Chinatown Ice Cream Factory

On the unofficial first day of summer I wanted to make sure to welcome the season in the best way I know: with a true, classic, New York ice cream adventure.  And thus our feet took us weaving through the crowds down Bayard Street to the original Chinatown Ice Cream Factory.  

Happy to find them as busy and bustling as ever!

While today it is common to find all kinds of flavors inspired by every cuisine around the world, Chinatown Ice Cream Factory grew out of a time where there were the classic, staple flavors and not a lot more, a time when a scoop of rocky road was rebellious.  When Philip Seid opened shop in 1978 he took the delicious, if not predicable, tradition of ice cream in America and turned it on its head with flavors many New Yorkers were encountering for the very first time.

I do not remember how old I was the first time my dad took me to Chinatown Ice Cream Factory.  I know that growing up you could not find the unique and exotic flavors that they made anywhere else, and that a trip to CICF was always special.  It was an extra special treat to get to have my dad along on today's adventure.  

The colorful, small shop is packed end to end with amazing flavors

What I got: Soft serve Taro in a cup.

What Greg got: Single scoop of Black Sesame in a cup.

What Dad got: Single scoop of Read Bean in a cup

Without discussing it, we all went super classic (or at least, classic for CICF) in our ice cream selections.  While you may now be able to find these flavors in your local specialty grocery store, for me Chinatown Ice Cream Factory is the gold standard by which all other are judged.  All three are well balanced, just as sweet and creamy as they should be, and full of their promised flavors.  They also all came with a Pocky candy sticking out of them (we believe they were dark chocolate) which is such a nice treat, and a signature finishing touch on every ice cream at CICF.  While Read Bean is my dad's favorite, he admitted to having ice cream envy for my perfectly purple soft serve.  

Admittedly, not my best ice cream photo... need to brush off the blogging dust

Chinatown Ice Cream Factory is literally packed with flavor, so much so that there is literally just enough room to order your treat and make a u-turn to the door to let the never ending flow of dessert lovers in for their treats.  We took our ice cream a block and a half to Columbus Park to find a bench away from the bustle of Bayard to enjoy every bite. Once we were done I realized that I had neglected to get a picture of the storefront so we decided to circle back, joking that it meant we all needed to get a second ice cream.  I may not have been 100% joking... I really wanted to try the Green Tea Oreo, or maybe the Rainbow (a mix of several of their flavors), or maybe Zen Butter...

The Rundown:
Where: Chinatown Ice Cream Factory
65 Bayard Street
New York, NY 10013
(There are other locations as well)
https://www.chinatownicecreamfactory.com/
What they're known for: Award winning Chinese flavored ice cream
A single cup or cone: $6.50
Most Extreme Menu Item: 2 1/2 gallons of ice cream $80 (they didn't have a price listed for their ice cream cakes, but now I know that they have them, and that you can have one made with any three flavors)
Lactose Free/Vegan Option: There is a significant selection of sorbets
Non-ice cream menu options: They have an incredible selection of CICF swag available for purchase
Accessibility: There is a step up to get into the store, and the space inside is narrow between the freezer and wall.  There is a sign at the front with a number to call if you need assistance. 

Black Tap

I finally came face to face with the most Instagrammed, and possibly most controversial, dessert in NYC: the Black Tap Crazyshake.  Black Tap was not the first place to make over-the-top ice cream shakes, but with a brilliant social media campaign in 2015 they quickly became known as the destination for these ice cream creations with frequent hours-long lines to be seated and served.  After seeing thousands of gorgeous photos, I had to know if they lived up to the hype.

They did not.

The Crazyshakes arrive

What I got: Churro Choco Taco Shake - Cinnamon Toast Crunch shake with a vanilla frosted rim with Cinnamon Toast Crunch, topped with a Choco Taco, two churros, whipped cream, and a dulce de leche drizzle.

What Greg got: Bam Bam Shake - Fruity Pebbles shake with a vanilla frosted rim with Fruity Pebbles, topped with a Fruity Pebble Rice Crispy Treat, a strawberry Pop-Tart, Laffy Taffy, whipped cream, and a cherry.

The Churro Choco Taco is not a well conceived milkshake at all.  When the shake was first served I took a sip, and as far as I could tell, it was just plain vanilla ice cream.  Black Tap's shakes are made with Blue Bunny Ice Cream; a perfectly standard ice cream, which available in your local grocery store.  As I excavated down through the toppings to the shake itself, I discovered that there was a large amount of Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal mixed into the shake, which meant I needed to eat it with a spoon rather than actually drink it.  And let's be honest; I don't want to chew my milkshake.  The cereal in the ice cream had the same effect as it would in a bowl of milk; the longer it sat there, the more the flavor of the Cinnamon Toast Crunch soaked into the shake, making it overpoweringly sweet. 

Speaking of overpoweringly sweet, the frosting they use to stick the cereal to the side of the glass is so mouth-puckeringly over-sugared that it is inedible.  It also serves as shellac, making it incredibly difficult to actually eat the cereal which adorns the sides of the cup, which means it is purely decorative and a waste of food.  The churros were stale, which is fine for a subway platform churro, but at $17 a shake I hoped for something softer.  The Choco Taco was fine, but was definitely just the same sandwich you can buy in the grocery store, unwrapped and used as a garnish.  But who doesn't like having ice cream on their ice cream?  I thought it was fun.  The part this shake that I actually enjoyed was the dulce de leche sauce on top.  It was delicious and it was fun to have something to dip the churros in.  The dulce de leche was well balanced and helped elevate the rest of this over-processed shake.

