Letters to the Editor
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A Reccomendation
This may sound odd, but a place I've found to have the best soft-serve, at an extremely cheap price-tag is Ikea. It's simple, unmuddied but other flavors, fat free and deeeeliciious. Also it's less than a dollar and comes heaped upon a simple cone. Easy, wonderful and generally guilt-free.
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To Qazwart
In defense of Jamba Juice. That's 450 calories of high sugar fruit. While not being perfectly good for you it's a hell of a lot better than pop or many other low-calories alternatives. Fruits are naturally high in calories but the smoothies fulfill your basic fruit needs, taste good and are actually quite healthy. Think before you type.
By the way I work at a Jamba Juice. Not in any managerial position, but strictly in the line-making sense and even I, who both adore and hate my job, find it easy to stand up for an alternative that's not another corporate con.
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Coldstone Creamery
I've been to Coldstone out west (California and Nevada) and when they first came out to New York, I wondered how they'd fare in the crowded snack market of my hometown. Apparently, they're doing quite well, though I can't help but look quizzically inside. I've had their ice cream; it's not bad, but not the end-all of ice cream as we know it.
On the other hand, I've still to find an ice cream as good as the one across the drawbridge in Mystic, CT.
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Does anybody remember Walgreen's?
Yes, Walgreen's, the mega-drugstore chain! Before the late 70s/early 80s many if not most of them had lunch counters that served up marvelous "fountain creations" with their own brand of ice cream. I can still "taste" their wonderful hot-fudge sundaes in my memory...and nobody else has ever come close!
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Steve Herrell
Some history from an ice cream industry insider: The "mix-in" craze was started by Steve Herrell, the creator of Steve's ice cream. Steve's ice cream was delicious all by itself, so the mix-ins added an additional dimension, but were entirely unnecessary to make the finished product somewhat palatable. Steve eventually sold his concept, which did not last particularly long without Steve at the helm. Last I heard, there was one remaining parlor in Boston's Faneuil Hall. Steve, supposedly after his non-compete obligation expired, began Herrell's ice cream, and in the tradition of Steve's sells ice cream that it quite enjoyable without the addition of any mix-in. I know, because I used to live near the Herrell's in Alston, Massacuhsetts, and never had a scoop I did not like.
If you want some good vanilla ice cream, my personal recommendation is a brand my company manufactures: Häagen-Dazs.
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I like mix-ins!
Hi, I respectfully disagree. I actually think Cold Stone ice cream is very good. It's rich and creamy. I like mix-ins! Remember those dinky supermarket brands that are supposed to be "cookies and cream?" I'd dig around half the carton to find any semblance of a cookie in there.
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Blessed
I must say I am very blessed to live in the Boston area. In New England in general we take our icecream seriously. Yes there's Steve's and Herelle's and Ben & Jerry's, but there's also Toscaninni's and Christina's and my favorite Kimball's. I have waited on line at 10pm in January for icecream and I mean a line that snakes out the door when it is COLD. Boston area readers can probably come up with a list of at least 20 more independent ice-cream shops that make their own products.
Kimball's has 3 shops and 2 are former dairies. They are closed in the winter because the space where they make the ice-cream is unheated (and the owner is a college professor and needs to pay some attention to that job too). Pumpkin, Blueberry and Peach are flavors only available for a month each year - when the local produce in them is ripe. Kimball's is where I learned that Strawberry ice-cream actually tastes good.
I have been disappointed with the trend for more and more candy in Ben & Jerry's store bought pints. I figure that candy is cheaper than actual icecream and loading pints with the stuff makes it a cheaper product to produce.
For a more economical choice I recommend Breyer's coffee or Vanilla (that's vanilla bean, not french vanilla). The vanilla bean has 4 ingredients - cream, sugar, vanilla and salt. You can't get any simpler than that.
When eating icecream that is rock hard I recommend waiting a few minutes to let it soften. Ice cream is not supposed to be hard to eat. Letting it soften brings out the flavors. Chocolate is richer at room temperature and all the flavors are stronger.