Comestiblog

popbar: Pop Goes Gelato!

Pop quiz:  Where can one find America's only gelato-on-a-stick?  Pop answer:  popbar in Manhattan's West Village.  Combining innovation with the tradition of his native Italy, Reuben BenJehuda introduced the popular Florentine-inspired gelato concept to New York when he and Daniel Yaghoubi opened popbar in May, 2010.  Their handcrafted frozen treats make a great summer refresher or a delicious dessert.  I was invited to sample some recently.

The display case affords a large, colorful selection of popbar's 26 rotating flavors.  Not only are the pops attractive, fresh, and delicious, they're also kosher certified and made from natural ingredients only—no preservatives, gluten, artificial coloring, or artificial sweeteners are used.  PopGelato and yogurtPop bars ($4.50) contain hormone-free milk; popSorbetti ($3.75) contain over 70 percent real fruit and no added sugar.  Everything is made daily on the premises.

With the assistance of a "Popologist" at the custom bar, one can choose "poppings" and "dippings" to design a personal "myPop."  Poppings include chopped hazelnuts, almonds, and pistachios, as well as coconut shreds and chocolate sprinkles.  Dippings comprise melted Belgian chocolate—dark, milk, and white—into which a pop may be immersed, half-dipped, drizzled, or double-dipped.

For my tasting, I chose two popSorbetti and one popGelato.  My first selection was lemon, the flavor by which I gauge all sorbetti and ices.  Its frosty burst of citrus tang refreshed my palate without overwhelming it with unwelcome sweetness.  This icy lemon pop was a bracing antidote to a hot summer's day.

popSorbetti: Lemon (left) and Mango (right)

My second taste was of another fruit.  Much denser than the lemon, the mango popSorbetto had a mouthfeel similar to that of a frozen mango.  Every bite seemed to be filled with pulp.  Though its flavor and texture were true to the fruit, it was a bit sweeter than I'd normally like.

Pistachio popGelato popped with pistachios, half-dipped with dark chocolate

I hadn't any idea I'd saved the best for last.  My final sample was an exquisite pistachio popGelato, popped with chopped pistachios, and half-dipped with dark chocolate.  Wow!  The crunchiness of the nuts and chocolate combined harmoniously with the silkiness of the nutty gelato it enveloped.  Best of all, it wasn't too sweet.  It's hard to imagine a better frozen treat on a stick.

popbar

5 Carmine Street (SW corner Sixth Av),
West Village, Manhattan   (map)

(212) 255-4874

http://pop-bar.com/
http://www.facebook.com/pages/popbar/
http://twitter.com/popbar
https://foursquare.com/venue/2031577

By train:  to W 4 St (exit W 3 St)

By bus:  M5 (uptown), M20 (downtown), M8 (crosstown)

Video from Cooking Channel's Unique Sweets show

Orange You Gonna Miss This?

The end has arrived for a Florida citrus institution in the Tampa Bay area.  Citrus Country Groves served its last orange ice cream yesterday, before shutting its doors forever.  I visited the Clearwater store during its final hours.

Citrus Country's orange is the best soft-serve ice cream I've ever had the pleasure to consume.  Made with real orange juice, replete with bits of pulp, this frozen citrus swirl is a most refreshing antidote to the Florida heat.  And it actually tastes of orange—what a concept!

For more than 60 years, citrus cognoscenti have flocked to the two stores for their prized Indian River fruit and fruit products.  The original opened in 1946 as Orange Blossom Groves in Seminole; the second opened three years later on U.S. Route 19 in Clearwater.  When founder Al Repetto sold the business to Jim Guedry in 2005, the groves were rechristened.  But all that is juice under the spigot now.  At the Clearwater site, the citrus store will soon bear new fruit—as an automotive dealership.

Citrus Country Groves (closed)

18200 US 19 N (SW corner Belleair Rd)
Clearwater, FL   33764-6513  (map)

(800) 940-2601

https://www.holidaycitrus.com/

The Scoop on Jacques Torres' Ice Cream

Although I had just finished a very satisfying dinner, replete with dessert, the sign outside Jacques Torres' latest venture was too inviting to ignore:  "Come In! Try Our Ice Cream," it beckoned.  Inspired by the success of their ice cream sandwiches over the past four years, Jacques Torres and his partner Ken Goto opened an ice cream parlor adjacent to their chocolate factory on Water Street in D.U.M.B.O.  The new shop began dishing up its frozen wares two Saturdays ago, on 30 May.  Could the renowned chocolatiers also churn out superior ice cream and sorbet?  In spite of my satiety, I was determined to investigate.

