Il Laboratorio del Gelato supplies a good majority of New York City’s top restaurants’ gelato and for good reason. Owner Jon Snyder works with the chefs to come up with flavors that will work with each restaurant’s specific menu. Jon monitors and maintains quality control by choosing fresh and seasonal ingredients in his laboratory in the LES. The lab is also a storefront — lucky for us! While it may seem conventional (in contrast to flavors like Cheddar cheese, Guinness or milk chocolate malt), my favorite Il Laboratorio flavor is still strawberry (gelato not sorbet), which for the record is not available every day. With every bite or lick, I can taste the freshness of the fruit. His sorbets taste fresher than the real fruits themselves!