And why wouldn’t the first New York satellite of Florence’s renowned La Carraia Gelateria open in East Meadow? If the location, along the Hempstead Turnpike service road, doesn’t exactly bring to mind the Uffizi or the Galleria dell'Accademia, it is next door to the original Uncle Giuseppe’s Marketplace.

La Carraia, which opened Sept. 24, is actually the fourth to open in North America, following two in Canada and one in Orlando, Florida. Its owner, Naveed Haroon, is part of a loose partnership of friends and family who purchased the North American franchise rights. "We import everything from Italy," he said, "the ingredients, the machinery, the coffee."