I see Halloween decorations in the stores, coffee shops are starting to add pumpkin to just about everything, but it’s still 80 degrees outside, so I’m suggesting a last Hurrah for summer’s favorite treat: ice cream. Over the summer I have researched ice cream shops that serve their frozen treats out of the norm. Why not have a little fun with this beloved dessert?
Sam’s Fried Ice Cream
Downtown, where Chinatown and the Lower East Side are meshing, is a whole world of amazing restaurants, eateries, shops and storefronts. On Orchard Street you will find Sam’s Fried Ice Cream, which sounds a little off the wall and bipolar, but it’s seriously delicious. Upon entry you are directed to make your choice off the options displayed on a chalkboard up on the wall. You pick your ice cream flavor, your crust, and finally your toppings. Your deeply frozen ice cream will then be deep fried right in front of you and served hot/cold immediately. It’s unbelievably different, and well worth a trip downtown. Sasha had Cookies and Cream ice cream with an Oreo crust and a Caramel topping, while I had Black Sesame ice cream with a Cornflakes crust and Condensed Milk on top. Just awesome.
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Tipsy Scoop
So, there actually is a place that adds alcohol to your ice cream, and you actually get ID’d in order to indulge. Of course I was on my way there at the earliest opportunity. This sounded like just the right amount of fun. On 26th Street between 2nd and 3rd Avenues you find Tipsy Scoop in a tiny shop. (Why are ice cream shops always so small??) I went on a Saturday night, and it was quite crowded, but I was served swiftly. A myriad of flavors added to ice cream and sorbets with some very different and new combinations is available in scoops, cones, cups and ice-cream sandwiches. Sasha chose a cup with a scoop of Dark Chocolate Whiskey Salted Caramel. I needed to get a flight (an assortment of 4 small cups with different flavors), in order to try as much as possible. I went with Spiked Hazelnut Coffee, Maple Bacon Bourbon, Raspberry Limoncello, and Strawberry White Sangria. I personally didn’t catch a buzz, I tasted the booze, but it wasn’t overwhelming. It was delicious, different and fun!
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Sweet Churros
Koreatown in Manhattan is only about a city block on 32nd Street between Broadway and 5th Avenue, but it is a different world for the duration of your visit. In a Food Gallery on the uptown side of 32nd Street you will find Sweet Churros amongst other yummies. Of course you can just buy a box of their churros, that are made fresh every day, but if they can stick it in a cup of vanilla and matcha swirl ice cream, then I think that’s kind of a must. So I had some and it was great! What a great idea.
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Some other ice cream stores I have had the pleasure of cooling down in with some frozen treats over the summer were
- Grom, which has a few locations in NYC. It had some excellent gelato, and I loved their milkshakes. Everything there is organic. Grom
- Chikalicous Dessert Club on 10th Street. Cones are made of churros, very rich and decadent. Chikalicous
- Morgenstern’s on Rivington Street. Some very unique flavors, most famous is the burnt coconut black ice cream. Great stuff and a great experience Morgenstern’s
