Honey lavender gelato from New York's Il Laboratorio del Gelato

Il Laboratorio del Gelato's honey lavender gelato costs more than a frozen treat usually does ($60 for 4 pints), but the rich handmade gelato is made with buckwheat honey and organic lavender. You can even have it shipped overnight! Il Laboratorio del Gelato opened in August 2002 in Manhattan, New York by Jon F. Snyder and is dedicated to producing the finest ice cream and sorbet.

Their gelato comes in 75 flavors including, but not limited to, the following: vanilla, vanilla saffron, milk chocolate, dark chocolate, chocolate kahlua, chocolate chocolate chip, chocolate cinnamon, thai chili chocolate, toasted sesame, ginger, green tea, red bean, wasabi, maple walnut, chestnut honey, nutmeg, rose petal, tarragon with pink pepper, peppermint stick, green fig, raspberry, blackberry, lemon, orange, peach, mango, apple calvados, pear, cheddar cheese, sour cream, buttermilk, olive oil, dulche de leche and avocado. The sorbet comes in such delicious flavors as lemon verbena, lime basil, tangerine, blood orange, green apple, cactus pear, papaya, passion fruit, kiwi, coconut, watermelon, black or red plum, strawberry, red cherry, black currant (cassis), black grape, champagne and dark chocolate. For a complete list of flavors, see the Il Laboratorio del Gelato's website.

Il Laboratorio del Gelato makes their frozen desserts by hand in small batches to ensure the highest quality. They source the world for flavors of purity and excellence and when possible they source locally and organically.

As the name suggests, they call themselves a custom lab where chefs and caterers are encouraged and welcomed to help develop unique flavors for their individual menus.

For more information and an interesting article on the history of Il Laboratorio del Gelato and Jon Snyder, I refer you to the New York Times article by Alex Witchel entitled, "For This Guy, Gelato Is The Answer."

Source: Food Network