Grom gelato

I didn't try a new place today because it was gloomy, rainy and I had too much work to do and lots of sleep to catch up on. But on Wednesday I stopped by Grom gelato because I've been asked 4 times in the past month if I had gone yet. I was in a bit of a rush on Wednesday because I had to be somewhere by 4:30 p.m. but I decided to go because I really felt like gelato and I didn't want to be trying it later this week since the forecast predicted rain (my guess was correct because it has been rainy and rather dark). Anyhow, there hardly was a wait when I got to the shop, which was a big surprise since I saw pictures online of massive lines that reminded me of Disneyland rides. What can I say. I'm an impatient person. I can't stand waiting in lines that are so far back that you can't even see your original destination. However, the ridiculous lines may have been because Grom was offering free gelato on the day of its opening to get people hooked on their stuff. Sure, I like free food but I also like using my time wisely. I'd more likely spend a mere 5 bucks to save a 2 hour wait. Come to think of it, I don't ever recall waiting for free food when there are promotional events like free scoop day at Ben & Jerry's.

Anyhow, the place looked like a tiny scoop shop at the front, but if you walk further in, you have about a whopping 15 seats to choose from if you're lucky they aren't all full of kids and their parents (at least on a Wed. afternoon). And if you get a seat, your view is a bunch of industrial machines (probably the gelato-makers) behind a glass window. Yay. I'd say takeout is your best bet so don't count on eating very good gelato on rainy days.

I never know what flavor to get when I'm at a scoop shop so I normally get one of my two favorite flavors: coffee or mint chocolate chip. So I was torn betweening trying something different like stracciatella or a classic like coffee or chocolate. I was tempted to sample all the flavors but decided against it because that's just plain annoying so I tried Tiramisu and Dark Chocolate. I went for the chocolate because while the Tiramisu tasted good with chunks of cookie and lots of interesting textures and colors, it didn't taste quite like the Tiramisu I was looking for. Anyhow, my small cup of Dark Chocolate gelato was $5.14 including tax. Talk about ouch because a small was small, but I guess it's justified since they say they use some of the best and freshest ingredients and good chocolate, like Valrhona, means you're going to have to pay for it. I overheard a woman telling her son "They said they didn't squeeze enough limes today to make that delicious lime sorbet we had last time. Well maybe next time."

The gelato looked really unappetizing because it wasn't cold enough, the goop slid down the sides of the cup making my table a huge mess. In fact, it reminded me of doggy diarrhea (see photo). Does it not? I took a few bites and was actually conflicted. Was it really good? Or was it too intensely chocolate for me to enjoy? Or did I not like it because I was in a bit of a rush and wanted to get it over with? I concluded that it was good because I ordered chocolate gelato and got chocolate gelato. What I realized was that the amount was enough because oftentimes when things are rich and tasty, you don't need a lot to satisfy your palate. And this was rich and tasty.

The Dark Chocolate gelato had bits of dark chocolate evenly scattered about so in every bite you'll have tiny pieces that add a bit of extra texture to the airy gelato, making it that much more elegant. By airy gelato I mean that it almost felt like it was whipped, hence the somewhat gooey look. And speaking of whipped, I was asked at the counter whether I wanted a dollop of whipped cream to accompany my sweet treat. I said no because I didn't want whipped cream anymore after my Strawberry Shortcake Sadness. Going back to the chocolate... I really did like that they weren't the typical huge chunks of chocolate pieces because those always get stuck in the roof of my mouth and are tasteless anyways. I only ate about half the cup when I felt like it was a chocolate overload. I had wished I was there with someone else because then we could have shared two flavors and alternated. I was sad I didn't try a sorbet. But this experience led me to believe that with all their flavors, may it be sorbet or gelato, they will taste true to their flavor profiles. If you get raspberry sorbet, you better like raspberries because that's the flavor it's going to taste exactly like.

Lesson of the day: A little goes a long way.

Grom Gelato
2165 Broadway (between 76th and 77th Sts.)
646-290-7233