Cheap Thrills and Chills in Manhattan or Epicure's NYC Ice Cream Guide
Jun 12 '01
The Bottom Line Do I really need to say something here? I think the title and review speak for themselves.
For me, nothing signifies vacation, relaxation and summertime like ice cream. Ice cream is such a happy dessert. Have you ever seen anyone unhappily licking an ice cream cone? Didn't think so. A child's birthday party. A lover's first kiss. Carnival games on a pier. A historic village on a river. Brown-and-white cows grazing on the pastures in Normandy. Just a few images that come to mind when I think of ice cream, so is it any wonder that my obsession with this frozen confection has only grown stronger over the years.
Below is a list of my favorite places to indulge in Manhattan. Although some of the establishments are full-service restaurants, they also serve ice cream to-go. One visit to any of these places will ruin you for Haagan-Dazs and Ben & Jerry's forever.
(1) Chinatown Ice Cream Factory (65 Bayard Street, 212-608-4170). There are times when the ubiquitous vanilla or strawberry ice cream just won't do. In fact, there are times when even the childhood-favorite mint chocolate chip or the I-just-got-dumped-by-my-boyfriend cookies and cream won't do. On these occasions, I find myself retracing that old familiar path to the Chinatown Ice Cream Factory. With a faded dragon banner waving outside the storefront, the Chinatown Ice Cream Factory has become somewhat of a Chinatown institution. While they have some of the typical flavors that you would find at a Baskin Robbins, their specialty is the "Asian" flavors. My favorites include the red bean, taro and almond cookie ice creams. Mr Epicure always has the lychee sorbet. One would have expected the green tea ice cream to be on par with the rest of the Asian flavors, but I found it to be rather bland and nondescript with hardly a hint of the light, smoky-grassy flavor that characterizes green tea. Other than that, I have no complaints. Although the quality of the ice cream may not be the same as Cones or Ronnybrook Farms, it still is very good ice cream, and the uniqueness of the flavors really draws in the crowds.
(2) Ciao Bella (227 Sullivan Street; 285 Mott Street, 212-431-3591). Ciao Bella is the secret weapon of many a New York restaurateur. Those without the time or inclination or talent to make their own ice cream will often commission Ciao Bella to provide them with a steady supply for their dessert menu. Not that I blame them, because Ciao Bella does produce excellent quality stuff that tastes a little more refined and elegant than your average ice cream. The silky texture of the ice cream reminds me more of Italy's gelatos and sorbettos rather than the chunky, everything-but-the-kitchen-sink ice creams made famous by Ben & Jerry's. One reason that I love Italian gelaterias is that they tend to feature a large variety of nut-based flavors like hazelnut, chestnut, walnut, pistachio, etc. In my opinion, Ciao Bella makes the best pistachio and hazelnut gelato in the city. The hazelnut is actually a hazelnut biscotti, but the biscotti is chewy like a cookie, rather than hard like the biscotti that is typically consumed with an after-dinner expresso. The sorbettos at Ciao Bella have a tad too much sugar for my taste. Fruits picked at the peak of ripeness are perfect without any additional sweeteners. If you are in the mood for sorbets, read on.
(3) Cones, Ice Cream Artisans (272 Bleecker Street, 212-414-1795). I have to admit that Cones has a special place in my heart. No where else is the phrase "made with love" more applicable. With more than a couple dozen flavors to choose from, Cones presents a delightful dilemma for any ice cream lover. Like Ciao Bella, Cones' ice cream is more correctly referred to as gelato and sorbetto. Square metal containers hold mounds of soft, smooth, luscious gelato. You don't need massive Popeye muscles to scoop these babies. Cones wisely groups together all the cream-based flavors (gelatos) and all the fruit-based flavors (sorbettos). Among the cream-based flavors, my favorites are the mocha chocolate chip, the tiramisu and the hazelnut. But however tasty the gelatos are, they really can't compare to the sorbettos. The fruit flavors of the sorbettos are so intense that they can be described as startling. Never before have I tasted such exquisite green apple, blueberry and orange flavored sorbettos. All of their gelatos and sorbettos are made fresh everyday. And in case you were wondering, the proprietors are from Argentina, not Italy.
(4) Custard Beach (World Trade Center 2, 212-786-4707; Grand Central Station). The concept of frozen custard always calls to mind the beaches and boardwalks of Coney Island and Atlantic City in their heyday. I read that when the first frozen custard machine was brought to Coney Island in 1919, 18,460 cones were sold the first weekend. I can imagine people's first reaction to the taste of custard, especially if they had been subsisting on soft-serve ice cream up until that fateful moment. The rich weightiness must have been a revelation. Frozen custard contains less air than traditional ice cream, which contributes to its weightiness, and the richness in taste is due to the addition of egg yolks, which also keeps the custard from melting as quickly as ice cream. Custard Beach pays tribute to this old-fashioned treat by making fresh batches of custard each day. Vanilla and chocolate are the daily staples, and then there are usually 2-3 changing specials. The creme brulee, chocolate malt, and cookies and cream are all wonderful. You can request custom-made flavors (e.g., fruit or nut blend-ins) for an additional charge. I also recommend ordering one of the crunchy, freshly made waffle cones or bowls to accompany your custard.
