tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-78702532774397722782024-03-12T21:28:38.102-05:00Ice Cream U ScreamThere are many ways to eat sweets and desserts. I prefer tongue-in-cheek.Brad @ IceCreamUScreamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12406345176652208472noreply@blogger.comBlogger382125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7870253277439772278.post-10054798854908342062024-03-12T21:28:00.000-05:002024-03-12T21:28:07.273-05:00Macaron Bar (multiple Midwest locations)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUBAJG9qaPSP0fOTDtCY3Icy4LXtYBb7u418ZbFZdZKlMDAdpG_JKYVosXlH-4VfGXzldEHdjWJ6RqxGCbY2CRS0JIuUP8Ta1fTw-DB0_yVMSvtYsohz5syAajFbYm1AfdUd0w7-RMoKsFWOhr_Jr4dMFXjtSj4OchLCEzH6VUC0YsgHabxqO7oF6R8XKX/s1883/20240131_122256.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1883" data-original-width="1800" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUBAJG9qaPSP0fOTDtCY3Icy4LXtYBb7u418ZbFZdZKlMDAdpG_JKYVosXlH-4VfGXzldEHdjWJ6RqxGCbY2CRS0JIuUP8Ta1fTw-DB0_yVMSvtYsohz5syAajFbYm1AfdUd0w7-RMoKsFWOhr_Jr4dMFXjtSj4OchLCEzH6VUC0YsgHabxqO7oF6R8XKX/w191-h200/20240131_122256.jpg" width="191" /></a></div><div>I didn't truly understand macarons until I went to Paris in 2018. The place that did the trick for me was Pierre Hermé, <a href="https://icecreamuscream.blogspot.com/2019/10/pierre-herme-in-paris-france.html">which I've already blogged about</a>. Since a new spot has opened up here in Andersonville-- <a href="https://www.macaron-bar.com/">Macaron Bar</a>--I decided to give it a try. I walked through the doors and quickly realized that narrowing down to a few options would be a trial. I committed to a 12-pack, being sure to buy two with the same flavors so my sweetie and I could do a taste test.</div><br /><div>Overall, the flavor varieties were mostly classic with an imaginative flare, the sweetness level was subtle and never cloying, and the texture was right--soft and slightly chewy, but with that fragile shell.</div><div><br /></div><div>Here is my ranking of the flavors I tried, which is very close to my sweetie's ranking.</div><div><br /></div><div>The best:</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLcVblQGyxE2Y_0wwGdvT39v8cQWOUgNiGQzvwShkHlFIw8NBEV5O3ReOL-bVa-yRXY0-Gz_iKxWbobfQgnOkARXr1Nm08GD1yw03wThuPRNRpTe1409Tkm-74YKTP0yZqXMBAEkwfuBdtqRCnjfjNblqecb5hNcARbg9Ocu7nITxXYmpdTqYJQY7oxsXz/s2069/20240131_140328.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2069" data-original-width="1800" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLcVblQGyxE2Y_0wwGdvT39v8cQWOUgNiGQzvwShkHlFIw8NBEV5O3ReOL-bVa-yRXY0-Gz_iKxWbobfQgnOkARXr1Nm08GD1yw03wThuPRNRpTe1409Tkm-74YKTP0yZqXMBAEkwfuBdtqRCnjfjNblqecb5hNcARbg9Ocu7nITxXYmpdTqYJQY7oxsXz/w174-h200/20240131_140328.jpg" width="174" /></a></div>(1) Pistachio</div><div>(2) Snickerdoodle</div><div>(3) Black Raspberry Chocolate</div><div>(4) Earl Grey Tea</div><div>(5) Dark Chocolate</div><div>(6) Coconut</div><div><br /></div><div>The rest:</div><div>(7) Hazelnut</div><div>(8) Salted Caramel</div><div>(9) Red Velvet</div><div>(10) <a href="https://wkfr.com/midwest-chicago-mix-popcorn/" target="_blank">Chicago Mix</a></div><div>(11) Lemon Lavender</div><div>(12) Strawberry Chocolate</div><div><br /></div><div>Macaron Bar is a small chain, mostly located in the Midwest. Locations are on their website. Worth the try!</div>Brad @ IceCreamUScreamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12406345176652208472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7870253277439772278.post-57560703246747145282024-03-04T14:43:00.002-06:002024-03-04T14:43:30.785-06:00Marco-brand grocery store pints<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWnieAXzYB5iwaW6Hq3FNCs278tNcDKe6cBSMjfXTK6e2GpeOwplCZlc1-fmOoxrhvTTMWDlcWvjrPSK7x8PeDKOKowm0_5Mvl6WIh9U_Bzps6XQr8gSdEqOq_jlUe36KDgL3pYhscIW7tYMszeOXu5iUfGrSj0Tayu-L7JWoAEDclBKh_-57crQdNF_sn/s3171/20240220_113441.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1102" data-original-width="3171" height="111" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWnieAXzYB5iwaW6Hq3FNCs278tNcDKe6cBSMjfXTK6e2GpeOwplCZlc1-fmOoxrhvTTMWDlcWvjrPSK7x8PeDKOKowm0_5Mvl6WIh9U_Bzps6XQr8gSdEqOq_jlUe36KDgL3pYhscIW7tYMszeOXu5iUfGrSj0Tayu-L7JWoAEDclBKh_-57crQdNF_sn/s320/20240220_113441.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />The tagline of <a href="https://marcoicecream.com/" target="_blank">Marco</a> brand ice cream is "Culinary flavors. Global traditions." And with their roster of favors, they certainly live up to it: Turkish Mocha, Aztec Chocolate, Green Tea & White Chocolate, Moroccan Honey Nut, Dulce de Leche & Cookies, Vanilla Chai...and, uh, Peanut Butter Caramel. I bought five of the flavors to sample and review. Here they are listed from favorite to least favorite:<p></p><p><br /></p><p>Dulce de Leche & Cookies - Most would-be dulce de leche ice creams merely taste like a sickly sweet caramel. This one tastes like the real thing. And no matter how much I ate in one sitting, it never was cloying. The churro-inspired cookie mix-in is okay, but honestly, even though it isn't dominant, this would have been better without it. The ice cream base is just that good.</p><p><br /></p><p>Vanilla Chai - I will never turn away a cardamom ice cream and this one is no exception. That said, rare as they are, I've had other chai ice creams that pack more of a punch. Still, to see a good-not-amazing chai ice cream in the grocery store as a win.</p><p><br /></p><p>Peanut Butter Caramel - The caramel in this is runny and excellent. The peanut butter base isn't stick-to-the-roof-of-your-mouth, which is a good thing. All in all a decent flavor; it's just peanut butter forward isn't my usual area of interest in desserts.