The staff at SweetCup makes its gelato in small batches, fresh every day. It's one of the ways they pay homage to the gelato pioneers of Italy. SweetCup's owner got to interact with them firsthand on her honeymoon, during which she fell in love with Italian cafes and their unique sweets. In fact, she couldn't get the gelato out of her mind once she came back home to Houston. That's why she launched SweetCup near 3800 Main in 2012.

The small batches of gelato come in flavors appropriate to the season, perhaps bourbon caramel or caramelized banana and peanut butter stracciatella (some of the past offerings). However, you'll always see a few tried-and-true flavors on the menu like zabaione and bacio. Sip a warm cup of espresso while you eat your gelato on a warm brioche bun, or have staff add two shots of espresso right to your gelato—a treat known as "affogato."

SweetCup
3939 Montrose Boulevard
Houston, TX 77006
(713) 942-2226
sweetcupgelato.com
www.yelp.com/biz/sweetcup-houston

CC-BY-2.0/Flickr/Whitney