Greg's Bam Bam Shake was a little easier to deal with in both texture and palate.  You could, theoretically, actually drink this milkshake because Fruity Pebbles are smaller than Cinnamon Toast Crunch.  Unfortunately, they didn't quite fit up the standard drinking straw provided.  This shake was also less cloyingly sweet than the Churro Choco Taco Shake.  The Fruity Pebbles Treat was good, the Pop-Tart (which was actually half a Pop-Tart) was standard but fit with the rest of the shake, and the Laffy Taffy (which was served in its wrapper) came home with us untouched.  Greg finished his shake; I did not finish mine. 

The aftermath

We did also order food, all of which was quite enjoyable, and left feeling VERY full.  I do recommend going to Black Tap for a meal, but skip the Crazyshake.  It's simply not worth the price tag for a pretty, but pretty inedible, milkshake. 

Black Tap's shake makin' station

The Rundown:
Where: Black Tap
529 Broome Street
New York, NY 10013
(There are other locations as well)
https://blacktap.com/
What they're known for: Crazyshakes (and burgers and beer)
Classic Shake: $9.50, Crazyshake: $15-$17
Lactose Free/Vegan Option: There are vegan menu options, but not alternative milkshakes
Non-ice cream menu options: Burgers, Salads, Chicken, Sides, Drinks (both alcoholic and soft)

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.

Stuffed Ice Cream; Holiday Edition

Adorable Ice Cream Alert! 

 

Ok, I promise I would have told you about this sooner, but it just hit my ice cream radar and I raced over right away.  Stuffed Ice Cream is brand new to NYC, having opened this past summer.  Their big thing is donut ice cream sandwiches (If that sounds tasty, check out my piece on Holey Cream, where they have been scooping up donut sandwiches for the past 8 years), but that is not what we are here to discuss today!  What got me bundled up and headed to the East Village in this arctic weather are their Christmas Collection Cones.  There are three festive two-scooped creations to choose from: Santa, Reindeer, and Snowman. You get to choose your scoop flavors and your cone, and the scoop artists make the cutest frozen treats you've ever seen.

There are many wonderful flavors to choose from and samples to be tried if you are having trouble making your selection.

What I got: Christmas Collection Cone "Santa" - Andes Peppermint and Red Velvet Cookie Dough Crumble Ice Cream on a red velvet Konery Cone with a cone and frosting hat, Oreo eyes, a marshmallow beard, Pocky arms (the description said "candy cane", but I'm not mad), and what I think was a white chocolate chip button.

What Greg got: Signature Cruff  "Cereal Killer" - Fruity Pebbles and Cinnamon Toast Crunch Ice Cream in a glazed donut with Captain Crunch and caramel sauce.

Clearly I was feeling festive with both the color and flavors of my ice cream choices.  Look how pretty it is!  I tried the Red Velvet Cookie Dough Crumble (yes, that's one flavor) before ordering it and liked both the texture and the way the flavor evoked cake.  The Andes Peppermint I went for blindly because I love Andes, I love mint ice cream, and, well, it's green and this is a Christmas cone after all.  What struck me about both ice creams as I ate my festive treat was they were rather mild in flavor.  I expected the Andes to be a stronger mint, like the candy it is named for, and to have more of a chocolate presence.  The Red Velvet was pretty true to its cake counterpart in that the flavor was very minimal.  It was definitely red, but after a few bites any defining characteristics faded.  The toppings were what made this creation special.  The cone and frosting hat started things off with a crunch, and the Oreo eyes gave me a little pop of chocolate.  The marshmallow beard was a little stiff (I don't want to say stale... maybe just cold to hold it together?) and that added a whole new texture to the experience.  I loved it!

Greg's Cruff in all its glory

I did get a bite of Greg's Cruff (what Stuffed calls their donut ice cream sandwiches; according to their website it is a mix of the words "cream" for ice cream and "stuffed"), but I will have to come back and order my own to truly experience the Cruff.  My first impressions are that they are bigger than my mouth, and that this one was made particularly sticky by the caramel on the outside. 

I asked the Very Friendly Scoop Artists how long the Christmas Collection would be available:

VFSA #1: Probably just until New Years.

VFSA #2 (almost simultaneously): Forever!

VFSA #1: You think we are going to be making these still in July?

VFSA #2: ... Maybe

VFSA #1: Probably only through this weekend.

Clearly, I'm going to have to give Stuffed another go.  Possibly this weekend to try another member of the Christmas Collection before they are potentially gone.  And then again another time to get a Cruff and to try some of the other wide variety of flavors Stuffed Ice Cream has to offer. 