</p><p><br /></p><p>Aztec Chocolate - Chocolate ice cream rarely tastes like its namesake and is often disappointing because of it. This ice cream continues the long line of disappointing chocolate ice creams. Sure, the spice is there and it certainly is a dark brown (almost black) color, but chocolate it ain't.</p><p><br /></p><p>Moroccan Honey Nut - This is one of the most interesting and original ice cream flavors I've eaten. Walking the border of savory and sweet, it makes use of a ras el hanout spice mixture. Try as I might, I could not tell you what all of the flavor notes here were. If it were just a hint more creamy and sweet, maybe I would have liked it.</p>Brad @ IceCreamUScreamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12406345176652208472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7870253277439772278.post-87601865895027614322024-02-07T15:56:00.003-06:002024-02-07T15:56:51.158-06:00Dr. Bombay's grocery store pints<p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4np1SjHe1DJya7Zp3Klf67A1VbnEx-ZNdhjLuKI1ljyDui1DGRiSvlE6e89VJ79a46tilQZ7eBhEpO1PYKJcWXO_LcuxDu4VgCxEktPD_sonj8FAlYjkw2Ce3vlvPr131g_YQe3oWYQJgA-8UWnxjGa07KLJD1Lbbn6Jx_AkWkArlqGWwSyIH33Ho8w3V/s1951/20240207_114624.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1472" data-original-width="1951" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4np1SjHe1DJya7Zp3Klf67A1VbnEx-ZNdhjLuKI1ljyDui1DGRiSvlE6e89VJ79a46tilQZ7eBhEpO1PYKJcWXO_LcuxDu4VgCxEktPD_sonj8FAlYjkw2Ce3vlvPr131g_YQe3oWYQJgA-8UWnxjGa07KLJD1Lbbn6Jx_AkWkArlqGWwSyIH33Ho8w3V/s320/20240207_114624.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #666666;">The five flavors available at the Jewels.</span></td></tr></tbody></table></p><p>With a leopard-print lid and a different multi-colored pinwheel art for each flavor, Dr. Bombay's ice cream pints stick out on the grocery store aisle. Apparently, this ice cream is a product of Snoop Dogg's imagination. I decided to buy one of each in the line to pass on the knowledge of what's worth trying and what you can skip. From best to worst:</p><p><br /></p><p></p><p>S'more Vibes - Both sweet and creamy, this is easily the best of their ice cream bases. Wisely, they used dark chocolate fudge bites rather than mimicking a waxy, milk "chocolate" Hershey bar. Tasty graham swirl. I've no idea why they included crisped rice, but it isn't a bad addition.</p><p><br /></p><p>Tropical Sherbet Swizzle - This is delicious. Tarter than your average sherbet and the pineapple swirl elevates this even further. Lost the top spot to S'more Vibes only by a hair.</p><p><br /></p><p>Syrupy Waffle Sundaze - The ice cream base, which the packaging calls "waffle ice cream," is somewhere between brown sugar and maple. The waffle pieces are somewhere between a crisp Eggo and a waffle cone. A unique flavor.</p><p><br /></p><p>Bonus Track Brownie - Not much flavor in the vanilla ice cream base. The "thick fudge swirl" is like what they use in Moose Tracks, like almost exactly. This flavor is pretty middle of the road.</p><p><br /></p><p>Rollin' in the Dough - Not a good ice cream base. According to the packaging, it is "cookie ice cream." Tastes chemically, which is a shame since everything mixed in tastes good.</p>Brad @ IceCreamUScreamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12406345176652208472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7870253277439772278.post-3077308494926587562024-02-05T09:55:00.001-06:002024-02-05T09:55:41.434-06:00Churn in Phoenix, AZSome places do the classics so well, they don’t need to do anything else. <a href="https://churnaz.com/">Churn</a> is one of them. And they know it. Just check out this humble selection:<div><br /><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiszMRctelwvcj-4mOrRg0n_3KkGqEYHHRycWbnZR4S2X_-Fp7lEIaRav2-a3GcguKOHNBsFbw3izWmVq6tn7A3_efzhlUGp1MFWov_sRb9QT1NY9agxs66pulbFczbZlUMOUDhYX8YYc1Yx-y_CU3PQ0O_YoFwwbywLpYKB-z4rejYel1O9TvaZSnyD_Gu/s5312/20160209_122112.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2988" data-original-width="5312" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiszMRctelwvcj-4mOrRg0n_3KkGqEYHHRycWbnZR4S2X_-Fp7lEIaRav2-a3GcguKOHNBsFbw3izWmVq6tn7A3_efzhlUGp1MFWov_sRb9QT1NY9agxs66pulbFczbZlUMOUDhYX8YYc1Yx-y_CU3PQ0O_YoFwwbywLpYKB-z4rejYel1O9TvaZSnyD_Gu/s320/20160209_122112.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>You can’t lose, but here are my thoughts on what’s best: </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-0oIyeeQqsUZv7x1rhqE6yA910Fe-sa8w3-z3WsRE0wo0CATcPpYBInxStLSjBrvZ2vpRedPkL2jPSufSu0Rhl0dGsNK9EsaB4j7Efpm3ZM0fl8bF_SH1s1K8XrdObZO48b24na3rEJvKZq99HW9__KAyu5Klpu5HI9gumqpFp23yOiY5dvrllZ-UEnB3/s3327/20180327_133645.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2425" data-original-width="3327" height="146" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-0oIyeeQqsUZv7x1rhqE6yA910Fe-sa8w3-z3WsRE0wo0CATcPpYBInxStLSjBrvZ2vpRedPkL2jPSufSu0Rhl0dGsNK9EsaB4j7Efpm3ZM0fl8bF_SH1s1K8XrdObZO48b24na3rEJvKZq99HW9__KAyu5Klpu5HI9gumqpFp23yOiY5dvrllZ-UEnB3/w200-h146/20180327_133645.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Strawberry: Quite simply, this is the best strawberry I’ve ever had that wasn’t made by my own hand. This is the MUST TRY. </div><div><div><br /></div><div>Butter Pecan: Many capture the butter, but this one also captures the pecan as a flavor, not just a mix-in. Quite possibly the best butter pecan I've ever had.<div><br /></div><div>Honorable mention: Double Chocolate and Malted Milk Chocolate, which are distinctly different and both more chocolate-y than your average brown ice cream claiming to be chocolate.</div></div></div><div><br /></div><div>This Phoenix scoop shop fantastic. I wish I had the words to sell it better. I dunno...This has not been my best post, but after over 15 years I have spots I wish I'd blogged about and didn't. This is the one I think of the most.