espresso suggests the region of Toscana. Mild, great aroma, sweet and smooth.
CAPRI™ Southern Italian espresso suggests the region of Campania. Medium, dark, hearty, rich and velvety.
In true Italian fashion our espresso and cappuccino drinks are served in house only in their traditional sizes, one ounce for an espresso, and 5 ounces for a cappuccino. Our lattes and mochas are amazing and hit the spot on a cool autumn day, available in 8, 12 and 16 oz sizes. Our hot chocolates are made from rich, dark chocolate and frothy cream, add extra whipped cream for that touch of decadence. We brew our own Chai from a spice recipe developed just for Zia's. Our baristas are experts in traditional manual extraction techniques.
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Panini, Spuntini and Salads:
If you are feeling peckish, we have the perfect solution; a variety of spuntini, snack size food offerings as well as panini and salads. All prepared lovingly on site, with fresh produce. Our selection is always changing, so be sure to visit often.
