Grom Gelato

"This is the line for gelato?" was the recurring comment people threw in my direction. The line, which I'd been waiting in for an hour and a half, stretched past Big Nick's Burgers, Jubilee, Beard Papa and Lush, to end at Grom, which was celebrating its grand opening in New York by offering free gelato. "Yes, this is the line," I sighed wearily. "Nuts," was the inevitable response.

People coped with the wait in different ways. Some enjoyed the passing spectacle of strollers and dogs. (Some onlookers, taking pity on us, even offered their dogs for petting so that we'd have something to do while we waited.) I was entertained by the creative rantings of a lunatic ("Merry Passover! Merry Passover!" shouted a bearded man. But was he any more insane than people who'd wait 2 hours for a cup of gelato?). I saw some people give up and walk away, and others cut in line.

Finally, after 2 hours of achy feet and various conversations with strangers about Havanese dogs and Hillary's presidential prospects, I reached the end of the line... to find that the extra-dark chocolate was... all gone.

I scratched my head. How could this be? It's not like there weren't other enticing selections; I saw regular chocolate, stracciatella, strawberries and cream, hazelnut, cappuccino, gianduja. There were also a few flavors of sorbetto and Sicilian granita. But ever since I got addicted to Capogiro's cioccolato scuro, I simply must have the deepest, darkest chocolate gelato!

Well, I settled for the regular chocolate with a side of fior di latte. The chocolate was really quite chocolatey, almost like semi-frozen fudge. I dare say it was chocolatey enough even for me. And the milky, silky fior di latte was the most luscious sweet cold cream.

I'll be back to Grom soon; I just hope the line lessens a little!

Grom Gelato: 2165 Broadway, (646) 290-7233.