Maribelle Fine Chocolates, 484 Broome Street, New York

Review of Maribelle Fine Chocolates Cafe c. 2008 Laura Brose
   This exclusive, tiny boutique chocolaterie also serves exclusive, tiny, boutique cookies, light luncheon fare, sweet & savory crepes, and yes, this summer, at least, gelato.  They serve it both from a cart in front of the storefront and in the decadent-formal mirrored and chandeliered dining area just behind the retail showroom. 
Prices are exclusive, too. You can easily drop a chunk of change on a Frenchified light lunch (luckily they take American Express).
Maribelle's specialty hot chocolates are the "main attraction", and they are also served in iced frappe versions which cross the line between being a beverage and being an ice or sorbet. However, they do currently (Summer 2008) have true gelato which is described on the menu as such.
The gelato costs $5.00 for a single cup, and $7.00 for a double serving.  But oh, what flavors they have! Some are really sorbets, such as the citrus flavors and the mojito ice.  The mojito tastes fresh and green; other flavors include blood orange, tangerine, nocciola, mocha, dulce de leche, lemon, pistachio, tiramisu, and fiore de latte "flower of milk", are all available.  The rhubarb flavor was a surprise on a couple of different levels: besides the fact that it existed at all, it was a shade of pale puce which on first glance seemingly bore no relation to the dark cerise rhubarb from my grandparents' garden, which was served stewed, sugared, and baked in pies.  To my surprise, Maribelle's rhubarb gelato did indeed taste true to the rhubarb flavor.  

Maribelle's "spicy" gelato is only mildly so, the predominant flavor being rich chocolate; with only the subtlest aftertaste of the ancho chiles therein; this flavor could serve as an admirable stand-in for Haagen-Dasz's discontinued Mayan Chocolate ice cream.

Review by: Laura Brose

Posted: Friday, June 20, 2008