The portrait on the wall of Little Italy's Vaccaro's pretty much says everything you need to know about the Original Colosseo: An Augustus Gloop look-alike swooping down to hoover some of the deliciously decadent homemade treat. However frightening, that will be you when you order the Colosseo. It's a blank canvas, if you will, of vanilla gelato, Belgian waffle, whipped cream, nuts, and strawberries, all made by the fine sugar-high dealers at Vaccaro's. Just don't get it confused with any run-of-the-mill diner imposter; there is only one Colosseo, and only Vaccaro's does it right.
It stands well on its own, but you can spice it up with any of Vaccaro's 11 other toppings or 14 flavors of gelato. The artery-clogging delicacy costs $9.40 on its own, but on Mondays the pastry shop hosts an all-you-can-eat sweets feast from 6 to 9 p.m. for only $12. And who knows how many Colosseos you can eat in three hours. Paramedics and cardiologist will not be standing by, so pace yourself.
