Eataly - scooponcones.com

Wow. At this Italian food mecca, the expectations are high, but the gelato more than meets them.

For the uninitiated, Eataly is a huge grocery store and restaurant complex near the Flatiron that is a collaboration between chefs Oscar Farinetti and Mario Batali. It can be daunting, but we found the Gelateria to be not too crowded (compared to anyplace else in Manhattan). And even if the crowds are thick, it’s worth elbowing your way through them for this creamy goodness.

We sampled a few flavors, but the one we fell in love with is Cioccolato: Chocolate with Krumiri Cookie bits mixed in. What’s a Krumiri Cookie? It’s a biscuit that was invented in northwest Italy; apparently it’s bent shape is a homage to the handlebar mustache. Generally, we prefer to keep facial hair out of our food, but in this case we’ll make an exception.

The gelato is a perfect mix of intense flavor, creamy texture and crunchy mix-ins. We say bravo!

It’s made with organic whole milk from Upstate New York. The flavors were created by Luca Montersino, Eataly’s resident dessert expert.

Hours: 11 a.m-11 p.m. daily

Price: $3.90 single scoop in a cone; $4.90 for a single scoop in a cup; $29.80 for a to-go pack that serves five to six people.

Phone: (646) 398-5100

Website: http://eatalyny.com/