The Rundown:
Where: Stuffed Ice Cream
139 1st Avenue

New York, NY 10003
https://stuffedicecreamnyc.com/
What they're known for: Cruffs (donut ice cream sandwiches)
A single cup or cone: $4.25
Most Extreme Menu Item: Ice Cream Bouquet (7 scoops of ice cream on a cone) $18 

Note: The website says they have one with 21 scoops, but no price is given.
Non-ice cream menu options: Boxed water

Is it Ice Cream? A Visit to Snowdays

As a self proclaimed ice cream connoisseur, I'm having a bit of a crisis.  You see, I recently took a trip to Snowdays, where they serve up what is referred to as "Shaved Cream" and all I can think is "Does this count as ice cream?" Because really, what is ice cream?  At the most basic, simple level, all you need to have ice cream is sweetened, cooled cream.  From that jumping off point, there are countless ways ice cream is made and enjoyed in almost every culture.  For a moment I thought, "It needs to be churned in some way to be considered ice cream," and then I remembered how much I love Thai style rolled ice cream, which is possibly one of the creamiest, smoothest ways to make ice cream, but most definitely is not churned.  So I bring it to you, ice cream lovers: Should shaved cream be considered a style of ice cream?

Whatever it is, it sure is cute!

Snowdays' website, and their impressive lineup of press releases, claim that this is, in fact, an entirely new and different dessert.  Shaved cream is inspired by Taiwanese and Korean style shaved ice.  Rather than shaving down ice and adding flavoring to it, Snowdays mixes together milk, cream, sugar, and flavor (sounds a lot like an ice cream base, no?), and freezes it, WITHOUT churning it, into big blocks.  When you place your order, they attach a block to the shaving machine, which turns out ribbons of the snowy, creamy concoction.  This is piled high into a cup and finished with drizzled sauces and hard toppings.  Snowdays claims that they have invented this new spin on an old treat, and are happy to have customers think of shaved cream as being in its own unique category of frozen desserts.

What I got: Regular size Green Tea Shaved Cream with chocolate syrup drizzle, mochi, and waffle cones (which were really pizzelle cookies).

What Greg got: Regular size Sweetmilk Shaved Cream with salted caramel drizzle and mochi.

I highly recommend you come hungry; the regular size portion (the smallest you can get) is huge.  The shaved cream is piled high above the rim of the cup, and toppings are artfully styled around the edge in a way that begs to be photographed.  But is it ice cream?  I dove in.

The first thing I noticed is that the ice crystals in shaved cream are HUGE compared to any ice cream I've ever had.  The flavor of ice cream is present; shaved cream has the same sweetness and creaminess, but the texture is entirely different.  With that said, it is also more velvety than a snow cone would be.  What I didn't notice until I had been eating for a while was that the bigger ice crystals also meant I got much colder and had to eat much more slowly than I do when presented with typical ice cream.  I also made much more of a mess than I usually do, as the shaved cream seemed eager to jump out of my cup and slide off my spoon as I tried to eat it.  I'm going to go ahead and blame the ice crystals for that as well.

The flavors were all on point.  Apart from the texture, everything else was exactly what you would expect from a bowl of ice cream.  Both the green tea and the sweetmilk were well balanced and sweet but not too sweet.  The shaved cream got a little melty where the drizzle was added, but that was a nice thing.  All the toppings you would expect to find at an Asian inspired ice cream parlor are available, and you can build and customize your shaved cream adornments to your heart's content.

Bonus points for spoons that change color when they are cold.  That's just fun.

Tastiness and texture aside, I still cannot decide.  IS THIS ICE CREAM??? Leave me a comment.  Or give it a try yourself, and let me know what you think.

The Rundown:
Where: Snowdays
241 East 10th Street
New York, NY 10003
(There are other locations as well)
http://www.snowdaysnyc.com/
What they're known for: Shaved Cream, an invention of their own
A single cup: $6.00
Most Extreme Menu Item: Yeti Combo (their largest size) $12.00
Lactose Free/Vegan Option: The Coconut flavor is vegan, but was also sold out. 
Non-ice cream menu options: Cold and hot beverages

Before They're Gone; an End of Summer Adventure

I know that it's hard to believe, but not all of New York City's ice cream is available year round.  As we cling to the last warm days of summer, some creameries are getting ready to close up shop.  Join me on a special ice cream mission to catch these frozen delights before they are gone.

Oddfellows Carnival

GONE: SEPTEMBER 30th

One of my all time favorite ice cream creators has opened a seasonal pop up shop in SoHo where they are making carnival themed frozen treats which are literally wrapped in fun.  Oddfellows Carnival is only swirling up soft serve; they've got the machines loaded with Caramel Popcorn, Chocolate, Tangerine, and Vanilla.  While you can get any flavor topped as you wish, they are featuring three ice cream carnival creations that are silly and sophisticated and sweet all at once.  

What I got: The Concession Stand - Chocolate and Caramel Popcorn ice cream swirled (this is intended to be made with just the Caramel Popcorn, but they were happy to give me a twist) topped with salted caramel popcorn and chocolate pearls.

What Brianna got: The Pink Dip - Chocolate ice cream dipped in a pink chocolate shell topped with freeze dried raspberries, gold dust, and Pop Rocks.  

What we have to go back for: The Cotton Candy Creamsicle - Vanilla and Tangerine ice cream wrapped in cotton candy (it was a rainy day, and moisture and cotton candy don't mix).

This store finally answers the question, "How much fun can you put on an ice cream cone?"  Turns out the answer is, "All the fun!"  I'm glad that I got my ice cream swirled for two reasons; I really love chocolate, and this might have been a little too salty for me otherwise.  You have to pay close attention while eating The Concession Stand, the popcorn and chocolate pearls will go jumping off of your cone if you aren't careful.  The caramel popcorn was tasty but didn't have the crunch I was expecting.  Joyfully the chocolate pearls stepped in to add a nice texture to the whole creation.

