Last summer, New York voted Häagen-Dazs the best vanilla ice cream around, and we stand by our story. But that quasi-Danish outfit, good as it is, doesn’t go anywhere near the exotic flavors we’ve seen around town this season. A guide to several newcomers that would flummox the Dairy Queen.

Il Laboratorio Del Gelato
95 Orchard Street (212-343-9922)

As this Lower East Side operation works up flavors for restaurants around town, they’re added to the retail line back at the shop. New this season: lavender, rosemary, macadamia-nut, and crème fraîche gelato, and green-grape sorbet, as well as the annual return of the summer-fruit flavors. ($5.75 per pint.)

Fauchon
1000 Madison Avenue, near 77th Street (212-570-2211), and two other new york locations

Eight new parfums from the Dean & DeLuca of Paris, developed by award-winning pastry chef Florian Bellanger: raspberry-chili, peach-lavender, lemon-basil, and mandarin-orange sorbets; and violet, rose-petal, strawberry, and chocolate dulce de leche ice creams. ($10 per pint.)

Ciao Bella
285 Mott Street (212-431-3591) and three other locations

Ciao Bella’s already a New York summer staple, and its beautifully smooth gelato probably occupies more restaurant dessert plates than any other brand except the big H. This year’s introductions include rhubarb–crème fraîche, green-tea-white-chocolate-chunk, and sorbets from blackberry-Cabernet to blood-orange. ($3.99 per pint.)

Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory
Fulton Ferry Landing, corner of Old Fulton and Water Streets (718-246-3963)

A fire on July 3 at this bustling shop put things on pause for a few days, but the owners assure us that within a couple of weeks, hand-packed pints of pineapple and lemon ices and blueberry and mocha-java ice creams will be on offer. ($6.50 per pint.)

Payard Patisserie and Bistro
1032 Lexington Avenue, near 73rd Street (212-717-5252)

Tutti-frutti grows up and goes to Marseilles here; instead of the usual bits of chewy citron, candied orange, lemon, and cherries make their appearance. Also on the menu: sorbets of calamansi (a Filipino citrus fruit), blueberry-raspberry swirl, and apricot-almond. ($9 per pint.)

Related:

• Archive: “Top Five”
• Articles by Gillian Duffy
• Table of Contents: Jul 21, 2003 issue of New York | Subscribe!