Best of New York City Ice Creams

Shake Shack
Madison Square Park
(212) 889-6600
www.shakeshacknyc.com
If
in a strictly dessert mood, grab the faster B-Line at this famous
burger and ice cream destination. For every day of the week, a special
flavor is available: go Tuesday and Wednesday this month for raspberry
jalapeno or coffee and doughnuts (pictured right,) the latter of which is smooth,
peppered with coffee grounds, and loaded with chunks of doughnut just
crispy enough to balance the extra creamy custard. Classic vanilla and
chocolate, as well as an assortment of toppings, are also available
every day.

Emack and Bolio’s
389 Amsterdam Ave., at 79th St.
(212) 362-2747
www.emackandbolios.com/
This
company launched its first outpost in Boston, but every branch somehow
feels like your local ice cream store.  Here, they offer super premium
ice cream with ingenious flavors, rock n’ roll roots, and variety of
smoothies, frozen yogurt, chocolate, and candy-loaded waffle cones.
Grasshopper Pie, made with crème de menthe and Oreos, is a spot-on
blend of the sophisticated and the fun, while such flavors as “Heaven”
take vanilla to the extreme. Stop in for a fountain classic, such as an
egg creams or homemade soda to stave off the heat.

Australian Homemade
115 St. Mark’s Place, btwn. First Ave. & Avenue A
(212) 228-5439
www.australianhomemade.com
A
myriad of frozen drinks, chocolates, and even bread pudding can be
found among the outrageously creamy ice cream served at this hip and
cool spot. Belgian chocolate and strawberry cheesecake are the most
popular flavors, but we pledge by the macadamia crunch: a rich mass of
salty nuts, caramel, and custard-like ice cream. Sorbets, especially
mango and coconut defy iciness with their equally luscious texture and
flavor.

Max & Mina’s
7126 Main St.
Flushing, NY
(718) 793-8629
www.theicecreamlife.com
This destination ice cream
haven goes well beyond the everyday conception of ice cream. On a
colorful board lie the flavors of the day, with dense Oreo cheesecake
and peanut-studded “Elephant’s Dream” appealing to normal palates.  But
then emerge the intriguing anomalies of “lox” ice cream, crunchy potato
chip fudge and “beer and nuts,” drawing in all who have a taste for
adventure and truly delicious frozen treats.

Sundaes & Cones
95 E 10th St., at 3rd Ave.
(212)979-9398
This
cheery, East Village shop offers decidedly Asian influenced flavors,
such as red bean and green tea to surprisingly creamy wasabi and taro.
Though Sundaes & Cones offers plenty of classics such as chocolate
and cookies n’ cream, be sure to try sweet corn, honey ginseng, and the
pleasantly mild chrysanthemum sorbet in either a cup or one of the
shop’s homemade waffle cones.

Chinatown Ice Cream Factory
65 Bayard St.
(212) 608-4170

www.chinatownicecreamfactory.com
This
small ice cream
“factory” churns out an unusual assortment of “reguar” flavors, which
includes
pandan leaf and luscious taro, plus a variety of ironically named
“exotic flavors,” like strawberry and rocky road.  Don’t be afraid to
tackle the likes of avocado and durian, and, whatever you do, don’t
miss zen butter: a luxuriant mix of peanut butter and rich sesame
seeds.

Taste the Tropics
1839 Flatbush Ave.
Brooklyn, NY
(718) 856-0821
Located
deep within Brooklyn’s Flatbush is this quirky and fun ice cream shop
with unusual flavors and friendly service. Definitely try the grapenut:
vanilla ice cream strewn with chewy bits of the nutty cereal. “Irish
Moss,” which is strong and sophisticated in taste, as well as soursop
and pistachio-peanut, are other musts for the adventurous palate..

L’Arte del Gelato
75 7th Ave.
(212) 924-0803
The
owner of this delightful shop set off for Italy to learn the art of
making gelato, and what he brought back with him is an extensive
selection of flavors that are as fresh and close to the “real thing” as
you can get. We suggest ordering panna cotta, which has a swirl of pine
nuts and caramel throughout its creamy texture, and most certainly
chocolate chili, which is deep and dark with distinctive heat at first
bite. Free samples are encouraged, so do take advantage.

Grom
2165 Broadway
(212) 362-1837
This Italian gelato joint offers distinctly European flavors that are
simple, yet extraordinarily creamy and rich.  Zabaione is custard-like
in texture and has the subtle taste of Marsala wine, while “crema come
una volta” is a pure and decadent cream flavor with a touch of lemon.
The store also sells plenty of biscotti and packaged Italian cookies
for those craving a crumbly treat.

East Village Ice Cream
218 Ave. B
(212) 673-6030
This off-the-beaten, tiny shop that serves a small but good
selection of ice cream with a smile.  Coffee and Schaffen Berger
chocolate are the most popular flavors and excel in creaminess, while
pistachio and strawberry rank close behind. The store also has a
variety of toppings, cones, and root beer concoctions to mix it all up.

Ronnybrook Farm Dairy
Chelsea Market
75 9th Ave.
(212) 741-645
www.ronnybrook.com
The
slightly icy, dense ice cream at this Chelsea Market standard brings
customers back to simple ingredients and classic flavors such as butter
pecan and coffee. Ginger crème brulee with whole pieces of ginger is a
delicious exception and the flavor to get here.

Photo Credit: Elizabeth Errico

Until we eat again,
Restaurant Girl
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