I might have enjoyed Brianna's ice cream more than she did.  The flavors all worked perfectly together; on that we agreed.  The chocolate and raspberries and shell made a sweet, tart, crunchy, smooth concoction of ice cream goodness.  Where our opinions divided was over the Pop Rocks.  I was giddy feeling the crackling on my teeth breaking up the silky sensation of soft serve.  Brianna didn't seem to appreciate the shocking invasion of her otherwise relaxing and pleasant ice cream experience.  To each their own. 

Bonus; they have a photo booth for all your ice cream photo needs.  Take that selfies!

The Rundown:
Where: Oddfellows Carnival 

62 Spring Street

New York, NY 10012

https://www.oddfellowsnyc.com/
What they're known for: Carnival themed soft serve
A single cup or cone: $6.00
Most Extreme Menu Item: Any of the three creations for $7.50
Non-ice cream menu options: Candied peanuts, salted caramel popcorn, cotton candy

Magnum NYC

GONE: OCTOBER 7th

Yes, it's a national brand.  Yes, it's mainstream ice cream.  It's also anything but ordinary.  This summer Magnum NYC popped up in the Meatpacking District bedecked in bling and branding.  There are giant bedazzled ice cream bar sculptures "inspired by the surrounding area" (I don't get it), photo ops for the most Insta-inspired food photographers, and the store's hashtag is absolutely everywhere.  Once you get past all the shine and step up to the counter, you leave the mainstream and enter into a unique culinary experience.  

The whole beautiful process and photo-ready results

How it works: 

Step 1: Pick your ice cream.  Your choices are chocolate or vanilla.  Yes, it's just a normal Magnum ice cream bar... so far.

Step 2:  Pick your toppings.  This is where it gets interesting, and gourmet, and delicious.  Choices include offerings such as organic dark chocolate covered chia seeds, sorbet chocolate curls, pink Himalayan sea salt, and culinary rose petals.  You pick up to three toppings, and they all get spooned into a shaker to be properly mixed.  

Step 3: Choose your dip and drizzle.  Your options are milk chocolate, dark chocolate, and white chocolate.  You may choose different flavors for the shell and the drizzle on top.

Step 4:  Watch the magic.  The ice cream bar gets dipped into the chocolate of your choosing.  Before it has a chance to harden, your toppings are quickly and expertly sprinkled onto both sides of the bar.  Then everything is covered with a drizzle and finished with an "M" medallion.  

What I got: Chocolate ice cream, a dark chocolate shell topped with amoretti cookie crumbles, dried raspberries, and orange chocolate crispy pearls, with a white chocolate drizzle.

What Eric got: Chocolate ice cream with a white chocolate shell, Greek yogurt buttons, chocolate cookie crumble, chocolate covered sunflower seeds (they are blue), and a milk chocolate drizzle on top.

Our tasty creations

You really feel like you are eating something special as you bite into these custom ice cream masterpieces.  Each flavor and texture makes its way into every bite.  My toppings gave me crunch, saltiness, and a little tart from the raspberries to go with the rest of the sweet.  They also gave me a delicious mess; I was glad that the ice cream was served in the little box it was created on.  

The Rundown:
Where: Magnum NYC

875 Washington Street

New York, NY 10014

http://www.magnumicecream.com/us/en/inside-magnum/nyc-store.html
What they're known for: Custom crafted ice cream bars
A custom bar: $8.00
Non-ice cream menu options: They may have cold drinks.  I don't know.  I was distracted by all the shiny objects.

NOTE: I might have the close date wrong.  The website says through September.  I found an article that says through October.  The date listed is what one of the workers told me.

Malai

GONE: NOVEMBER 1st

My final stop for this catch-it-while-you-can ice cream tour brought me to Gotham Market at The Ashland in Fort Greene, Brooklyn, where they have a rotating pop-up space for Brooklyn based business owners to get their delicious wares to the public.  Here I was introduced to the rich, creamy, delicate, and yet intense flavors of Malai Ice Cream.  They offer a soft serve and four hard packed ice creams, all in flavors inspired by an Indian spice palate.  I started by sampling the Coconut-Cardamom soft serve which was rich and creamy and delicious, but with the cardamom I personally could not eat more than a little.  Then I shifted my attention to the hard ice cream and was blissfully whisked away by every flavor.

What I got: Split cone (two flavors) with Rose with Cinnamon Roasted Almonds and Turkish Coffee Ice Cream on a Coconut Cone.

What amazing flavors!  I usually do not like floral ice creams; I find the aroma overpowers the flavor and I can't taste anything else.  The Rose with Cinnamon Roasted Almonds ice cream was delicate and extremely well balanced.  The almond mellowed the rose so that it didn't take over my senses.  The floral and the nuttiness and the spice from the cinnamon all played together beautifully.  The Turkish Coffee ice cream was everything you would want it to be.  It had a well balanced, never bitter coffee flavor, nice and sweet, and similar to the rose, not one flavor overpowered another.  By that point I had also gotten well into enjoying the Coconut Cone which delicately complemented both ice cream flavors.  I could have eaten a few of these cones just as a treat on their own.  

