Gelato Showdown - Grom vs L'Arte

Decided to checkout Grom Gelato in the West Village again after Porthos' positive review of the place, but I figured I should do a side by side comparison with my favorite gelateria in that area, L'Arte Del Gelato.

I figured I would pick Nocciola (hazelnut) and Pistachio; two flavors the wife and I consistently had during our two week stay in Italy. These two (along with Stracciatella) were the gelatos we had at least 2-3 times a day in Rome / Amalfi, so figuring we could judge those best.

Different tests, but same results for me. Grom is unrecommended and L'Arte is highly recommended.

First up - Nocciola

• Grom Flavor - 6/10 - An intense hazelnut flavor that unfortunately is marred by a gritty texture. Grom would have the edge here if it were not for the disgusting texture.
  
• L'Arte Flavor - 8.7/10 - A nice hazelnut flavor that stands out above most gelaterias, but nowhere near what Italy does.
  

• Grom Texture - 0/10 - Pretty unpalatable to me. Same comments as my previous review. Ground hazelnuts that aren't strained out...WTF. Kinda like eating the sandiest mussels. I've had Nocciola from many different gelateria in Rome and Amalfi and I've never had a sandy Nocciola gelato before. Also, the gelato doesn't melt as well in the mouth.
  
• L'Arte Texture - 9/10 - Beautiful texture. A nice custardy like mouth feel that melts effortlessly. Definitely similar to what we had in Italy.

• Overall Grom Nocciola - 3/10 - That texture is a complete WTF moment in a bad way - completely unbearable. The price is also slightly more expensive than L'Arte also - about $5+ for two scoops.
  
• Overall L'Arte Nocciola - 8.9/10 - Definitely a solid gelato with great texture and very good flavor. Price is about $4.50 for 2 scoops. An added bonus are the guys manning the gelato's all speak Italian.

Finally - Pistachio

• Grom Flavor - 9/10 - A really intense pistachio flavor that definitely stands out. A tad sweet compared to Italian standards, but still hella tasty.
  
• L'Arte Flavor - 8.6/10 - A sold pistachio flavor that is almost a tad too sweet. More sweeter than Grom actually.
  

• Grom Texture - 7/10 - Decent texture, but not velvety or custardy like L'Arte. Does not melt effortlessly in the mouth. Not sure if it's because of the temperature or not. Also, I noticed there were more tiny holes in their gelato compared to L'Arte...maybe signs of more crystallization?
  
• L'Arte Texture - 9/10 - Same comments as the L'Arte texture for Nocciola
  

• Overall Grom Pistachio - 8.4/10 - Much better than the Grom nocciola, but for some reason - worse than the one in my original memory of the Grom in the Upper West Side.
  
• Overall L'Arte Pistachio - 8.7/10 - Very tasty gelato, although I liked the nocciola slightly better.

I'm glad there are so many gelaterias around that area, but sadly my original Bleecker street favorite Bruno Bakery appears to be closed. Although the gelatos there were much sweeter than L'Arte and Grom, the textures usually rocked there. C'est la vie...