(5) Emack & Bolio's (389 Amsterdam Avenue, 212-362-2747). As a matter of principle, I usually avoid all chain food stores, but Emack & Bolio's, a Boston-based ice cream chain, is one exception. After all, it does lay claim to the "Best Vanilla Ice Cream" (at least according to the award certificate hanging on the wall of their store). Now I should tell you that I have always been partial to vanilla. Sure, the thought of truffles and peanut butter and chocolate fudge swirled into my ice cream does make me a little giddy, but could I eat such decadence day after day? The answer, my friend, is an unfortunate no. Over the years, my palate has grown accustomed to the simpler foods, like chicken soup, steamed fish, country white bread and yes, vanilla ice cream. A wholesome vanilla-bean scented ice cream is a thing to be treasured, and it's true - Emack & Bolio's does make one of the best. You can even see the flecks of vanilla bean in each creamy scoop. Their pistachio and almond joy ice creams aren't bad either. If you are fond of chunky ice cream à la Ben & Jerry's style, you'll love the chocolate flake, which contains eraser-size chocolate pieces.
(6) Magnolia Bakery (401 Bleecker Street, 212-462-2572). A newcomer to the ice cream scene, Magnolia Bakery started selling ice cream for the first time this spring. Their homemade ice cream is served from a small outdoor cart around the corner from the bakery on West 11th Street. Like the bakery's classic multi-layer cakes and banana pudding with nilla wafers, their ice cream has an unabashedly old-fashioned taste. It's the type of ice cream you would find in small-town ice cream parlors and soda fountains, not upscale restaurants. I've already become quite addicted to the vanilla sandwich creme cookie, and while in a particularly creative mood one day, I ordered a half-cup of chocolate chip and a half-cup of peanut butter swirl and mixed them together. Voila! A heavenly peanut butter chocolate chip ice cream. Yes, I'm still patting myself on the back for that one. Hey, wipe that silly smirk off your face!
(7) Maison du Chocolat (1018 Madison Avenue, 212-744-7117; 30 Rockefeller Center, 212-265-9404). Of course, Paris' most celebrated chocolatier is much more well-known for their chocolates than their sorbets, but if you've ever wondered what the best chocolate tastes like frozen, you must try Maison du Chocolat's chocolate sorbet. It will dispel any mistaken notions that you may have about sorbets being light. This chocolate sorbet is sinfully rich, with a capital S and a capital R. It's made with a sensual, semi-sweet, dark chocolate. Also noteworthy are their sorbets. The raspberry sorbet is wonderful, but the cassis sorbet steals the show. The French always seem to make the best cassis desserts.
(8) Payard Patisserie & Bistro (1032 Lexington Avenue, 212-717-5252). Ah, another temple for dessert worshipers, but one more well-known for pastries than ice cream. Droves of New Yorkers flock to Payard to sample his elegant French pastries - everything from classic flaky napoleons to juicy sweet raspberry tarts. In a corner by the bar sits the ice cream freezer, the plain sister in comparison to the sparkling glass display cases filled with truffles, petit fours and pastel-colored macaroons. But do not let its simple looks deceive you. Like everything else produced by Payard, the ice cream is top-quality and splendid. The apple sorbet reminds me of frozen apple sauce - grainier than most sorbets but deliciously refreshing nonetheless. The peach sorbet is my favorite - the essence of summer. There is also a nougat ice cream that I have not had the chance to try yet, but I do recall my first immensely enjoyable encounter with nougat ice cream at Berthillon in Paris.
(9) Ronnybrook Farms (75 Ninth Avenue, Chelsea Marketplace, 212-741-6455). A virtual unknown in the city just a few short years ago, Ronnybrook Farms has now become a shining beacon at the Union Square Green Market and the Chelsea Marketplace. Ronnybrook's dairy products cater to New Yorkers' obsession with freshness. Made in small batches the old-fashioned way, without chemicals or hormones, Ronnybrook's products make you feel like you are ingesting something really good for you. At least that's what I like to tell myself when digging into a pint of Ronnybrook ice cream. The farm-fresh taste of Ronnybrook ice cream is very rich yet simple and natural. Trying Ronnybrook ice cream for the first time is like drinking whole milk for the first time, assuming you had been drinking nonfat milk up until that point. My favorite flavors at Ronnybrook include the vanilla chocolate chip (best in the city), toasted hazelnut crunch and coffee. I'm always tempted to buy Ronnybrook's milk just because the glass milk bottles look like something out of a Norman Rockwell illustration.
(10) Sarabeth's (423 Amsterdam Avenue, 212-496-6280; 1295 Madison Avenue, 212-410-7335). For most New Yorkers, the name Sarabeth's has long been synonymous with scrumptious baked goods, amazing preserves and hour-long waits for weekend brunch. Well, obviously Sarabeth's management knew how to capitalize on their strengths. In a move designed to further expand their bakery and preserves empire, they joined forces with Ciao Bella to produce a new line of ice cream. The new line features Sarabeth's delectable bakery items combined with Ciao Bella's first-rate ice cream. The result is positively irresistible. A few of my favorite flavors - Sarabeth's famous chocolate brownies blended with Ciao Bella's pistachio ice cream, Sarabeth's Billy's Blues preserves blended with Ciao Bella's lemon ice cream, and Sarabeth's pecan pie blended with Ciao Bella's butter pecan ice cream.
So there you have it. May you never be at a loss for where to obtain your next ice cream fix. Oh, and don't let me catch you standing in line for Mr. Frostie's soft-serve. Whipped cream has more substance in it than that stuff.
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Epicure
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Location: New York, NY
Reviews written: 88
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About Me:
I generally avoid temptation....unless I can't resist it.
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