Cone flavors from right to left: blue corn, five spice, cinnamon, and coconut

While I was blissfully enjoying my cone I saw another customer order the Turmeric Ice Cream.  I didn't get to try it, but I have never seen a more beautiful yellow ice cream in all my adventures. 

The Rundown:
Where: Malai

Gotham Market at The Ashland

590 Fulton Street

Brooklyn, NY 11217

http://www.malai.co/
What they're known for: Indian inspired ice cream flavors
A single cup: $5.00 A single cone: $7.00
Most Extreme Menu Item: Hand Packed Pint $11.00
Non-ice cream menu options: While there is only ice cream at Malai, Gotham Market is full of a wide variety of food.  Go hungry.  And with friends. 

Enjoy these last warm days of summer and some of these delicious frozen treats while you still can!

Scooper Bowl New York

Did somebody say "all-you-can-eat ice cream"?!?!?!?!?  As soon as Scooper Bowl New York was announced my Facebook news feed sprang to life with friends tagging me in links to press releases.  The event's page promised endless ice cream from national and local vendors and, best of all, proceeds would go to support The Jimmy Fund (http://www.jimmyfund.org/).  You mean I can eat myself silly on frozen treats and support an amazing cause?  I secured my tickets instantly.

The big day arrived and, joined by friend and fellow ice cream lover Justin, we headed out to Bryant Park.  After scanning our tickets we each received a silver star hand stamp and a sampling spoon with instructions to hold onto it, and then the world was our ice cream dish!  We headed straight to the Vice Cream (http://www.eatvicecream.com/) tent.  None of us had heard of this creamery before.  I'm glad I know of them now.  They are starting to show up in grocery stores, so if you see them on the shelves grab a pint.  Apart from their sinfully tasty ice cream, Vice Cream had a station set up where you could write a letter to a cancer patient, which would be delivered with ice cream to kids in the hospital.  A visit to their website taught me that supporting cancer patients, their doctors, families, and support organizations, is a big part of Vice Cream's mission.  Seriously, buy a pint.

Justin and I attempted to eat all the ice cream we could see.

Vice flavors: Afternoon Delight, Bourbon Mash, L'Orange a Trois, Higher Grounds, Minted

Every flavor brought something special.  I was thrilled that they had varieties of my two favorites.  Minted is Vice's newest flavor and features a mint base with both mint chocolate "coins" and cookie pieces.  Higher Grounds isn't just a coffee ice cream.  It's coffee with chunks of mocha fudge, chocolate cookies, and espresso, which they somehow manage to make sweet.  Like creamsicles?  L'Orange a Trois is the most sophisticated deconstructed creamsicle you've ever had.  Afternoon Delight is a fusion of three classic ice cream flavors with cookie dough, ribbons of fudge and caramel sauce, and salted caramel.  The mix of sweet, salty, chocolate, and cookie dough makes a wonderful snack.  The star of Bourbon Mash ice cream is the bourbon caramel sauce that is laced through it.  The flavor of bourbon is there, but without the burn.

Vice Cream flavors for all!

Next we found our way to DF Mavens (http://dfmavens.com/), where they were scooping as fast as they could to keep up with the crowd.  We waited patiently, as there were promises of some really amazing flavors coming our way.  They were very much worth the wait.  The big surprise?  Every one of these amazing flavors is VEGAN.  So if you are looking for a delicious dairy free treat, not only does DF Mavens deliver, they convinced this lactose lover that an enjoyable alternative exists.


DF Mavens flavors: Raspberry, Red Bean, Key Lime Creme, Madagascar Vanilla Bean, Alphonso Mango


The Raspberry turned out to be a very pleasant sorbet; sweet, smooth, and cool.  I found the Red Bean to be too mealy.  The texture of the beans overtook the texture of the base ice cream.  The Alphonso Mango reminded me of drinking a mango lassi.  It was smooth and creamy and full of ripe mango flavor.  It took me back to the mango ice cream I got as a child at my family's favorite Indian restaurant.  The star at DF Mavens was the Madagascar Vanilla Bean.  I don't order vanilla ice cream often; it's simple and classic but not very exciting, so I go for the bigger flavors.  The Madagascar Vanilla Bean was the most delicious vanilla ice cream I've ever had.  It was one of the best flavors at the Scooper Bowl across the board.  There was a sophistication in the simplicity, a smoothness, and a fullness that made every bite luxurious.  It was only after singing the praises of Madagascar Vanilla Bean that we discovered it is a vegan ice cream, and that makes it an even grander accomplishment.

Then I saw people walking around with mini ice cream cones and made a bee line for a local favorite.

Our third stop was to a table featuring a New York favorite; Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory (https://www.brooklynicecreamfactory.com/).  I will go on a separate adventure to visit them soon, but I'm so glad they brought their flavors and fun to the Scooper Bowl.  Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory absolutely gets top marks for presentation. 

Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory flavors: Strawberry, Chocolate Chocolate Chunk, Vanilla, Pistachio

...Or at least those are the ones they listed.  All of the Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory flavors were being served on tiny ice cream cones.  Ice cream is always more fun on a cone!  It gives you a little extra treat at the end and gave my tiny spoon a rest.  We each grabbed a flavor; Greg got Pistachio, Justin took Strawberry, and I went for Chocolate Chocolate Chunk, as I hadn't had any chocolate yet.  All were as fresh and fun as ever.  And then we saw it... open face ice cream sandwiches.  Ok, so it was really vanilla ice cream atop a giant Oreo cookie, but it was good!  I had to eat it fast to keep the ice cream from melting off the cookie.  Later in the day I went back to the Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory booth, thinking I wanted to get Strawberry this time.  I instead had a wonderful surprise; they had started scooping Blueberry!  I got myself one last cone with the blueberry goodness and thoroughly enjoyed every lick.

