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Who knew that gelato was practically extinct? That shocking declaration bemoaning the decline in artisanal ice cream was made by Slow Food boss Carlo Petrini. It was also the inspiration for Grom, an Italian gelati chain that opened its first branch outside the motherland on the Upper West Side. The brainchild of two Piedmontese, Federico Grom and Guido Martinetti, the company’s mission is to make gelato the exacting, old-fashioned way, eschewing artificial coloring and preservatives, of course, and using only first-rate (mostly Italian) ingredients: Hazelnuts and strawberries come from Piedmont, pistachios from Sicily, and lemons from the Amalfi coast. They even make the sorbet and granita using San Bernardo mineral water. While none of this is good news for locavores, at least you can sleep soundly knowing that the world, for the time being, is safe for gelato. — Rob Patronite and Robin Raisfeld

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• Taste-Testing the Gelatos of the South Village (6/23/08)