Talk about a heat wave! This week has been brutally hot in NYC which of course makes me drool as my mind wanders into the magical fantasyland of Ice Cream Heaven. When the thermometer starts rising so high that you think it might burst like something out of a bugs bunny cartoon, the only thing to do is retreat to your freezer for some frozen delights…or take a jaunt to one of my fave gelato places in the city.
Now, when it comes to the merits of gelato vs. ice cream, here are my thoughts: for the brutally hot days, gelato is perfect – it’s cool and refreshing, but light enough not to weigh you down. Great ice cream is THICK and almost chewy in its heaviness, which is delicious … but not ideal for 100+ degree heat. You don’t want your indulgence to weigh down in the pit of your stomach while you’re sweating bullets. So without further ado, my review of three of the three best gelaterias in NYC.
This is my number one favorite gelateria in the city. The gelato is creamy and luxurious, like liquid silk wrapped fruit, frozen in time. I am a fruity girl when it comes
to my flavors of choice, and L’Arte makes a grapefruit gelato that is amazing. They use all fresh ingredients (fresh squeezed grapefruit juice in this case) and an authentic Italian process for the best gelato this side of Italy. With gelato, it’s all about consistency, and the nice old Italian guy at L’Arte in the west village gets it juuuust right. Also try their spicy chocolate gelato. It has jalapeño in it just like Jacques Torres’ wicked hot chocolate (does Jacques make ice cream in the summer? Hmmm, I wonder…). The flavors change daily, so make sure to take advantage of your two free tastes per visit to try out different flavors in case they don’t have your favorite next time around.
Il Laboratorio is famous on the lower east side, and rightfully so. This tiny little storefront is on the cutting edge of gelato. Does that sound strange? Think classic Italian style with decidedly unclassic flavor options (as well as your usual suspects) like lemon rosemary, wasabi, honey lavender and apple calvados. I am a flavor adventurer, so I always love going to Il Laboratorio and trying something new and unusual. Beware, like L’Arte there is no telling which flavors they’ll have on any given day. I suggest trying one of the flavors with herbs on a hot day – generally subtle and easy on the palate, not too sugary or too intense. The lime mint I had once was perfect. If you didn’t notice, I’m a citrus fan. The downfall of Il Laboratorio is that it’s tiny. There is always a line. And if you are really a vanilla/chocolate kind of person, the best part of Il Lab – its innovative flavors – will be lost on you.
Now I would be remiss in my reviewing if I did not include SoHo’s classic NYC success story, Ciao Bella. CB is now available at your local grocery and specialty store, Fresh Direct, and even on Amazon.com apparently! For someone that generally roots for the underdog and the mom and pop shop, this does not generally inspire confidence for me. But I have to admit: it’s good gelato! Before it was a commercial success, CB started as a tiny shop in Little Italy/SoHo area, and it earned its stripes the old fashioned way… with a quality product. Besides, sometimes it’s nice to be able to take the frozen goodness home with you, stick it in the freezer and not have to schlep to the LES or West Village for your frozen treat. This is especially true when your favorite trashy summer TV show is on. I recently go the seasonal summer flavor “key lime with graham cracker swirl” and while it might not be my favorite, it’s pretty good. I adore their green tea gelato with white chocolate chunks. It is creamy and light, but not too sweet, and the chocolate chunks add some texture.
So stay cool New York!
Gelato
L’Arte Del Gelato
75 Seventh Ave, btwn Bleecker & W 4th
West Village
Il Laboratorio Del Gelato
95 Orchard St
Lower East Side
Ciao Bella
285 Mott St
SoHo