Open face Oreo

Surprise Blueberry

Next to Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory was Graeter's (https://www.graeters.com/).  This is the first I had tried the fourth generation Midwest ice cream brand. Their ice cream was rich and creamy.  The flavors were not too fancy, but knew what they were, and what they were was good.

Graeter's flavors: Black Raspberry Chocolate Chip, Double Chocolate Chip, Madagascar Vanilla Bean

After having thoroughly sampled the creamy cold commodities of the first four vendors, we filled up what space remained with the national brands that were present.  Ben and Jerry's will always have a special place in my heart, and I love that they are environmentally and socially responsible (learn more here: http://www.benjerry.com/values).  I went for a taste of The Tonight Dough Starring Jimmy Fallon (caramel and chocolate ice cream with cookies, chocolate chip and peanut butter cookie dough) and found the caramel/chocolate/peanut/salty/sweet/smooth/goopy mix to hit the spot. Breyers, who makes the Neapolitan of my childhood, was the next tent over. I sampled their Cookies and Cream, which is simple and smooth and satisfying. Just so we could say we had tried everything we headed over to Baskin Robins. Generally I avoid Dunkin Donuts' frozen sister, but it was part of the experience. Love Potion #31 was cloyingly sweet with a tang to the flavor which can only be artificial. I guess the chocolate hearts were cute. Honestly, in a city with so much great ice cream, why would anyone waste their time? Häagen Dazs was our last stop of the day. They were giving out single serving containers so I took my mint chocolate chip to go, leaving the Scooper Bowl and all its cold, creamy, child-helping, world-changing goodness behind. 

Blueberry Ice Cream Alert! The Inside Scoop!

I have received special communications and am here to alert the public to something wonderful happening in our fair city.  Now until June 18th ONLY special Josh Pond (http://joshpond.com/) Wild Maine Blueberry Ice Cream can be found at some of New York's, and this blogger's, favorite ice cream destinations.  Make your way posthaste to the following locations for tasty, creamy, cool, refreshing blueberry treats:

• Morgenstern's Finest Ice Cream - 2 Rivington Street, NY, NY 10002 (The location of my first ice cream adventure: http://nycicecreamadventure.blogspot.com/2017/04/morgensterns-finest-ice-cream.html)
• Chinatown Ice Cream Factory - 65 Bayard Street, NY, NY 10013
• Davey's Ice Cream - 137 1st Avenue, NY, NY 10003 -or- 201 Bedford Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11211 (Coincidentally the location of my second ice cream adventure: http://nycicecreamadventure.blogspot.com/2017/04/daveys-ice-cream-williamsburg.html)
• il laboratorio del gelato - 188 Ludlow Street, NY, NY 10002
• Melt Bakery - I'm not sure which location, but here's a map of all of them https://www.meltbakery.com/pages/locations
• 10 Below - 10 Mott Street, NY, NY 10013 -or- 132 Allen Street, NY, NY 10002 -or- 42 1/2 St. Marks Place, NY, NY 10003 (Manhattan locations only)
• Mikey Likes It Ice Cream - 199 Avenue A, NY, NY 10009

I will attempt to try as many of these as possible before the week is out and report back to you as soon as possible.  Please note; all of the creameries listed that I have not yet blogged about will each receive their own day in the sun.

This message will become delicious in 3...

2...

1...

Blueberry Mint Vegan Swirl from Morgenstern's

Holey Cream

This is no ordinary ice cream adventure. This ice cream adventure takes us to a magical place where ice cream and donuts live together in harmony.  A place where the choices are dazzling, the combinations are delightful, and the resulting flavors are delicious.  A place where sugary dreams are brought to life with care.  A place in Hell's Kitchen called Holey Cream.

I also had no ordinary special guest with me on this adventure (or was I a special guest on his?).  For this ice cream and donut extravaganza I was joined by my friend Jean-Tae who was one of my inspirations for starting Scoops, Sundaes, Sprinkles, and Shakes in the first place.  You see, in 2015 Jean-Tae took on a "100 Days of Ice Cream Challenge" in which he ate a different flavor of ice cream every day for 100 days straight.  Photo evidence went up on Facebook every day with the number, flavor, and those of us who joined him along the way.  This spring Jean-Tae announced that he was taking up another challenge.  This time, donuts.  When I heard about Holey Cream, I knew a crossover was called for.  So it was that on Day 46 of the Donut Challenge we met up at this ice cream and donut mecca.

I think I had this look on my face the whole time I was at Holey Cream.

We walk up to the counter and are greeted by the friendly staff.  I inform them that I want the ice cream-donut-sandwich-thing, but I don't know what that means.  Well... They start with a plain donut, and you pick your ice cream flavor, glaze flavor, and topping.  I can't decide what flavor of ice cream to get; there are over 30 to choose from.  I am told I can pick two.  Then I choose from about half a dozen glaze flavors.  Then I'm taken over to the topping selection where there are more than 20 options.  THEN I'm asked to pick a drizzle for the top.  The smile on my face and wonder in my eyes must have gotten bigger with every step.  The employees noted my joy and found it to be contagious.

