Category: Destination Ice Cream

Odd Fellows in N.Y.C.

This summer’s quick jaunt to New York City was fabulous. We fit in two shows and three ice cream places! (If you missed it, I reviewed Morgenstern’s last week.) The second stop of our trip was Oddfellows, nestled near Playwrights Horizons and other off and off-off-Broadway theatres. 

We knew from the moment we saw Odd Fellows that they were unique. They’re famous for their ice cream sandwiches, but we were already pretty full from our first ice cream stop! So we settled on sticking to ice cream. 

Lime Tarragon – It’s a sorbet! Ross thought it tasted like Pickety Place, known for using their own herbs in their lunches (and also where we got married, incidentally). I loved this, it’s unreal! The tarragon wakes you up and takes this to the next level. It isn’t watery at all…much more than I expected from sorbet. Almost creamy. 

Green Matcha – Ross tried this but passed. He said it just wasn’t the flavor he expected. 

Olive Oil Strawberry – The strawberry is very real, almost more sorbet-like, and it’s woven with olive oil ice cream which is really complex and has a real aftertaste of olive oil. It wasn’t my favorite but it’s super interesting, rich and creamy. Ross described it as everything he is looking for in an ice cream!

Our single scoops came to $4 each with tax, which seemed reasonable for New York City. They rotate flavors and keep eight in stock.  We were delighted to see ice cream and frozen yogurt trucks throughout our travels. If you have a favorite, let me know! And finally, it’s not ice cream-related, but we saw the amazing show Shuffle Along while we were in town. Phenomenal cast and production team, and an incredible story that brought back memories from my independent study in high school, where I wrote about the depiction of African-Americans in American musical theater. A few photos are below! 


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Morgenstern’s

Morgenstern’s has a wonderful reputation in New York City, so it made complete sense that they were being interviewed the day I was there. My husband and I made Morgenstern’s a destination and we weren’t disappointed. 

It was really hopping the afternoon we were there. A dozen people filled into the small store quickly as we waited, and they probably served forty people total while we were in the store purchasing and eating. 

Prices are significantly more expensive here than in other parts of the country, but for New York it felt reasonable. $6.50 for two scoops, plus tax, so we spent about $14 for two dishes of ice cream. 

The staff here was fantastic and super helpful. They let us try things, advised us and complimented our choices, and they told us to enjoy as they handed us our selections. It was impressive in such an overflowing, busy place. Despite the limited seating it turned over quick so we had a place to perch. 

Before commiting to a flavor I tasted lemon shiso espresso. As promised, you could really taste all three flavors! I loved it. It almost melts in your mouth thanks to the texture. 

Ross went with buttermilk and bourbon vanilla for his selections, and I went with raw milk and sweet potato mello. Here are our thoughts:

Buttermilk – Wow! The buttermilk has an awesome sour punch but a real sweet cream to it as well. A winner! It’s tangy.

Bourbon vanilla – Outstanding. This has a 40% booze content apparently. It’s delicious bourbon and the vanilla bean is the epitome of what vanilla can be. Due to the higher alcohol content, they struggled a bit with the texture which Ross wasn’t fond of – it’s a more slushy ice cream. But I loved the flavor immensely and seemed to overlook that. 

Raw milk – This is simple, sweet and creamy – but not too sweet. It’s so good! If you like plain flavors like vanilla, enjoy it as is, but it’s an excellent flavor to pair with something else. 

Sweet potato mello –  It’s like the innards of sweet potato pie. And it’s sweeter than you’d think. So, so good!!!

There are a lot of amazing ice cream places in New York City but I highly recommend a stop here! If you’re used to super sweet ice cream and giant portions, this place might change your expectations for the future. 

p.s. Thanks for doing your usual Amazon shopping using my affiliate link!

 

Kimball Farms – Worth the hype?

I wanted to love Kimball Farms. It came highly recommended to us by a trusted ice cream connoisseur, and with multiple locations it is well-known in parts of Massachusetts and New Hampshire. 

It’s an extremely extensive building in an absolutely gorgeous part of rural, southwest New Hampshire. Gorgeous mountain and farm views, a full service restaurant (with a stand out front) and a charming gift shop with fun t-shirts, games and much, much more. In addition to a restaurant stand for food, there is, of course, the ice cream stand. 

When we were there, lines were extensive. They moved slower than I’ve ever encountered despite having three or four lines running. It took fifteen minutes for the pair in front of us to be served! Based on the conversations I overheard, and that I partook in, part of the pacing may be because it is unclear from the sign that you have very limited options when you order. 

