cool dessert
says there ’ s no one way to make the Italian ice cream .
“ People ask me all the time what the difference between ice cream and gelato is ,” he says . “ It ’ s just the Italian word for ice cream . It ’ s like asking what the difference is between cheese and fromage . There are many different kinds of gelato in Italy , varied depending on if you ’ re in the north or the south .”
Snyder first fell in love with gelato during avisit toItaly when he was in college . He came back determined to open his own gelato shop in the states .
But , peddling ice cream has been a Snyder family profession for decades . His grandfather was a contractor for Carvel in the New York area . He made a career out of building ice cream shops for the famous brand . In the 1950s , Snyder ’ s grandmother , Antoinette Ceriale , started running her own Carvel stand in Cortlandt Manor , New York . His parents later took it over . No newbie to the ice cream scene , Snyder created the company Ciao Bella Gelato + Sorbetto in the ’ 80s when he was just 19 . In 1989 , he sold the company , which has now gone national . He worked for a few years trading stocks for Lehman Brothers , then Dutch bank ABN AMRO , before returning to the ice cream biz .
With Il Laboratorio del Gelato , the prodigal son attempted to outdo himself . “ I thought , why not try to compete with Ciao Bella , the brand I created ,” he says .
Nineteen years later , he supplies gelato and sorbet to about 600 restaurants in New York and New Jersey , including The Smith and Market Table in NYC , Ariane Kitchen & Bar in Verona and Rezza in Roseland .
Il Laboratorio will share its Upper Montclair space with a health food store . In the future , Snyder hopes to offer new gelato-based products at the location , including ice cream sandwiches . “ I love Upper Montclair ,” Snyder says . “ It ’ s a little less commercial than Bloomfield Avenue . The area resonates with me , big time .” ■
Il Laboratorio del Gelato , 598 Valley Road , Montclair ; laboratoriodelgelato . com
TOWN AND COUNTRY ( Top ) Strawberry gelato cones seen through the window of Il Laboratorio del Gelato ’ s Ludlow Street location . ( Above ) Snyder , left , on afamily hike through South Mountain Reservation .
STORE : COURTESY OFLIZ CLAYMAN ; FAMILY : COURTESY OFJON SNYDER
32 MAY 2021 MONTCLAIR MAGAZINE