There were too many ice cream options to capture in one image, but behold the beautiful toppings!

What I got: Donut Ice Cream Sandwich - a plain donut with two scoops of Holey Moley Ice Cream, one scoop of Coffee Mud Pie Ice Cream, Nutella glaze, Heath crumble, and marshmallow drizzle.

What Jean-Tae got: Donut Ice Cream Sandwich - a plain donut with two scoops of Holey Moley Ice Cream, one scoop of Brownie a la Mode Ice Cream, Nutella glaze, Oreo pieces, and marshmallow drizzle.

What Greg got: one scoop of Outrageous Caramel Pretzel Ice Cream in a cup.

Please do not mistake the similarity of our sandwiches for a lack of options.  There are literally thousands of combinations you could make.  We just have similar tastes when confronted with such a smorgasbord.

Behold the beauty!

We feasted with gusto!  The Holey Moley Ice Cream is a cookie dough base with M&Ms and fudge mixed in. The candy in it added even more fun to a treat that I could not stop smiling about.  I have mentioned before that I am a fan of coffee ice creams, and the Coffee Mud Pie was perfect!  The coffee flavor mixed with chocolate was just what I wanted and the gooeyness of the brownie pieces brought a fun texture to the party.  All three toppings, the Nutella, Heath, and marshmallow sauce, came together to feel like I'd created sophisticated s'mores on top of a sundae.  The donut itself was the perfect platform for all of the flavors, being soft and fluffy and soaking up ice cream as it had a little time (but not much, I ate this fast) to melt.  It wasn't too heavy, as I find donuts can sometimes be.  The cake of the donut was tasty but not overpowering, creating a sandwich where everything could be enjoyed in harmony.

This is a simplified version of the process.  It does not mention that you get THREE scoops of ice cream, which you can split between two flavors, and that after you add toppings, the whole thing is crowned with a drizzle.

I highly encourage you to head over to Holey Cream and compose your own heavenly donut ice cream creation.  There is so much to choose from that everyone will be able to make their own version of the perfect sandwich.  Holey Cream is right outside the Theatre District and open late, so you can stop in for a treat after a show.

The Rundown:
Where: Holey Cream
796 9th Avenue
New York, NY 10019
https://www.instagram.com/holeycreamnyc/
What they're known for: Donut Ice Cream Sandwich
A single cup or cone: $5.50
Most Extreme Menu Item: 12 Donuts $24.50, but most extreme ice cream is their selection of sundaes, which include 4 scoops of ice cream each at $9.00
Non-ice cream menu options: Donuts, cupcakes, brownies, cookies, smoothies, hot and cold beverages

Tipsy Scoop

There is a brand new ice cream "barlour" in Kips Bay serving up boozy ice cream, and it's creating quite a buzz.  Tipsy Scoop started out making ice cream for wholesale and catering, and now you can purchase their alcoholic treats by the scoop at their just opened brick and mortar location.  When I was there Tipsy Scoop had only been open a week, but word has clearly gotten out.  I rely on rainy days to beat the rush at popular ice cream parlors, but on this soggy day, the place was packed to the pint!  I guess customers are more likely to brave the rain when they all have to be 21+ to enter.

While I was taking this picture, someone headed in asked me if I was even 21.  Greg responded with "are you?"

Bird's eye view of the crowd courtesy of special guest Brianna.

We squeezed in the door and waited a long time in a very slowly moving line.  The menu board indicated that three flavors, including the Chocolate Stout Pretzel that I had been looking forward to trying, were sold out.  No problem there, I still had a hard time narrowing down my choices, as so many of the flavors sounded delicious.  I decided to order a flight so that I could sample four.  When I got to the counter, I was told I couldn't get a flight, because they were just too labor intensive to make.  "But I see other people with them, they look beautiful, I was really looking forward to one." I tell them.  Nope, too much work.  Instead they will serve two scoops in two cups each.  The good news is that they only charged me for a 2 scoop ice cream, which is less than their flight.  The bad news is that while we were eating, I saw another beautiful flight walk by me.  What's that about? Good to know I'm not worth the effort.

Here is a picture of a flight from the Tipsy Scoop Twitter page.

This is what I was served.  You can understand my disappointment.

What I got: Boozy "Flight" - Tequila Mexican "Hot" Chocolate, Spiked Hazelnut Coffee, Spiked Mint Chocolate Chip, and Raspberry Limoncello Sorbet

What Greg got: Sandwich - chocolate chip cookies with Spiked Hazelnut Coffee Ice Cream

What special guest Brianna got: Spiked Mint Chocolate Chip and  Dark Chocolate Whiskey Salted Caramel in a cup

Please note: All of the listed flavors have real booze in them and contain up to 5% ABV.  The menu says that they do have non-alcoholic ice cream available.  We didn't ask.  The menu also says that sprinkles and cherries are complimentary.  I didn't notice that until we were already eating, and the servers didn't offer.

