All great things in life come from Italy. Seriously, think about it: gorgeous people, the operas of Vivaldi, pasta, olive oil, amaretti cookies and all other Italian dolci, Renaissance and Baroque art, Dante, Galileo, cappuccinos, Cinecittà , film, and the finest football (this statement will likely result in back and forth screaming matches, but I take my chances).
I keed, I keed. Ok, so maybe not everything great in life comes from Italia, but sometimes it sure feels that way. Take, for example, gelato.
There's no better way to beat the heat of sweltering summer days than by warming up to your favorite fruits or sweet snacks in frozen form. This is the beauty of gelato. Because it is churned at slower speeds than ice cream, gelato allows less air inside (or to use the correct term, "overrun": how much air is whipped into the product. Sometimes gelato overrun can be as low as 15%, while ice cream overrun can run up to 50%.) This means that the taste is denser, and the flavors are richer and truer to form, giving gelato far more authenticity than ice cream.
One place that takes premium quality to a whole other level is L'Arte del Gelato (multiple locations, original: 75 Seventh Ave. South). While this would probably be considered standard fare in Italy because there are so many high quality gelaterias there (many of which I can attest to); L'Arte is a gem found this side of the Atlantic.
This is not the kind of place that has sprinkles, caramel, whipped cream and other such frivolities. No. These gelartisans take their gelato seriously. You come for gelato, you GET gelato; nothing else. The flavors pack the punch so well, I guarantee it'll give you chills.
On this specific occasion, I went to try their biscotti (cookie) and nocciola (hazelnut) flavors because they are some of my favorites (the nocciola is the cousin of noce-walnut-and the BEST one in the city is hands down found at Grom). Sadly, they didn't have either. Luckily, however, I talked to the gelato-tastic lady working there who gave me the scoop on how L'Arte does business: they have a twice daily rotation of flavors. Once they run out of the flavor, they don't replenish it that day; instead, they replace it with another flavor. So they often have the flavor that you want (they have dozens of options), but if you have a type A food personality like I do and you really want a specific flavor, it would behoove you to call right before you want to go to see if they have the flavor that makes you melt and go there right away.
So, I learned the hard way. But my punishment was by no means severe:
I ordered pera (pear) and cannella (cinnamon). This is an unlikely pairing, but I like the mix of spicy and fruity-sort of like mulled apple cider, but frozen and with pears! They were both just as rich, refreshing, and authentic as always. The pear gelato has little pieces of pear in it, which texturizes the gelato, giving it a bite. It's sweet and just a little tart. There is lower fat content in gelato than ice cream, so you know that the richness in flavor comes from the quality and freshness of the ingredients. Same goes for the cinnamon: One of my favorites, it was quite sweet as always, but the spiciness ensured it wasn't overpowering. Because the pear is a sorbet (aka nondairy), the combination of the cinnamon achieves a wonderful balance between the two. For a little under $6, it better be sublime: and believe me, it is.
As yet another testament to their dedication to authenticity and freshness, they make their waffle cones right behind the counter! You can see the two waffle presses and the cone shaper contraption (not sure of its proper name!) beside it. So now you know, when you go to L'Arte, they'll sprinkle you with love, quality, and the real gelato deal!
With tastes so true to the original product, the magic of gelato will scoop you up and take you on a pleasure ride long after the spoon hits the bottom of the cup (or you eat the last of your cone)!
Be happy and Carpe Diem!
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