The Mad Italian Gelato Bar on Bayview is a family-owned gelateria that scoops up 42 flavours of homemade gelato. Open for about 3 months now, the biggest sellers so far have been Ferrero-Rocher, Lemon and Mint Chocolate.

For anyone wondering about authenticity, look no further than the fact that owner Alessandro Settimi's family was in the gelato business for 28 years in Rome. He makes gelato here in the authentic Italian way which means ingredients are imported from Italy and each flavour is painstakingly crafted in small batches with the family's secret recipes.

My Italian friend, who is also something of a gelato connoisseur, had the Stracciatella (vanilla with fine chocolate shavings) and boldly declared it the best she's had in Toronto. The gelato is available in a variety of cup sizes ($3.75 for 2 scoops) but I suggest going for the freshly made waffle cones.

Also on the menu are a wide selection of fruit-based gelato, all colourfully and thematically presented.

Like all my visits to gelaterias, I had a tough time choosing flavours because there was so much to try and it all looked so good.

I finally decided to order two scoops - one of their chocolate and the second their superb coffee flavour. The chocolate was thick and creamy and easily satisfied the chocoholic in me. Few things compare to cold chocolate gelato on a toasted waffle cone.

Since there are 42 flavours, I couldn't resist also sampling their pistachio gelato. Made from 100% pure pistachio, it was heaven in a cone - packed with the taste of roasted pistachios and devoid of the medicinal aftertaste that's so common in pistachio flavoured desserts.

While gelato is undoubtedly the main attraction here, Mad Italian Gelato Bar also offers a rich assortment of freshly baked goods like biscotti, butter cookies and cakes as well as tiramisu ($5.00), pannacCota ($5.00) and a full espresso bar serving Caffe Haiti Roma coffee.