Co-owner Ken Goto

An initial taste of the mango sorbet failed to portend a second dessert that evening.  Its formidable fruit flavor was, alas, unable to subjugate the surge of insuperable sweetness.  A second sample altered my supplemental dessert plans instantly, however.  A diminutive spoonful of the exquisite raspberry sorbet virtually exploded in my mouth, leaving behind its fruit-laden shrapnel for my taste buds to savor and exhort for more.  A small cup of this tasty treat revealed its silky-smooth texture that could best be described as mousse-like.  Its flavor and consistency make this possibly the best raspberry sorbet I've tasted.

Though I limited my trials to sorbet this time, a couple of ice cream flavors aroused my curiosity:  namely, the Wicked (spiced with ancho and chipotle chilies) and the Vanilla Caramel Popcorn Crunch.  In all, Mr. Chocolate offers more than a dozen flavors of ice cream and sorbet at very reasonable prices.  Cones and cups: one scoop ($3); two scoops ($4.75); three scoops ($6).  Having mastered chocolates, truffles, bonbons, and now ice cream, Mr. Torres is becoming the Jacques of all treats.  What sweets will he conquer next?

Jacques Torres Ice Cream

62 Water Street (near Main St), D.U.M.B.O., Brooklyn

(718) 875-9772

http://www.mrchocolate.com/

By train: A,C to High Street; F to York Street
By bus: B25 to Main Street

Please click on the image above for a larger view of the menu.

De-Lia-cious Ices

What a pleasure to have such a good gelateria within walking distance of Comestiblog's world headquarters.  This Windsor Terrace storefront dishes up tempting gelati, sorbetti, ices, ice creams, and shakes.  Eight of their nearly two-dozen tantalizing gelati are homemade (please see the menu below).  I'm eager to try the Amarena and the Cremolata.

The consistency of the Ciao Bella sorbetti varies from smooth to grainy.  Flavors such as passion fruit, blueberry, and mango are typically sweeter than I'd like.  The blood orange and pomegranate (a small cup of which is pictured below), on the other hand, are standouts—especially when combined.

With cold weather approaching, Lia's will begin serving hot soups October 1^st.  They're soliciting suggestions.  Any ideas?

Lia's Ices

471 16^th Street (near Prospect Park West),
Windsor Terrace, Brooklyn  (map)

By train:  to 15^th St-Prospect Park (exit at 16^th St)
By bus:  B68, B69, B75

 

Lab Report del Gelato

Back in the late 1980s, before the arrival of its boutique hotels and other conspicuous excesses, I worked in Manhattan's SoHo district.  On hot afternoons, I'd often stroll to a tiny place on Broome Street for a gelato or sorbet.  The flavors were hit-and-miss, but when there was a hit, what a hit it was!  The little shop was called Ciao Bella.  Jon Snyder founded his ice cream business in 1984 and sold it roughly five years later.  In August, 2002, after furthering his education and changing careers, Mr. Snyder returned to making gelato and sorbet at his new venture, il Laboratorio del Gelato, on the Lower East Side.  Not surprisingly, this iteration shares many similarities with his previous one.

At the time of Ciao Bella's inception, SoHo was evolving into a chic, trendy neighborhood.  The opening of the gelateria on Orchard Street came amid the Lower East Side's emergence as a fashionable part of town.  (The new boutique Blue Moon Hotel across the street affords a glimpse into the area's recent transformation.)  Nevertheless, il Laboratorio's laboratory-like setting is reminiscent of the spare surroundings of the early Ciao Bella.  As with its SoHo predecessor, one is left with the unmistakable impression that retail sales are incidental to the business.  Indeed, Mr. Snyder develops his frozen wares primarily for restaurants and caterers.

 

Another similarity between the two generations of Mr. Snyder's shops has to do with flavors.  Of il Laboratorio's 20 daily offerings, some succeed, some don't.  But again, when there's a success, what a success it is!  It's hard to imagine a tastier sorbet than the Black Plum I tried recently.  The essence of the fruit seemed to burst as it reached my tongue.  Delicious!

The prices are a relative bargain when compared with those found in the West Village.  Cones and cups: small ($3.25); medium ($4.50); large ($5.75); 18-ounce container ($8.25).

il Laboratorio del Gelato

95 Orchard Street (bet. Broome & Delancey Sts), Lower East Side, Manhattan

(212) 343-9922

http://www.laboratoriodelgelato.com/

By train: F (IND) to Delancey St; J,M,Z (BMT) to Essex St
By bus: M15

L'Arte del Gelato Looks Better Than It Tastes

I usually pass L'Arte del Gelato en route to Cones, which is just around the corner.  Don't tell Raul D'Aloisio, but I stopped short this time.  (It won't happen again, Raul!)