Long-time readers know I love variety. Offer me a sampler and I’m in. Let me throw multiple flavors into a scoop and I’m your best friend. Well, at Kimball Farms, you get one flavor. The only way around it is to order a large. And since the small was very big, I can only imagine what happens when you go up two sizes. 

I was so disappointed about this. The menu of flavors itself had some interesting ones, and I tasted a couple. But with a giant line forming behind us, I felt pressure to make a choice and move along. So unfortunately that probably left a bad taste in my mouth, at least metaphorically. 

But let’s get to the important thing. How is the ice cream? 

Ross and I both settled on chocolate caramel whiskey. It seriously has all of those flavors in every bite. The chocolate isn’t too dark, with a rich, tasty caramel, and whisky. They meld together really well. 

I also tried the malted moo crunch. It has a slightly malted light chocolate base (a mix of vanilla and chocolate) with chocolate covered toffee balls. It does actually taste like a malted milk ball. I found it very refreshing. 

We paid $9.70 for our two smalls. The portions were ample but it felt pretty expensive because we couldn’t have two flavors. Frankly I get bored with big portions of one flavor. I would have happily paid more if I got two, even for less ice cream. These prices would fit in on the Seacoast but they’re unusually high for other parts of the state. 

I should mention that I did find a few ice cystals, but overall the texture was very good, a little hard and fudgy for my taste but I enjoyed it. 

The restaurant looked pricy for fried seafood but fun, if that interests you, and the store reminded me of Yankee Candle. 

I get why people come here. Probably the best option in the area. But I won’t be in a rush to return. I do recommend trying it for yourselves, though. Maybe bring a friend, order different flavors, and switch halfway through. 

p.s. Thanks for doing your usual Amazon shopping using my affiliate link!
 

An Odd, but Delicious, Paradise Found

Sandwich Creamery is odd, for a few reasons. For one, it’s in the middle of nowhere, in a small town, down a long dirt road.

For another, it is self-serve. Yes, it’s a self-serve ice cream stand. You bring the cash and help yourself to local products and ice cream in a few sizes.

Oh, and this part isn’t odd – it’s amazing.

The prices are great – $3 small, $4 medium, $6 large. The medium is a pint. I went with two half pints, for research purposes of course. A large is a quart. I had plenty but this stuff is so good, I could have kept eating for a while.

Here’s what I chose – Ross wasn’t really hungry yet.

Muddy Mint – A chocolate mint base with pistachio and chocolate chunks. This is just outstanding. Outstanding. It has fabulous flavor, super smooth base and not too thick, just the perfect consistency. This is the perfect combo of chocolate and mint, and the mixins were diced small which was perfect.

Mexican jumping bean – A cinnamon chocolate base with chocolate covered coffee beans. Where do I begin? This is insanely delicious. You’ll feel the cinnamon in your nose – to Ross, it reminded him of a Yankee candle, but in a good way. It’s basically perfect. The chocolate was super tasty, the beans crunch and chocolatey and delicious.

In short, we are crazy about Sandwich Creamery. They have really long hours since it is self-serve. Make it a destination, bring a cooler and enjoy one of my contenders for best ice cream in New Hampshire.

p.s. Thanks for doing your usual Amazon shopping using my affiliate link!
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Seafood, Soft Serve and Slick’s

Sometimes, you’re in the mood for ice cream, and you go to an ice cream place. And in Littleton, Bishop’s is a solid option. Other times, you’re specifically in the mood for Slick’s ice cream, of Woodsville. But if you’re in Littleton and you don’t have the time to drive to Woodsville and back, you’ve got another option. Likewise, if you’re craving some fried seafood or a burger…

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Northland Dairy Bar

As you know, I like to report on homemade ice cream places. Northland Dairy Bar, in Berlin, NH, does not serve their own ice cream. But, they serve some fabulous flavors (tons to choose from, actually), some great American cuisine, and perhaps most importantly for me, raspberry pie.

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Richardson’s – Not That One

When I first put Richardson’s on my list, I assumed it was the Richardson’s. The dairy based in Massachusetts that was served at ice cream stands around New England. But when I dug deeper in anticipation of our visit, I found out it WASN’T related to that Richardson’s at all! Somehow I’d missed this independent ice cream maker, even though I’ve lived within an hour of it for a very long time. They’re based in Boscawen, NH, which borders Concord.

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