Serendipity 3; Broadway Edition

If you come to New York City, you're probably going to want to see a Broadway show.

And if you see a Broadway show, you're probably going to want some ice cream to go with it.

Photo taken from the internet

What is more iconic, more uniquely New York, than the Great White Way?  People flock from all over the world to the intersection of Broadway and 7th Avenue, and they're not just here to be harassed by bootleg super heroes.  They're here to forget the real world for a while, to laugh and cheer and sometimes cry, to be swept up by the fantastic; in short, to see a Broadway musical.  Right now, one of the crowd favorites is a stage adaptation of the 2003 comedy School of Rock playing at the Winter Garden Theater.  In it, a group of kids, guided by a misguided teacher, find their inner rock stars on the road to the battle of the bands.

Wait a minute... what does all of this have to do with ice cream?

Well, you see, almost as iconic to New York as Broadway, and prominently featured in the 2001 film of the same name, is Serendipity 3: a two story restaurant and store that makes some of the city's most beautiful, decadent, and overwhelming sundaes.  This winter, Serendipity has been inspired by the nutty fun of School of Rock - The Musical to create a new - and only available for a limited time - treat: School of Rock - ROCK-y Road Sundae.

On a cold winter evening, Ava and I headed over to Serendipity 3 for the unveiling of their latest creation.  The guests of honor for the event were some very special members of the School of Rock cast.  Once all were assembled and ready, the sundaes came parading to them, each actor receiving their own.  With excitement that could not be contained, they got ready to dive into the dessert they had inspired.

What goes together better than kids and ice cream?

The cast takes their first bite!

What we got: The School of Rock - ROCK-y Road Sundae - three scoops of Vanilla Ice Cream topped with hot fudge, crushed peanuts, whipped cream, chocolate Pop Rocks, and a milk chocolate guitar served in a chalice with frosting, mini chocolate chips, and crushed peanuts on the rim.

Thank goodness I had someone to share this sundae with because it is HUGE!  I overheard one cast member lamenting being full yet not wanting to waste any ice cream.  Clearly this is not your typical, everyday rocky road sundae.  It is rather a reinterpretation inspired by the whimsy and fun of the show.

Let's start with the whipped cream and Pop Rocks.  You have to; the whipped cream creates a mountain on top of the ice cream which you must excavate through.  The whipped cream is fluffy and wonderful, but the party starts with the Pop Rocks.  I don't think I've ever had chocolate Pop Rocks before.  They are a little less pop-y than their uncoated counterparts, but are a lot of fun.  I love that they are what truly bring the "rock" to this rocky road sundae.  The only thing that would make them better is if the Pop Rocks were closer in the sundae's construction to the ice cream; it would be great to add that pop to the creamy coldness.

The ice cream itself is three of the biggest scoops I have ever seen of Serendipity's delicious, creamy vanilla.  Since the fudge and peanuts are toppings rather than mix ins, you have some control over how much of each flavor you get in a bite.

The one disappointment in this sundae was the chocolate guitar.  It is too cold and hard to comfortably bite, and once you do, there is very little flavor to it.  As a decoration to convey the spirit of the show and sundae, it's perfect.  As a piece of chocolate, it leaves something to be desired.

The coating on the rim was actually one of my favorite parts of this creation.  Usually when people use frosting to stick candy to glass it tends to be too hard or too sweet or just gross.  Not here!  The frosting was soft and tasty and fun to scrape off the side with the chocolate chips and peanut pieces.  It created the perfect flavor combination, which I tried both mixed with the ice cream and just on its own.  If anything (I can't believe I'm saying this) I would want more of it!

Overall, The School of Rock - ROCK-y Road Sundae is a fun, flavorful treat.  It is simple in its silliness.  It is also huge, and at some point, it was just too much.  There is only so much vanilla ice cream one can eat.  If you (and some friends) want to try it for yourself, you'll need to hurry.  This limited time sundae will only be around for about a month.

The Rundown:
Where: Serendipity 3
225 East 60th Street

New York, NY 10022
http://www.serendipity3.com/
What they're known for: Frozen Hot Chocolate, huge delicious sundaes
A single cup or cone: Do they even have just a single scoop of ice cream?  I'll have to go back and investigate...
Most Extreme Menu Item: Golden Opulence Sundae (it's in the Guinness Book of World Records and you have to call ahead to order it two days in advance), $1,000
Non-ice cream menu options: Full food menu 

Serendipity 3, I'll be back on another adventure to explore some of your other amazing creations.