</div><div><br /></div><div>For the Instagram set, I'm also a fan of Churn's decor, which like the menu is simple but elevated.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2988" data-original-width="5312" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir8cuDwzTrLoOI8Vpa9hP_qdhYeloWYjoDYs8Fvsii1mLNBzZa1QVVfNfctbaMBY77OrZC6JGPFF-hiwzVhXFNqyEFdiSRt_cloeaC5BoKcmOWVbiv6uKVGflzG3E8isCSvUOp5MID8yBVxRwWK2ak1P3qvGGi50oMgphIt8BQIBmi-vWJrRQBOWlR6E2y/w320-h181/20180327_133335.jpg" style="text-align: center;" width="320" /></div></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir8cuDwzTrLoOI8Vpa9hP_qdhYeloWYjoDYs8Fvsii1mLNBzZa1QVVfNfctbaMBY77OrZC6JGPFF-hiwzVhXFNqyEFdiSRt_cloeaC5BoKcmOWVbiv6uKVGflzG3E8isCSvUOp5MID8yBVxRwWK2ak1P3qvGGi50oMgphIt8BQIBmi-vWJrRQBOWlR6E2y/s5312/20180327_133335.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div></div></div></div>Brad @ IceCreamUScreamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12406345176652208472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7870253277439772278.post-11219364671447042042024-01-31T15:17:00.002-06:002024-01-31T15:22:40.846-06:00Freezer Favs: Stewarts's Crumbs Along the Mohawk<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVNnYKORxV74urJFk7J1u_Ijai7GSN5G_I_MYV6jG3ZBlMDrnBvQotSde5p3lGjGNgZCvC55b_uiUbWgZvyoQCzMhCsg90kZV_0VpErCe2JH5IULl_bxO-b1EZRK1wKKmaheE3sUgrgAk2-YyuS2mwtrApXL4pfucvOooYLPO51aGdu7zdf0LPEMTYkHiJ/s450/Crumbs-Along-the-Mohawk-Pint.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="384" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVNnYKORxV74urJFk7J1u_Ijai7GSN5G_I_MYV6jG3ZBlMDrnBvQotSde5p3lGjGNgZCvC55b_uiUbWgZvyoQCzMhCsg90kZV_0VpErCe2JH5IULl_bxO-b1EZRK1wKKmaheE3sUgrgAk2-YyuS2mwtrApXL4pfucvOooYLPO51aGdu7zdf0LPEMTYkHiJ/s320/Crumbs-Along-the-Mohawk-Pint.webp" width="273" /></a></div><i><div><i><br /></i></div>While this blog is primarily a fan of local scoop shops, it acknowledges that sometimes a person just wants to stay in for the night. That being said, this is one of my <a href="https://icecreamuscream.blogspot.com/2014/10/freezer-favorites.html" target="_blank">Freezer Favorites</a>.</i></div>
<br /><div style="text-align: center;">• • •</div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>
Full disclosure: I have not eaten this flavor since the summer of 2005, the same summer I met and discussed ice cream with Marisa Tomei...and over two years before this blog was created. The seeds of this blog were actually a series of MySpace blog posts that summer all those years ago. While at a summer internship, I had chosen to detail my notable summer experiences in the Berkshires through the lens of the notable desserts I ate. It seems that even back then, my travels were defined by my sweet tooth.<br />
<br />
Still, my memories are strong of <a href="https://www.stewartsshops.com/ice-cream/flavors/crumbs-along-the-mohawk/">Stewart's Crumbs Along the Mohawk</a>, a graham cracker ice cream with graham cracker pieces and a caramel swirl.<br /><br /><div>Eating it was revelatory. <br />
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One usually uses of the label "acquired taste" for a flavor that challenges one's flavor sensibilities, something strong and usual. No one would ever describe a flavor as benign as graham crackers as an acquired taste. That said, it wasn't until I had Crumbs Along the Mohawk (named for the Mohawk Trail) that I awakened to the flavor of graham.<br />
<div><div><br /></div>
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Certain flavors appeal to us more as we get older and that phenomenon is bolder than merely "acquiring" a taste. The sensation is more like learning you have a long-lost sibling who loves you very, very much.<br /><br />Crumbs Along the Mohawk, I salute you!</div></div>
</div>Brad @ IceCreamUScreamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12406345176652208472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7870253277439772278.post-66117444989804974832023-12-23T20:40:00.003-06:002023-12-23T20:40:34.380-06:00Jeni's Frozen Dessert Sandwiches<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgQvHlaj7Vqq1MKfA5p8ZVJNHzbD2hELvP5hB8oNPlv8ieF9Iu9jqD1VrvfP8urkgUQQOCzEwtLtPNvnV1cfoUdoe-nVHe7M7nM-sqoWAR1jH7ndySeF9k98lWzxnCCrhzbF5m9yPDPKVB9Mtvev4O7y9XTBe7HqQI2Co1NurAvIBU8H9ScV5ahTOamKmhS" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1754" data-original-width="2377" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgQvHlaj7Vqq1MKfA5p8ZVJNHzbD2hELvP5hB8oNPlv8ieF9Iu9jqD1VrvfP8urkgUQQOCzEwtLtPNvnV1cfoUdoe-nVHe7M7nM-sqoWAR1jH7ndySeF9k98lWzxnCCrhzbF5m9yPDPKVB9Mtvev4O7y9XTBe7HqQI2Co1NurAvIBU8H9ScV5ahTOamKmhS=w320-h236" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #666666;">A product about as high quality as my photo skills.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br />Maybe it's the holiday spirit getting into me, but these were ho ho ho hum. Now for the airing of grievances:<br /><br />First off, "frozen dessert sandwiches"? Not "ice cream sandwiches"? Jeni, you done me wrong. You wouldn't serve these in your shops, so why are you pumping them out nationwide. Jeni, you are lending your luxury ice cream name to a low-end product.<br /><br />Second, the options are basic. Mint chocolate, sure. But is there a mix-in or imaginative twist I have come to expect from Jeni's? Nope. As for "bramble berry," let's call it what it really is: "mixed berry." And key lime? ...Okay, that is still pretty uncommon. But theirs offers <a href="https://icecreamuscream.blogspot.com/2015/03/freezer-favs-fatboys-key-lime-pie-wich.html" target="_blank">nothing new</a>.