Two trains leave 125th St, traveling at 45 mph. Which one gets to the gelato stand first?

In general, I avoid the food court at Grand Central Station.  It's a beautiful setting that transports you back to the Gilded Age, but it's also a little sketchy.  Amongst the foreign travelers sketching out their touristy itineraries and Midtown workers scrambling for trains to points suburban, there are a fair number of oddballs.  You get the guy mumbling to himself whilst reading the Post, someone else begging change to fund a trip to Mars, a goth chick trying to pierce her own tongue in the reflection of a table top... You get the drift.

But there are those occasions when you just need some frozen dessert goodness, and no level of weirdness can deter you.

Such is the case with the Ciao Bella Gelato & Sorbet stand.  It's a place you've probably breezed by thousands of times on your way to catch a train yet have never even noticed.  It's tucked away in the northwest corner of the food court, just around the corner from the stairs leading from the main ticketing floor.

So now that you know where it is, what's so great about Ciao Bella?

First and foremost, they are quite forthright about letting you know what is/isn't gluten free.  All of the sorbet flavors are free of wheat and gluten, and a number of gelato flavors are also GF.  Rule of thumb is that if you suspect it has gluten (such as anything with cookies, graham crackers, or dough mixed in), it probably does.  Nevertheless, if you're in doubt, ask the counter staff.  They've never steered me wrong.

Secondly, the flavors are amazing.  My personal fave is the Dark Chocolate Sorbet--totally gluten AND dairy free, and amazingly creamy and richly chocolatey.  But don't overlook some of the other unique flavors, like Prickly Pear (subtly sweet and fruity) or the Blackberry Cabernet (completely velvety, like a frozen glass of wine.)

Ciao Bella Gelato Kiosk

54 Grand Central Terminal

212-867-5311

Gluten Free Risotto in the Village. Subtitle: Man cannot live on breadsticks alone

One of the restaurants I've been wanting to try since I've moved here is Risotteria in Greenwich Village.  Glowing online reviews about the place abound, and word of mouth has been equally enthusiastic.  

In fact, a few weeks ago I was standing on line at the grocery store in Union Square when this stranger standing next to me saw that I had gluten free cookies in my basket, prompting her to ask if I'd been to Risotteria.  When I replied that I hadn't, she practically dropped her basket reaching for my arm.

"I could LIVE on their breadsticks."

So, I finally had a chance to try it Saturday night after plans to go last weekend were thwarted by Hurricane Irene.  (Stupid hurricane...)

Let me start by saying that my meal was pretty good--more about that in second.  But, with all of the hype, I guess I was expecting more.

First of all, Risotteria is housed in a very small space.  Maximum seating capacity is something like 20 people.  So, waits are long--upwards of 45 minutes--even if you're a small party.  And they don't take reservations.  

It also was pretty schwetty inside.  Being that it was my first visit, I'm not sure if this is common or not, but there was absolutely nothing, not even ceiling fans, stirring the air.  We were seated right next to the front door, and I still felt like I was in a sauna.

The service also straddled the line between attentive and invasive.  Case in point: Not 5 seconds after I'd put down my fork from taking my last bite, I had one of the 4 servers/hosts/busboys who kept hovering around the table ask, "Can I take your plate?"  I was still chewing, for God's sake.  

Also, a fairly big pet peeve of mine (and I say this as someone who has worked in food service), the check was placed on the table within 30 seconds of our desserts arriving.  I don't care if your mouth is saying, "I'll leave the check here for whenever you're ready, but take your time," your body language is saying, "Pay up, and get thee out."  Not cool.

All in all, it is a function of the place being so small and so packed.  The palpable feeling is that they are looking to turn tables as fast as possible to serve the throng of people milling around hungrily outside.  I get that.  But the last thing I want to feel is rushed when I'm looking to have a nice dinner with friends.  Furthermore, if I'm paying $17.50 for a bowl of risotto, I'd better be able to enjoy it, dammit.

Speaking of the food...

The breadsticks, which were brought to the table piping hot, are indeed delicious.  They are like foot-long braids of gluten free pizza dough, coated in butter.  Perfectly crunchy on the outside, chewy on the inside.  I, too, could picture surviving on a diet of these alone.

3 Mushroom Risotto at Risotteria

For my entree, I ordered the "3 Mushroom Risotto," with porcini, portobello, and shiitake mushrooms.  The mushrooms lent a nice meaty earthiness to counter the creaminess of the risotto.  But, overall, I found the dish to be a little bland and one-dimensional.  It needed more nuance--a little bite of some sharp cheese or something herby to cut the overwhelming creaminess.  I felt like I was eating a hearty portion of a side dish instead of an entree.

I'm really torn about Risotteria.  Part of me wants to sing its praises because it caters to gluten free lifestyles.  However, the execution of the meal, the service, and the space itself just detracted from the whole experience.  I'm willing to give it another shot, but my expectations are kind of low at this point.

270 Bleecker St, New York, NY 10014

(212) 924-6664

www.risotteria.com