Five members of the New York City Thrifty Gourmets Meetup group and I field-tested Ciao Bella on Tuesday, June 3rd at about 9:30 PM. Only one employee was present to serve us. She greeted us with a smile and was friendly, but appeared stressed while serving us. She promptly accomodated our requests to sample a variety of this outlet's frozen treats. I enjoyed an ample portion of the maple/ginger gelato, finding it rich and flavorful. While some of my fellow Meetup-ers thought that the cost of a small cup ($4+, plus tax) was unnecessarily expensive, I was willing to pay a premium price for a premium snack. I'd like to see Ciao Bella compete against Grom in a taste test.
Pros: Friendly service; rich, flavorful gelato.
Cons: Short-staffed; expensive.
more