<br /><br />Third, the actual flavors are nondescript, totally lacking depth. Does the mint ice cream use actual mint? Nope; it's peppermint oil. The mixed berry is is vaguer than vague. Miscellaneous tartness. The key lime is run of the mill as far as key lime stuff goes, which is to say it's mildly sour, but primarily sweet.<br /><br />Fourth, the cookies part, while good, is the dominant flavor. Why might that be? Because these are teeny tiny. The size of the product is the only part that actually resembles fancy pants food because it is downright dainty.<br /><br />Fifth, how dare you.<br /><br />Jeni's Frozen Dessert Sandwiches. Skip 'em.<p></p>Brad @ IceCreamUScreamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12406345176652208472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7870253277439772278.post-63601413729131838802023-07-01T15:12:00.001-05:002023-07-01T15:12:46.848-05:00Parlor Doughnuts (located in multiple states)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmGUyxNfPquWrrVeoKrYsgNqQcImGF2k9Wyb8jCrcJjkfUrH23jk4H4cqIHjGTxbzFv0lnFFz_GGGN0VMKXnAOuWu4wClan3WNDjuUPfOnv2aULdcKAszFBSqiTIgwqDkJwqym3B7JOn0F3z-EmZm9WgvTegCj-7dwxWZH6b_6IKofypsaPKX02isiiSgX/s4000/20230621_094848.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="4000" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmGUyxNfPquWrrVeoKrYsgNqQcImGF2k9Wyb8jCrcJjkfUrH23jk4H4cqIHjGTxbzFv0lnFFz_GGGN0VMKXnAOuWu4wClan3WNDjuUPfOnv2aULdcKAszFBSqiTIgwqDkJwqym3B7JOn0F3z-EmZm9WgvTegCj-7dwxWZH6b_6IKofypsaPKX02isiiSgX/w400-h180/20230621_094848.jpg" width="400" /></a><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzRnz8k5UD3UniGcuUmQLyXjZ-8NkPzIx6-_HCh1grpYyN-bF2Wpk7Nlmli2eKEPsleSiFMMAL-ydL1Q2NBF79yE_vXUQ8m5l0hM81docl0ijDLEfu3pibWYi2yZcBE_FGLzqOh79dJga1AWZx-sQYLrOjY59D-AXvMdC5n8w0FU6muyblm1TCVxgDrTxg/s4000/20230621_094915.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="4000" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzRnz8k5UD3UniGcuUmQLyXjZ-8NkPzIx6-_HCh1grpYyN-bF2Wpk7Nlmli2eKEPsleSiFMMAL-ydL1Q2NBF79yE_vXUQ8m5l0hM81docl0ijDLEfu3pibWYi2yZcBE_FGLzqOh79dJga1AWZx-sQYLrOjY59D-AXvMdC5n8w0FU6muyblm1TCVxgDrTxg/w400-h180/20230621_094915.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #666666; font-size: x-small;">Pictured: Cookies N' Cream, Cherry Cheesecake, <br />Coconut Cream, and Hibiscus Glazed</span></td></tr></tbody></table></div><br /><p>I have seen the future and it is Parlor Doughnuts. Just as <a href="https://icecreamuscream.blogspot.com/2012/11/jenis-splendid-ice-creams_16.html">Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams</a> has grown from a humble Columbus, Ohio operation into a nationwide phenomenon, so will Parlor Doughnuts take over the USA. They are already off to a good start with locations in 13 states. Happily, I have eaten at them thrice: twice in Indiana (including their headquarters in Evansville) and once in Kentucky on my recent <i>tour de south</i>.</p><p><br /></p><p>So what makes <a href="https://www.parlordoughnuts.com/" target="_blank">Parlor Doughnuts</a> so special? Creative flavors, new spins on classics, and a donut design that is guaranteed to please.</p><p><br /></p><p>What is this doughnut design, you ask? Beyond being gigantic, these doughnuts solve the cronut problem. Parlor Doughnuts makes layered doughnuts, fried to perfection with a crisp exterior and a flaky, doughy middle. Whatever they have done to seal the exterior successfully keeps the oil from seeping into the center--my biggest complaint with cronuts. They are neither a yeast doughnut nor a cake doughnut. Appearance-wise, Parlor's doughnuts are like croissants baked into a circle, whereas cronuts looked like doughnuts, only taller. And best of all: ALL of their doughnuts are made in this style, unlike cronuts which were always a specialty doughnut in short supply.</p><p><br /></p><p>In my three visits to Parlor Doughnuts, I have tried a bunch of flavors: Strawberry Shortcake, Cookies N' Cream, Turtle, Coconut Cream Filled, Raspberry Pistachio, Hibiscus Glazed, Cherry Cheesecake, and their best seller, French Toast. Some of their doughnuts have filling, while others offer creative toppings. My favorites have been Hibiscus Glazed, which is their classic doughnut with no filling, and French Toast, which has cinnamon on top and layers of maple within. A lot of their flavors skew in the dessert column vs. the breakfast column, but for an occasional treat I will make an exception and eat dessert for breakfast.</p><p><br /></p><p>Another cool thing is that each Parlor Doughnuts location has a unique logo. My only complaint is that the headquarters in Evansville, IN was out of their location-specific XL shirts.</p>Brad @ IceCreamUScreamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12406345176652208472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7870253277439772278.post-85641257981016342742023-06-29T13:57:00.001-05:002023-06-29T13:57:18.400-05:00Louie & Honey's Kitchen in Winston-Salem, NC<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP1mtuRdJp-UaHheXJ0hbgc2Ni3Qq2aN75esM4xUdgJVDRacURFdHvtDADSPEp4uCn_W-qmknHgOCunf2lYivMBDfkqRr-Bs-sYHJIdyfGN2svBxT6J5taMfSviqIFumn8KkmK7f2O9dS0rOHaSdGQxvY3-nCglZD4RVuuuIyyoqyTUhjWM6lm1uI80ZLE/s1320/cinnamonrollsfromlouieandhoney.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="897" data-original-width="1320" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP1mtuRdJp-UaHheXJ0hbgc2Ni3Qq2aN75esM4xUdgJVDRacURFdHvtDADSPEp4uCn_W-qmknHgOCunf2lYivMBDfkqRr-Bs-sYHJIdyfGN2svBxT6J5taMfSviqIFumn8KkmK7f2O9dS0rOHaSdGQxvY3-nCglZD4RVuuuIyyoqyTUhjWM6lm1uI80ZLE/s320/cinnamonrollsfromlouieandhoney.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #666666; font-size: x-small;">Photo from Louie & Honey's Facebook page.<br />Ours didn't last long enough to take a photo.