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