Jaffe

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Living the dream

I love The Colbert Report. Last year, the host of the show, Stephen Colbert, tried to make a run for the 2008 Democratic Presidential nomination in his home state of South Carolina, but was denied a place on the ballot.

You can't keep a good man down. How many US Presidents have had their own flavor of ice cream?

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Wednesday, July 25, 2007

I scream, you scream

One of the things people remember after a visit to Italy is the gelato which, for one reason or another, the Italians seem to do better than anyone else. I mean, there's nothing wrong with going to Cold Stone Creamery and having one of their dishes, which starts with ice cream and can end up as a three-course meal, but there's something special about the simplicity and freshness of Italian gelato. Last night I overcame the east-west divide to try a new gelateria here in Manhattan:

GROM
2165 Broadway (at 76th St.)
New York, NY 10022
+1 646 290-7233

GROM is a small Italian chain, with 14 shops in the north of Italy. They recently opened their upper west side store, and it's been getting a lot of press. The GROM website describes how each of their flavors of gelato is made with fresh, seasonal ingredients, a lot of which are organic. I heard the line at the shop (which is takeout only) is often down the street, so I thought going on a Tuesday at about 7pm would spare me the long wait. My hunch was right, and after studying the menu (and getting a little insider advice from my ice cream-loving girlfriend) I settled on a small cup with two flavors: hazelnut and cappuccino. I also had a taste of the cinnamon, which was amazing (although too overpowering to have more than a taste). The gelato was amazing, and the only problem was that I had to eat it fast enough to finish before it all melted. What I really wanted was to enjoy the taste of each spoonful before moving on to the next!

The price wasn't cheap - $4.50 for a small cup - but it's not the kind of ice cream you stuff yourself with. If you're looking for a little taste of Italy, it's definitely worth a visit.

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