<br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p>I went to a wedding in Winston-Salem. It was the centerpiece of a grand <i>tour de south</i> my sweetie and I went on. Friday night included a welcoming reception for the wedding guests and I was lucky enough to get the bride's ear for a short conversation. (She had, like, a hundred people to talk to over the course of the evening.) Naturally, that conversation had me asking for her tips for sweets in Winston-Salem. Without hesitation, she directed me to <a href="https://www.louieandhoneyskitchen.com/" target="_blank">Louie & Honey's Kitchen</a> for their cinnamon rolls. The one catch: I needed to get there early because they sell out.</p><p><br /></p><p>I couldn't tell you if it was the excitement of all of my family being together for the wedding or the prospect of life-changing cinnamon rolls--it was the former--but I didn't sleep very well that night. But you know what they say: The sleep-deprived bird gets the cinnamon rolls! I was able to be at Louie & Honey's shortly after 8am, squeezing in just before the line stretched out the door.</p><p><br /></p><p>Growing up, we had a saying in the south when you feel a food so deeply that you know it is the best version of itself. That food is "the truth." And, let me tell you, these cinnamon rolls were the truth. The dough was perfectly chewy, enough that it made you savor each bite. The seasoning complemented everything else, rather than overpowering. Best of all, the frosting tasted like it had caramel in it, but not cloyingly so. (Before you ask, it was not a cream cheese frosting...and all the better for it.) And, let me tell you, these cinnamon rolls were huge.</p><p><br /></p><p>Let me put it another way: I purchased four cinnamon rolls from Louie & Honey's Kitchen as well as a dozen doughnuts from a different local spot since my family would all be eating breakfast together. Everyone at the table, and I mean everyone, kept coming back to the cinnamon rolls, unanimously agreeing it was the best of the bunch. So, if you find yourself in Winston-Salem, wake up early, skip the doughnuts, and buy enough cinnamon rolls that you get a whole one for yourself. You may not be able to eat the whole thing in one sitting, but it is a feat worth trying.</p>Brad @ IceCreamUScreamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12406345176652208472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7870253277439772278.post-9216040017492405192023-06-27T09:54:00.000-05:002023-06-27T09:54:43.853-05:00Butter & Cream in Decatur and Atlanta, GA<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtbs3pAjAbuTbD5c6bqnZcErIa_tpEbVL0ZbFlwIHjo0oiNLWaOQxBpGm_MsNd7NWHw_bailh33ZZvOGF_vzsxIn0Pcv0tuVg7M8wS9XmXN2WMGAPpeAotS-V3piSn9jCz59OhRuCeVbWGo39D9OMvBnGFLd2O73JpDyBZr6Bid4e2V-i2Sol_NSmfoOto/s1553/20230615_185421.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1553" data-original-width="962" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtbs3pAjAbuTbD5c6bqnZcErIa_tpEbVL0ZbFlwIHjo0oiNLWaOQxBpGm_MsNd7NWHw_bailh33ZZvOGF_vzsxIn0Pcv0tuVg7M8wS9XmXN2WMGAPpeAotS-V3piSn9jCz59OhRuCeVbWGo39D9OMvBnGFLd2O73JpDyBZr6Bid4e2V-i2Sol_NSmfoOto/w124-h200/20230615_185421.jpg" width="124" /></a></div>Years ago, I was in Decatur with some friends for a wedding and the bride and groom declared I "had to try" some ice cream place they liked. Now, as a loyal patron of <a href="https://icecreamuscream.blogspot.com/2014/06/atlanta-in-bowl.html" target="_blank">Morelli's</a>, I had my doubts. What could possibly be worth foregoing a trip into the city to eat ice cream there? The answer: <a href="https://butterandcream.com/">Butter & Cream</a>. And after trying it for myself I too was a believer.<p></p><p><br /></p><p>On my recent <i>tour de south</i> with my sweetie, we spent a couple days in Atlanta. We went to museums, ate soul food, shopped, checked out parks, and, of course, made detours related to my sweet tooth. (Emily has a sweet tooth, too, but typing "sweet teeth" felt awkward.) When I discovered that Butter & Cream had expanded into Atlanta proper it felt worth a second visit. This time, I was doubting myself. Was it really as good as I remembered? After all, what are the odds one city has two standout ice cream purveyors?</p><p><br /></p><p>We decided to test our luck and drive to the Atlanta scoop shop. As GPS struggled to get us there, we figured out that this location of Butter & Cream is on Atlanta's <a href="https://beltline.org/">BeltLine</a>, a former rail line converted into a public park. (Unlike Chicago's <a href="https://www.the606.org/" target="_blank">606/Bloomingdale Trail</a> or Manhattan's <a href="https://www.thehighline.org/">High Line</a>, Atlanta's BeltLine is an incredible 22 MILES LONG!) So we parked and took a little stroll amongst the locals walking, jogging, and biking along the BeltLine.</p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGihB_UqA9cMP879SsI65MvPLHHHiq-sEJ97NfHKfzH8-rnbvnfTtVm7IjsUt3ZSOWyoQl-HciPY7ZC81zuNidAYwFdYuSycM3AFMgJsKhI5Ck_HzTfr7K1zfnxVmpXKYsgF8r6zdXTRmWGEZkydCpO0SijWi6TR8Gw05kcI61bKKzo5vXp5ZL4cFqOgj0/s1323/20230615_190642.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1159" data-original-width="1323" height="175" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGihB_UqA9cMP879SsI65MvPLHHHiq-sEJ97NfHKfzH8-rnbvnfTtVm7IjsUt3ZSOWyoQl-HciPY7ZC81zuNidAYwFdYuSycM3AFMgJsKhI5Ck_HzTfr7K1zfnxVmpXKYsgF8r6zdXTRmWGEZkydCpO0SijWi6TR8Gw05kcI61bKKzo5vXp5ZL4cFqOgj0/w200-h175/20230615_190642.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><p></p><p>Butter & Cream was easy to find. On a warm summer day, just look for where the trail of happy ice cream consumers are coming from. And happy they were. While I don't remember the specific flavors I had back in 2016, the standouts of this trip were my Brown Butter & Toasted Milk and Emily's Chocolate Sorbet. And with that, Butter & Cream proved once again that two outstanding ice cream purveyors can co-exist in the same city.