Though it'll never take the place of its counterparts — shave ice, ice cream or other cool treats like guri guri — gelato is certainly here to stay, and its popularity seems to be growing.

With just a handful of gelaterias dotting the city, which is about a handful more than could be found a few years ago, we're not exactly Milan. But we can, for the first time in Honolulu's culinary history, be a little picky about our Italian scoops.

Since 1981, the title of No. 1 (and only) gelato maker has been attributed to Maurice Grasso, whose perfect icy creations were the undoing of many an Island gelato lover. His store, La Gelateria, was the only place to find the lighter, cleaner Italian ice cream. And while the Cedar Street spot supplies many of Honolulu's high-end restaurants with their gelato and is still the go-to place to get a pint of the frozen dessert, you won't get it as a double or triple scoop in a waffle cone with a cup of espresso.

For that, you'll have to visit a gelateria — a cafelike ice-cream parlor that specializes in gelato. And now you can.

We visited four local gelaterias to get the scoop on who does what the best.

Each gelateria was judged by the same set of criteria: the consistency of the gelato, the flavor, the price and the ambience.

A LATTA GELATA

11 a.m.-10:30 p.m. daily

131 Ka'iulani Ave.

King's Village, ground floor

853-4911

A Latta Gelata is a relatively new addition to the Honolulu gelato scape. Owner Christina Murai, a former attorney with a soft spot for ice cream, opened her gelateria last year and has since garnered a loyal, but quiet, following.

Murai flies in all of her ingredients from Milan to make the gelato as authentic as possible. The chef and owner of the popular Mix Cafe, Bruno Iezzi, is a big fan.

Flavors: The scoops here come in both traditional (chocolate, hazelnut, stracciatella) flavors and not-so-traditional (cheesecake, peanut butter) flavors.

Consistency: The texture is just right — light, smooth and just frozen enough to scoop out solid orbs that soften slightly after a few seconds of warm air. The gelato is made fresh daily.

Ambience: The citrus-colored walls and the brightly colored tubs of gelato make for a super-inviting space. It's clean and cool. Just like it should be. And the counter girls wear cute French-style uniforms, berets included. (French, Italian, it's all European.)

Price: One scoop, $3.75; two scoops, $5.50; three scoops $6.75

Additional details: Parking at or near King's Village can be a challenge, and it's always expensive. But if you call in your order ahead of time, either Murai or a member of her friendly counter staff will run your order out to the curb. Drive-by gelato service — perfect!

MONDO GELATO

8 a.m.-11 p.m. daily

226 Lewers St.

926-6961

This chain of gelato cafes arrived in Waikiki last year to hordes of overheated tourists.

The cafe is sort of like a Starbucks with a gelato freezer — they serve coffee, baked goods and savory snacks.

Flavors: Name a flavor, it's sure to be here. And if it isn't, it probably will be soon. Heinekenflavored gelato? Yep. Multivitamin-flavored gelato? Yep. Rose- Ferrero Rocher- and whiskyflavored? Yep, yep and yep.

You'll also find the more traditional stuff here, which is the better choice.

All the flavors taste like artificial versions of the real thing. The Nutella gelato tasted like it was made with powdered hot chocolate. And the cinnamon gelato? You may as well be licking one of those scented Christmas candles.

Consistency: The gelato is super airy and light — there's too much air in the mix to really allow the flavors to intensify like they should.

A good gelato, thanks to its low fat content and no-whip processing, is dense and silky, not fluffy or feathery.

Ambience: The gelateria is cool and comfortable, with plenty of space for larger groups.

Price: small (two scoops), $3.95; medium (four scoops), $5.95; large (six scoops), $7.95.

JUNE'S GELATERIA

9 a.m.-8 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Sundays

Aloha Tower Marketplace

Ground floor, next to Chai's

537-3500

As a name, June's Gelateria is a bit misleading. It's actually more of a coffee shop with a few tubs of gelato. June's gets its gelato from Mondo Gelato, which means it's not actually a third option, except that it's in a much better location than Mondo Gelato.

Flavors: June's carries the basics — vanilla bean, coffee, coconut, chocolate, as well as a few tubs of sorbetto (or sorbet).

On the day we tried it, the gelato tasted like it may have spent a few too many days in the freezer. It didn't taste fresh, which, in the case of gelato, translates into a slight sourness.

Consistency: The gelato came out of the freezer too cold, a common oversight in our ice-cream-eating society. Gelato should be kept at a temperature of 0 to 6 degrees, while ice cream is kept at about 6 degrees below zero.

The coconut and macadamia nuts in their respective flavors were completely crushed, resulting in coarse, gritty gelato.

Ambience: June's Gelateria is charming and inviting, splashed all over with bright pinks and blues. Hello Kitty would love it here.

Price: $3.49, one scoop; $4.29, two scoops.

NORDSTROM GELATO BAR

11 a.m.-9 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays; 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sundays

Ala Moana Center

953-6100

There's just one thing anyone needs to know about Nordstrom's Gelato Bar: The gelato is made by La Gelateria's Grasso. And that can only mean one thing: Italian ice-cream perfection.

Flavors: Here, the flavors carry Grasso's signature trademarks: They're pure, all natural and intense.

The Nordstrom gelateria offers 10 flavors — ginger, green tea, banana, chocolate, strawberry, spumoni, Kona coffee, macadamia nut, mint chocolate chip and coconut — and all of them are superb.

The banana tastes like the freshest bananas, no fake flavors or Laffy Taffy yellow coloring. The ginger is spicy and sweet, the green tea is earthy and intense, the strawberry is like pure strawberries and cream — tart, sweet and smooth — and the spumoni is beautifully sophisticated.

Consistency: The gelato is kept at the perfect temperature, allowing for smooth scooping and even smoother eating. Everything goes down just right.

Ambience: The bar is small, sleek and modern, with friendly counter staff. It's the ideal respite for a day of shopping.

Price: two scoops, $3.50; three scoops, $4.50.

Other details: The bar is inside Nordstrom, on the first floor, near the children's shoe department. There's plenty of parking in the Ala Moana Center parking lot, but it can be difficult to find parking near Nordstrom. Try parking in Nordstrom's own parking garage; there's usually plenty of space.