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Business & Tech

Syosset's Hometown Gelateria

Cardinali Bakery, 14 Cold Spring Rd., 496-2489

When the temperature outside reaches 90 degrees and our thoughts drift to ice cream and ices, we sometimes forget that we are blessed here in Syosset with more than Ralph's and Friendly's.

We have an Italian-style gelateria, a dessert heaven that attracts people from all around Long Island. When partners Luigi Melcarne and Vincent Lobascio opened Cardinali Bakery in 1990 and furnished a corner of the store with café tables and chairs, little did they know that they would start a trend: the bakery/café. Twenty years later it seems as if every bakery on Long Island is serving coffee and snacks. But no other have the amazing gelatos and sorbet that Cardinali have.

Cardinali is known for their breads, cakes and pastries. But they are famous for their homemade gelatos and sorbetti. Customers come from miles away for their signature fruit sorbetti in natural dishes such as lemon sorbetti in the rind, cocoanut in the shell, cantaloupe, orange and more.

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Beautifully presented, they were the talk of the town when they first appeared–the luscious sorbetti bursting with natural fruit flavor. This summer they again boldly ventured where no man went before, (at least on Long Island), introducing vegetable-flavored sorbetti: carrot, celery, tomato, garlic (!) and even hot pepper. The concept is cool, at least to food writers, but in reality customers never really wanted more than a taste. The veggie sorbetti didn't make it into the 24 flavors of gelato and sorbetti available every day.

Customers tend to stick with the tried-and-true favorites, which are hazelnut and stracciatella. The creamy gelato are a touch of Italy, cold and refreshing, right in our own downtown.

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