</p>Brad @ IceCreamUScreamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12406345176652208472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7870253277439772278.post-81366441236770538462023-06-23T17:14:00.004-05:002023-06-24T10:55:58.539-05:00Gibson's Donuts in Memphis, TN<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu7Gu9t66ea5p4G-xVVZ1JbzHzvDoDQvPp7BDWe6feGXQm1jWHzFksX-7cLajfIOomvhvIGOStYWs6pYpP04mvd532nNY0CPXHk1hJvOVLccm-LmAFAUdfFP5PKPFAFeHVfmzJVHsJu8eknsuFzhsQj84uRRpvscRuZ8JZb52ofyk_epkyWZi2E8D-47_z/s720/facebook_1687557956204_7078131085938747498.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="389" data-original-width="720" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu7Gu9t66ea5p4G-xVVZ1JbzHzvDoDQvPp7BDWe6feGXQm1jWHzFksX-7cLajfIOomvhvIGOStYWs6pYpP04mvd532nNY0CPXHk1hJvOVLccm-LmAFAUdfFP5PKPFAFeHVfmzJVHsJu8eknsuFzhsQj84uRRpvscRuZ8JZb52ofyk_epkyWZi2E8D-47_z/w400-h216/facebook_1687557956204_7078131085938747498.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #666666; font-size: x-small;">Photo courtesy of Gibson's Facebook page.<br />My photos from Gibson's are missing, sadly.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Gentle readers, my research is never over. Every time I go on a trip, I research "best desserts," "best ice cream," "best doughnuts," "best bakery," and more. Often I arrive at a place that is good, but is missing that <i>je ne sais quoi</i> that makes it blog-worthy. Sometimes the destination is everything I wanted it to be and more. But rarely do I come across an instant classic, something so positively wonderful that not blogging about it would be a crime. Keep that final category in mind and I ramble on in my next paragraph...</p><p><br /></p><p>My sweetie and I arrived at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/gibsonsdonuts/">Gibson's Donuts</a> between 8am and 9am on a Sunday and were greeted by a line out the door. The kind woman in front of us chatted with us about Memphis before marveling at how my sweet tooth brought us arrive at Gibson's. (My research is unparalleled.) She assured us that Gibson's is home to the best glazed doughnut anywhere. I tried not to pre-judge; I've heard such declarations before. Once our friendly line neighbor reached the counter, she ordered a dozen glazed and single blueberry cake doughnut. My order would be more modest, trying to check all the boxes one finds in a classic doughnut shop (fruity, custard-y, chocolate-y, etc.) in just four doughnuts--two for me and two for my beloved. Oh, and one of them had to be the aforementioned plain glazed, a solid choice for any classic doughnut shop.</p><p><br /></p><p>Much to our delight, once it was our turn at the counter we were greeted with one free glazed each because we were first-timers, one warm and one room temperature. Both were as good as advertised, though I felt the room temperature offered slightly more of a flavor journey. I'll be honest that I don't remember much about the other doughnuts we got. Why? Because our friend from the line was correct: Gibson's glazed doughnut is home to the best glazed doughnut anywhere. Period.</p><p><br /></p><p>This doughnut is the perfect mixture of the traditional yeast doughnut found at one of those classic mom 'n' pop doughnut shops (meaty and filling with that hint of something special in the glaze) and Krispy Kreme (sweet, airy, and gone in seconds). But how does Gibson's accomplish such a mixture of meaty and airy? It's just another secret of Memphis, the crossroads of country, soul, and rock 'n' roll.</p>Brad @ IceCreamUScreamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12406345176652208472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7870253277439772278.post-44545710997509148572022-12-20T14:45:00.004-06:002022-12-20T14:45:28.037-06:00Milk Bar Ice Cream's Seasonal Selection<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizicBz5jwLZaYoDJZPcB3u2kmje_qV6LJV8gJdafmLeYIzR0Q-hzTrof4_Dksi5Qht6bbz7rUGqA5RkKMrx4WLLMRlK4ZVUB9w_C9LYF9TTN1gj72vagZ5n_hXnWXXGuN2gnAEFbJqX5ZKnQydcvQL-G56njPXaKAN8E9AQaJqyj6BeVaqatYCdt15OQ/s1994/20221219_181212.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="1994" height="289" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizicBz5jwLZaYoDJZPcB3u2kmje_qV6LJV8gJdafmLeYIzR0Q-hzTrof4_Dksi5Qht6bbz7rUGqA5RkKMrx4WLLMRlK4ZVUB9w_C9LYF9TTN1gj72vagZ5n_hXnWXXGuN2gnAEFbJqX5ZKnQydcvQL-G56njPXaKAN8E9AQaJqyj6BeVaqatYCdt15OQ/s320/20221219_181212.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div>Oh, what a happy holiday it is when there's seasonal ice cream flavors at the store AND a new blog post! <a href="https://milkbarstore.com/collections/the-ice-cream-shop" target="_blank">Milk Bar</a> out of NYC has not only expanded its line <a href="https://icecreamuscream.blogspot.com/2021/11/milk-bar-grocery-store-pints.html" target="_blank">since I first reviewed them</a>--doubling in size or more--but they have two wintry delights that have blown into town, one better than the other:</div><br />
Candy Cane Chocolate Chip Cornflake - With the exception of chocolate mint ice creams, there has been a tendency in recent years for mint ice creams to be Altoid-level minty. Happily, this ice cream airs on the side of sugary peppermint, pleasantly complemented by bits of marshmallow fluff. (The marshmallow flavor is very faint, but is enough to make an impression.) The chocolate chunks are enough in number to be a part of at least every other bite, offering a nice kiss of chocolate to the mint. Unlike other Milk ice creams, the corn flake mix-in was not crunchy at all. Similarly, the advertised candy cane swirl was non-existent. A crunchless ice cream, but a good ice cream all the same.
