02 Sep Please The Palate Pick of the Week: Anita Gelato, La Mamma del Gelato

This past month, I spent most of my time traveling back and forth to New York for events. My hotel for every visit was in NoMad and the Flatiron District, a central and active area filled with restaurants. On the corner of 26th and Broadway, next door to my hotel, was Anita Gelato. The first few days, every time I walked past, the line was around the corner, sometimes halfway to 25th. But, one afternoon there was a short line, so I jumped in line. And I am glad I did! And, after that, I went back numerous times. It was worth waiting in line for and that is why Anita Gelato, La Mamma del Gelato, is the Please The Palate pick of the week. 

Anita Gelato is a proper gelateria but it is not Italian. It originates from Israel. It was started in the kitchen of Anita Avital in Netanya, Israel in 1998. What started as an activity to make at home with her son Nir has grown across the world. After their gelato became popular among neighbors, they sold from a cart on weekends and then opened their first shop in Tel Aviv is 2002. Today there are four stores in Israel, as well as in Australia, Spain, Puerto Rico, and Cyprus. The first store in the U.S. opened on the upper East Side and in June 2022, the location on 26th and Broadway opened. 

Anita Gelato offers a selection of more than 150 different kinds of 100% homemade gelato, sorbet, yogurt, and toppings. The ingredients are pure and simple. Gelato is made with “heavenly cream, fresh milk, a teaspoon of happiness, sweet stuff, Italian passion extract, a bunch of joy, and tons of love” and sorbets are made with heavenly fresh fruits, a teaspoon of happiness, sweet stuff, Italian passion extract, a bunch of joy, and tons of love.”

There are three glass cases, each with 12 flavors. And these are not your average flavors. There is salted caramel, nougat wafer, caramel cookie mousse, chocolate cookies, hazelnut mousse & crunch chocolate, crème brulee & pistachio crumble, white chocolate pretzel, cookieman, banana split, and so many more. 

The service at Anita Gelato is top-notch. After waiting patiently in line, when it is your turn, you have a dedicated person helping you. And you can taste as many flavors as you want. 

The staff are very particular in how they scoop the gelato. They are meticulous. They wipe around the gelato tin after each order so that everything always looks clean and neat. And the glass windows are regularly wiped down as well. 

You can order a small, medium, or large in a cup or a cone. A small comes with two flavors and large with four. But when you see the small, it is not small in the least. The portion sizes are very generous. 

Each time I went, I selected two different flavor combinations. Some of the flavors I enjoyed included chocolate almonds and caramel, chocolate chips mint, banana split, and coffee from the cream flavors, and strawberry, pineapple, and tropical from the sorbets. 

Whether is was 2pm in the afternoon or 11pm at night, there was a line out the door for Anita Gelato. And, it is worth the wait. As I was leaving New York the other day to head home for the last time for this project, I waited in line to get my last Anita’s Gelato and enjoyed it in the Uber ride to the airport. I know that Anita Gelato is somewhere I will visit on future trips to New York but then, I was reading about Anita Gelato and saw that they have opened a place in Los Angeles, specifically in Tarzana, California! Now I do not have to wait until my next trip to NY! I can please my palate anytime with Anita Gelato!

Anita Gelato in the U.S.: 

Los Angeles – 18700 Ventura Blvd, Tarzana, CA 91356

New York: NoMad – 1141 Broadway, NY, NY 10001 

New York: Upper East Side – 1561 2nd Ave, NY, NY 10028