Though small, L'Arte del Gelato's West Village store is bright and inviting.  The two-dozen varieties of gelati and sorbetti are displayed with iconic  adornments (e.g., slices of fruit, nuts, coffee beans, etc.) which enhance their visual appeal.  The flavors are labeled in Italian, thus affording a good opportunity to thrill in the trill and flaunt one's pronunciation.

Unfortunately, the visual sensation here far exceeds the gustatory one.  The sweetness of the flavors do not compare favorably with the refreshing tastes of Cones or Grom.  The watermelon sorbetto was laden with sugar; the grapefruit was not much better.  The intensely flavored passion fruit sorbetto was too sweet as well, but less cloying than the others.  When I treat myself to sorbet on a warm summer's day, I'd like something refreshing.  In this case, however, I felt as though I needed a palate cleanser afterward.

With their high prices (my small cup cost $4.50), L'Arte del Gelato ought to accept credit cards and offer more than a scanty two samples.  Recent DOH sanitary violations at the Chelsea Market location further militate against the likelihood of my hasty return.  The upshot: this art is better enjoyed with the eye than with the palate.

 

L'Arte del Gelato

West Village:

75 Seventh Avenue South (SE corner Barrow St), Manhattan

(212) 924-0803

By train: 1 to Christopher St-Sheridan Sq
By bus: M20 (downtown)

Chelsea Market:

75 Ninth Avenue (between 15^th & 16^th Sts), Manhattan

(212) 366-0570

By train: A,C,E (IND) to 14^th St; L (BMT) to 8^th Av
By bus: M11, M14D

West Side (May-October):

Lincoln Center Plaza, Manhattan

By train: 1 to 66^th Street
By bus: M5, M7, M11, M20, M66, M104

http://www.lartedelgelato.com/

The Icemen Coneth

Opened roughly a decade ago by two brothers from Buenos Aires, Cones dishes up excellent handmade Argentine-style ice cream.   Raul and Oscar D'Aloisio's frozen wares have the consistency of gelato and come in some two dozen flavors including creamy zabaglione, yerba maté (a bitter, South American green tea), and dulce de leche as well as more traditional favorites like hazelnut.

However, if you prefer something tart on a warm day, it's hard to imagine anything more refreshing than one or more of their dozen sorbets.   You may wish to check out a couple of my personal faves, lemon and passion fruit.

 

Raul ("the older one," as he puts it) offers me a couple of samples.

The two-sample limit seems almost cruel.

 

As with all good ice creams, Cones's do not rely on excessive sweetness to mask inferior-quality flavors.  Their premium flavorings really stack up.

 

Cones

272 Bleecker Street (near Morton St), West Village, Manhattan

(212) 414-1795

By train: to Christopher St-Sheridan Sq
By bus: M20 (downtown)

 

Here Comes the Grom

Grom founders Guido Martinetti and namesake Federico Grom started their first gelato venture five years ago in Torino (Turin).  Since then, they've added more than a dozen stores in northern Italy.  Last year, they opened the first Grom outside Italy, on Manhattan's Upper West Side.  Last month, another new Grom began serving its frozen delights farther downtown in the West Village.   I visited the latter shortly after the dust had settled.

If it's not the best gelato or sorbet I've tasted, it's pretty darn close. While one could debate whose flavors are best,  Grom's consistency is undeniably supreme.  The gelato is silky and creamy; the sorbet is velvety smooth—more so than any sorbet, sorbetto, sherbet, or sherbert I’ve tried in the United States.

The combination of luscious flavors and rich texture need not be a guilty pleasure, however.  Grom uses natural ingredients and maintains that its gelati contain less cholesterol, fewer carbohydrates, and half the fat of super-premium brands.

The menu changes monthly.  I tried a small cup of limone (Sfusato lemon from Amalfi) and pompelmo rosa (ruby red grapefruit from Florida).  The scoop: it was delicious, refreshing, and not too sweet—I could really taste the essence of the fruit.

Grom's motto, Il Gelato Come Una Volta means, "gelato as it once was."  While that may be true, the prices aren't quite so old-fashioned.  Cones and cups:  small ($4.75); medium ($5.75); large ($6.75); extra large cup ($9). Quality comes with a price.

 

Grom

Upper West Side:

2165 Broadway (between 76^th & 77^th Sts, near 76^th St), Manhattan

(646) 290-7233

By train: 1,2,3 to 72^nd Street
By bus: M104

 

West Village:

233 Bleecker Street (NW corner Carmine St), Manhattan

(212) 206-1738

By train: A,C,E,B,D,F,V to W 4^th Street
By bus: M5,M6 (uptown)

http://www.grom.it/eng/index.htm