<br /><br />
Gingerbread House - "Do you like nutmeg?!?" This the question this ice cream asks again and again despite my cries of, "No!" The base, though advertised as gingerbread, is nutmeg all the way. This flavor cannot even be saved by the gingerbread cookie hunks within, nor the simple sprinkles throughout. Good mix-ins, terrible flavor imho. If you enjoy eggnog to get your nutmeg fix, though, you should give it a shot.Brad @ IceCreamUScreamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12406345176652208472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7870253277439772278.post-56545216600312744482022-05-20T10:13:00.005-05:002022-05-20T10:14:40.509-05:00Jeni's - Three Winners and a Dud<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqNbnJBhanu_jChu1MCAee8mnAC9ulf2GGhb_v2Ezor9d8TM7zMNZOuOR9ym7QUD1Ch_G9-6dgE-KaPz3Fy5RRdzJ9oyZG5O8bkdnbv3MTQaAfElQwlNi70UqKmR0ZmrJAldhZDLHg-BdxRvP-tcajMnGvcnFEFBLOuEuQuGEknDZbHqyzIxPSk6EPfA/s3707/Jenis-icb.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1236" data-original-width="3707" height="134" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqNbnJBhanu_jChu1MCAee8mnAC9ulf2GGhb_v2Ezor9d8TM7zMNZOuOR9ym7QUD1Ch_G9-6dgE-KaPz3Fy5RRdzJ9oyZG5O8bkdnbv3MTQaAfElQwlNi70UqKmR0ZmrJAldhZDLHg-BdxRvP-tcajMnGvcnFEFBLOuEuQuGEknDZbHqyzIxPSk6EPfA/w400-h134/Jenis-icb.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #666666;">The aforementioned "three winners."</span></td></tr></tbody></table>When I first blogged about <a href="https://jenis.com/" target="_blank">Jeni's</a> Splendid Ice Creams <a href="https://icecreamuscream.blogspot.com/2012/11/jenis-splendid-ice-creams_16.html" target="_blank">in 2012</a>, they were only in area of Columbus, Ohio (AKA the perfect halfway point when driving from Chicago to Virginia). Based on those visits, they made my list of <a href="https://icecreamuscream.blogspot.com/2015/06/post-300-top-25-to-visit.html" target="_blank">Top 25 to Visit</a>. Since then, they have slowly started taking over the country with pint in many grocery stores plus locations in eleven states, including several locations in Chicago. Jeni's is always innovating, so occasionally I find myself placing orders online to get the latest flavor since they don't always last long in scoop shops. Here is my review of four recent flavors:<div><br /><p></p><p><b>Strawberry Pretzel Pie</b> - From first bite I started asking myself, "Is this the best ice cream I have ever had?" While I think <a href="https://icecreamuscream.blogspot.com/2015/05/my-favorite-ice-cream-ever.html" target="_blank">Toscanini's</a> probably has an edge over Jeni's, this is undoubtedly the best I've ever gotten from a mass produced facility and the best to have ever graced the inside of my freezer. Sure the strawberry and pretzels are nice, but there is something magical in the base that made my tastebuds pause to savor. Made in collaboration with Dolly Parton to benefit her non-profit, you can feel good eating it as well. Get on Jeni's email list for the next time they manufacture this flavor because it sells out FAST.</p><p><br /></p><p><b>Maple Soaked Pancakes</b> - They could have just lazily made a maple ice cream with pancakes thrown in, but, no, they incorporated the buttery flavor necessary to make this a genuine breakfast experience. Promoted for National Eat Ice Cream for Breakfast Day, I only consumed the flavor at more conventional times because some slopes are too slippery to risk taking.</p><p><br /></p><p><b>Sunshine</b> - A flavor designed to raise awareness (and funds) towards children's mental health, I knew I wanted to support...and not just because it sounded delicious. A grey ice cream boasting of tasting "like sunshine on a cloudy day," it is a fruit ice cream with mouth-puckering punches of lemon, tangerine, and passion fruit. While not as over-the-top incredible as Jeni's buttermilk frozen yogurts--perhaps their best creations overall--this is still a must-try flavor.</p><p><br /></p><p><b>Everything Bagel</b> - Cream cheese ice cream is an excellent base for cheesecake ice cream. So imagine that. Now subtract enough sugar from the cream cheese base to make it more savory than sweet. Not add onion and garlic. (Yes, you read that correctly.) Thankfully, I only sampled the flavor, which was enough to send me running away at full speed. But some people must love it because this is not the first time they've had the flavor. So don't take my word for it; try it for yourself!</p></div>Brad @ IceCreamUScreamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12406345176652208472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7870253277439772278.post-48694784875129462982022-05-13T13:31:00.000-05:002022-05-13T13:31:16.529-05:00Ample Hills Creamery from Brooklyn, NY<div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj9S4EzIrN0CDbHaDAYUkKkB5MyIcuvP1s2Fz_sy3XgCJX0UTMbrj8L8wrXZqW3pFr-e_Ta2UDA9V1xuIzizwIVH4o_hCS2x7NZEz58WJil-LNydqJMhcUYBusbN2XjcJCP4SMf_HgNFTUP_D7kynIQVgSra5j-1cy3uIhW5Itu-jkoKS8BnvRvaNHBWw" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1468" data-original-width="3264" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj9S4EzIrN0CDbHaDAYUkKkB5MyIcuvP1s2Fz_sy3XgCJX0UTMbrj8L8wrXZqW3pFr-e_Ta2UDA9V1xuIzizwIVH4o_hCS2x7NZEz58WJil-LNydqJMhcUYBusbN2XjcJCP4SMf_HgNFTUP_D7kynIQVgSra5j-1cy3uIhW5Itu-jkoKS8BnvRvaNHBWw=w400-h180" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #666666;">Astoria location.</span></td></tr></tbody></table>My last pre-pandemic trip was to New York City. Having been numerous other times, I decided to give that trip a focus: pizza (R.I.P. Domenico DeMarco, founder of <a href="https://www.difarapizzany.com/">Di Fara</a>), bagels, and <a href="https://amplehills.com/" target="_blank">Ample Hills Creamery</a> ice cream. From the factory in Red Hook to the shop at the south end of the High Line in Chelsea to a few blocks from Madison Square Garden before a Rangers game, Ample Hills had the flavors that kept me coming back. This past January when I was flying back to Chicago after the holidays with family, I used my four hour layover to take a quick bus trip from LaGuardia to the Astoria location.</div><div><br /></div>Here are my favorite flavors I have tried so far:<br /><br /><i>Salted Crack'd Caramel: burnt caramel ice cream with chocolate covered buttery crackers</i><div>Every so often I have a flavor that awakens my tastebuds in a way that makes them seem somehow more alive than they have ever been. This is one of those flavors. Burnt caramel 4eva.