LWF&D finally goes to Grom

When Grom first brought gen-u-ine upscale Italian gelato to NYC a few years ago, my ears perked up. Gelato? REAL gelato? I'm in. Except-- then I heard about the prices. And the long lines. And I stayed away.

Well, this past week, when I found myself on the UWS in search of dessert, I broke my proverbial Grom fast. There was no line; I just waltzed right in. I tried a taste of the tiramisu flavor; it tasted strongly of coffee. I tasted the hazelnut- yup. I asked if you could get two flavors in a small- yup. (In yo' face, Screme!). So two flavors I got.

The menu

I went with half hazelnut, half stracciatella (vanilla with chocolate bits). The hazelnut was strong and nutty, clearly made with fresh hazelnuts. But the stracciatella knocked me out. The vanilla gelato base was so strongly creamy-- it's one of the few times I've eaten ice cream that tasted simply like drinking cold, fresh cream. The bits of dark chocolate provided textural contrast. The whole thing was pretty darn delicious.

Already beginning to melt

Was it expensive? Yes it was, with a small cresting well over the $5 mark. Was it good? Yes, yes it was. Will I be back? If I'm in the neighborhood with a craving, I may not be able to stay away. But I'll think of it as a very occasional splurge, but for the wallet and the taste buds.

Grom
2165 Broadway, between 76th and 77th Streets
212-362-1837