Gelato in Noo Yawk, in Italy, in Seattle

NY Times dispatch complains about the high price of ice cream in Manhattan (five bucks & change for a small cone), comes down hard on chain of artisanal Italian gelato shops called Grom.

Grom, which has more than 20 stores in Italy, was founded in 2003 in Turin, the birthplace of the Slow Food movement. Slow Food's commitment to preserving the pre-industrial ways of making food provided Grom with a mission: to recreate the traditional ice creams of the region, which is known for dairy, nuts and chocolate, and especially for the chocolate-hazelnut combination gianduja.

Thing is, we wrote about Grom and its transcendant gelato (and took that picture, too) when we were in Turin four years ago.

Tonight's gelato requires immediate attention. A simple-enough two-layered pinguino, a take-away cone of nocciola and caffè at Grom, on a side-street across from the train station in downtown Turin. The hazelnuts come from orchards with limited yields, the coffee beans come from Antigua, and the amazingly tasty concoction costs all of $2.50.

Plenty of places serve gelato in Seattle, often homemade. Average price seems to be about $3.50 for a scoop or a cone.

Dunno, must be the high rents in the Big Apple.