When I think of ice cream, I think of Baskin Robbins, Ice Cream on Grand and Ben & Jerry’s (when I still ate it), but when I think of gelato, it reminds me of when I was in Italy, or more recently, Golda’s Gelato in Israel.

So I was excited to hear about Kayla’s Gelato opening up on West Englewood Avenue in Teaneck. The address read: Kayla’s Gelato 185 West Englewood Avenue, Teaneck. When I went there, it was an office building that said Party Plaza, so I walked up and down the street to find it; maybe I got the address wrong. Finally, I decided to ask one of the merchants on West Englewood, who personally walked me to the window that was known as “Kayla’s Gelato.”

Yes, it is a walk-up window only. Pretty cool, actually.

In addition to several flavors of gelato and Italian ice, or as they call it in Italy, granita, they also have make your own “blendy” machine and the softest beignets (powdered doughnuts) I have ever had; they were like little, sweet pillows. I had not had such amazing beignets since I was in New Orleans at the famous Cafe Du Monde. The gentleman on the other side of the window, Xavier, was kind and very friendly—the perfect personality for a gelato store. He let me sample a few flavors and I settled on the cappuccino and the cookie dough.

The gelato was the absolute tastiest I have ever had in my life. I asked Xavier, “Why is this place so hidden? Why not promote it a little more, maybe even a sign” Reminds me of the ‘A-Team’ theme song … ‘If you can find them, maybe you could hire the A-Team’.” Xavier said that everything is made fresh there and that the owner, who was trained by an authentic Italian gelato maestro or gelatieri, likes to keep the quality high and is not looking for a lot of customers every day. That is what makes his gelato different from all other ice cream and gelato stores. The freshness and flavor definitely shines through. A must visit … if you can find them.

Kayla’s Gelato, 185 West Englewood Avenue, Teaneck, 201-319-3289

By Abby Sussman