Everyone's favorite was the Tequila Mexican "Hot" Chocolate.  The flavor was spot on.  You can taste the tequila and a little bit of spice, but neither are overpowering.  As delightful as the flavor was, the ice cream itself was super melty (the one on the right in the above picture) and that made it goopy and difficult to eat.  I didn't want to rush my eating to prevent making a mess; I wanted to enjoy it! The Raspberry Limoncello Sorbet was also very enjoyable.  It would be a perfect summer backyard party cool down treat, if anyone in NYC had a backyard.  The flavors were balanced, the booze was present but again, not overwhelming, and it felt good to eat.

The other flavors were all underwhelming.  The Spiked Mint Chocolate Chip had a very mild mint flavor and I couldn't taste the booze, let alone tell you what it was.  The Spiked Hazelnut Coffee clearly wanted to evoke the flavor of Baileys, but again was very mild; neither the hazelnut nor coffee flavors particularly had a chance to shine.  As for the Dark Chocolate Whiskey Salted Caramel, the first two elements were definitely there.  You could taste the chocolate and the whiskey, and it was quite good.  The salted caramel was, however, completely lost.  If they had left that out of the description, this would be a perfectly fine flavor.  As it is, if you think you are getting salted caramel and you can't find it, that can be disappointing.

Greg biting into his ice cream sandwich brilliantly photobombed by Brianna

Greg's ice cream sandwich also didn't measure up, and that I mean literally.  It was a very small treat, for a not very small treat price.  The cookie-to-ice cream ration was way off... too much cookie and and not enough cream.  Or maybe it was not enough cookie and really not enough cream (did I mention it was small?).  The cookies were hard, which lends itself to shattering while eating, which as anyone who has eaten an ice cream sandwich knows, just means a mess.

All and all, I don't think I will be heading back to Tipsy Scoop.  While some of the flavors were quite enjoyable, there was a bit too much disappointment in this ice cream adventure, and I just don't like being made to feel that I am a second class ice cream consumer.

The Rundown:
Where: Tipsy Scoop
217 East 26th Street
New York, NY 10010
http://www.tipsyscoop.com/
What they're known for: Alcoholic Ice Cream
A single cup: $4.50
Most Extreme Menu Item: Cake $75 (takes 5 days)
Non-ice cream menu options: Coffee (iced or hot) and bagged toppings

Soft Swerve

It's time for ice cream to meet umami!  Soft Swerve keeps it simple and sweet.  They offer four Asian inspired flavors of soft serve ice cream, Ube Purple Yam, Macapuno Coconut, Matcha Green Tea, and Black Sesame, which can be enjoyed solo or twisted in a cup or cone.  The Swerve Specials menu offers unique and well balanced combinations of ice cream and toppings.   Customers are also welcome to order their own creations.  And boy, do they make it look good.

We walked right in and up to the counter.  The staff was friendly and happy to make alterations to their suggested creations.  They do offer samples (if you are unfamiliar with these flavors and feeling wary, this is a great opportunity to get to know them), but we went straight for our treats.  As soon as we had ordered and collected our dessert a huge line to the door formed.  Clearly word has gotten out about this place.  Sometimes it's all about good timing.   

Photo Credit to my dad, who is tall and could take a picture over the heads of the forming crowd.

What I Got: A modified version of the Broadway Special - Ube and Macapuno Coconut swirled with Fruity Pebbles, and marshmallows in a chocolate cone.

What Greg Got: Brooklyn Bridge - Black Sesame, Skor Toffee, mochi, and caramel drizzle in a cup.

Let me say first that the staff here takes great care in creating their ice cream concoctions.  The ice cream is expertly swirled into a cup or cone so that it looks picture perfect every time.  For my creation, they sprinkled some fruity pebbles into the bottom of my cone before filling it with ice cream so that there was a little extra treat waiting at the end for me.  For Greg's they started by drizzling the caramel into the cup in a pattern, then added the toffee and shook it to have the pieces stick in place.

Ok so it looks pretty, but how does it taste?  Just right.  The ice cream is smooth and creamy and cold enough that it doesn't melt while you enjoy the toppings.  I thoroughly enjoyed the flavor and purple color if the Ube.  If you've never tried it, ube is very similar to taro.  The closest comparison on the American flavor pallet might be red velvet, in the sense that there is a flavor that reminds you a bit of chocolate, but isn't.  Try it.  The coconut flavor got a little lost the sweetness of my toppings.  I did not realize when I placed my order that the marshmallows were Lucky Charms.  I don't typically eat sugary cereals, but this was a fun way to have an ice cream.  There was a crunch from the Fruity Pebbles that was really satisfying.  Everything about my dessert, down to the chocolate cone with its subtle flavor was full of joy.

Greg's treat was on the more sophisticated side.  Black Sesame has a gentle sweet flavor with a slight woodiness that comes out of the seeds when they are roasted.  The toppings just kept lifting that flavor up with the sauce and toffee bringing caramel and chocolate to the party.  Where the toffee gave a little crunch, there was the delightful smoothness of the mochi pieces.  Mochi is a rice paste treat that is a bit like a gummy but softer, and is one of my favorite toppings.

If these flavors inspire you, I highly recommend taking a trip to the Lower East Side.  I will need to make another visit myself to try the Matcha Green Tea.

The Rundown:
Where: Soft Swerve
85B Allen Street
New York, NY 10002
http://www.softswervenyc.com/
What they're known for: Asian inspired soft serve
A single cup or cone: $3.99
Most Extreme Menu Item: Swerve Specials $5.99
Non-ice cream menu options: None - they keep it simple and do it well