<br /><i><br /></i></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiY04C85PZzaQEq9iM5XWo802a7-dzUjvazEzUqk4gEI1A42PzCHqaL2lKYKsNtcAqbIUtvOBxfVEc85o0N_yyE841Pg1EP43PUTX5zYMinMolxz2ccfE3UqoiKEj0UGRzNEXXWN9TNDClfDks2PI5YtaUbPLjlz4uocdvYfq5xGjdT2WqHIMx07E-rww" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1448" data-original-width="2292" height="126" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiY04C85PZzaQEq9iM5XWo802a7-dzUjvazEzUqk4gEI1A42PzCHqaL2lKYKsNtcAqbIUtvOBxfVEc85o0N_yyE841Pg1EP43PUTX5zYMinMolxz2ccfE3UqoiKEj0UGRzNEXXWN9TNDClfDks2PI5YtaUbPLjlz4uocdvYfq5xGjdT2WqHIMx07E-rww=w200-h126" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #666666;">Egg-carton flight.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div><i>Snap, Mallow, Pop!: marshmallow ice cream with baked rice crispy clusters</i></div><div>When I think of marshmallows in ice cream I usually think of that cloyingly sweet fluff. Or I think of toasted marshmallows blended into the base. This flavor is neither, embracing the subtlety of the marshmallow found in Rice Krispies Treats. That, plus the puffed rice? Yum.<br /><br /><i>The Munchies: pretzel-infused ice cream with Ritz crackers, potato chips, pretzels and crushed M&M's</i><div>Crush the pretzels to dust and blend them into the base. Why, oh why, haven't I thought of this? Too often pretzels in ice cream soften into disappointment. Here you get the flavor and the texture of the mix-ins. Personally, I wanted more chocolate but still a must try flavor.</div><div><br /></div><div>To make matters even more exciting, every location of Ample Hills Creamery features an original flavor specific to that particular location. I can't say I've tried them all (yet)--especially the Jersey City location or the one in Long Beach, CA--but trying their different flavors is definitely ice cream crawl material.</div></div>Brad @ IceCreamUScreamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12406345176652208472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7870253277439772278.post-40761030953065279832022-03-14T20:14:00.001-05:002022-03-14T20:14:14.276-05:00Carina's Cupcakery in Chicago<div>A little over a year ago, a theatre artist friend posted that one of his theatre artist friends had started a cupcake business out of her home kitchen. I investigated, saw that she delivered (which has been so necessary in pandemic-land), and dove in, sweet tooth first. Her business, <a href="https://www.carinascupcakery.com/" target="_blank">Carina's Cupcakery</a>, may primarily be cupcakes and cakes, but she does many other things, too; over time she has delivered cake pops, caramel corn, and macarons along with my cupcake orders. (These additional items haven't made it to her website's menu yet, but I can attest to their quality for when they do!) </div><div><br /></div><div>Carina's specialty is flavors of the Philippines, some flavors I'd first been introduced to by another Jennivee's Bakery and others I first had from Carina. Another menu often features monthly specialty flavors, which means there's often something new I haven't tried on the menu. I've tried the ones I am most excited about and decided it was time to blog about it.</div><br />Without further ado, here is my personal ranking from favorite to not-my-favorite-but-still-tasty:<div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg5rP9HmtdJO6Vw0G3T9krpIrkIsNavvsgximU6kGsA8yiLAl_5Tprp16wVpcVhviOag2xAACHlAFb38FIw7_9qo0_Eyq7qf8OmFWLxgSlHj6cNlyaxBDgHr3Q6dME7LIa3MTXS8inkyoeEifUPJTkYWbNRWPg_f2qcymaeLBf6kbjr2tzT_-gpHqZVNA=s1800" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="1440" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg5rP9HmtdJO6Vw0G3T9krpIrkIsNavvsgximU6kGsA8yiLAl_5Tprp16wVpcVhviOag2xAACHlAFb38FIw7_9qo0_Eyq7qf8OmFWLxgSlHj6cNlyaxBDgHr3Q6dME7LIa3MTXS8inkyoeEifUPJTkYWbNRWPg_f2qcymaeLBf6kbjr2tzT_-gpHqZVNA=w160-h200" width="160" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #666666; font-size: x-small;">From Carina's Cupcakery's<br />Facebook page.</span></td></tr></tbody></table>Date Night (chocolate covered strawberry, seasonal)</li><li>Ube Jammin' (ube)</li><li>Philippine Sun (mango pineapple)</li><li>Ginger Spice (cinnamon and spices, seasonal)</li><li>Chocolate Cravings (quadruple chocolate)</li><li>Lemonade Stand (raspberry lemonade, seasonal)</li><li>Spill the Tea (chai spices, seasonal)</li><li>Cupcake de Coco (brown sugar and coconut)</li><li>CocoJoy (coconut almond chocolate)</li><li>Cupcakes 'n Cream (Oreo)</li><li>Big Buko (pandan and coconut)</li><li>So Corny (corn and coconut)</li></ul><div>If you're like me, you'll try them and soon want to make your way through the menu. It's dangerous, but worth it. So if you're in Chicago, give Carina's Cupcakery a try!</div></div>Brad @ IceCreamUScreamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12406345176652208472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7870253277439772278.post-21583778191358444752021-11-25T09:16:00.004-06:002022-12-20T14:49:23.874-06:00Milk Bar grocery store pints<p><span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM2iOT7PklDSDTrkjvGvNfUMIYX6pDZJCQjHv1Lxcs6eteDJQl5r6t9hjb-AglFJiMQuugIgNpFhQv5oDMxkorwww6sx8yblipkPgPGufwLhgYpzt1Sn8AY6spLS0o7DFmLsRgx3s-dfjV/s2925/20211107_141250.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1075" data-original-width="2925" height="148" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM2iOT7PklDSDTrkjvGvNfUMIYX6pDZJCQjHv1Lxcs6eteDJQl5r6t9hjb-AglFJiMQuugIgNpFhQv5oDMxkorwww6sx8yblipkPgPGufwLhgYpzt1Sn8AY6spLS0o7DFmLsRgx3s-dfjV/w400-h148/20211107_141250.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />Milk Bar is a New York City legend. Whether their Cereal Milk soft serve, their pie (formerly known as "crack pie"), or their cake truffles, dessert there is a sweet-toothsome experience. But I have a confession: I've always *liked* Milk Bar, but haven't *loved* Milk Bar. Their sugar-forward approach may give the chic place an adult candy store feel, but to me it was always at the expense of depth of flavor. Until now.
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I happened to be walking through the Whole Foods freezer aisle, just taking stock, when I saw that Milk Bar now has grocery store pints! I jumped on the opportunity to buy one of each flavor, praying that this NYC export wasn't the bitter disappointment of Serendipity's grocery store pints. The results of my scientific inquiry? Well, I liked them enough to blog about it, which is saying a lot these days.
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From favorite to still-good-but-not-as-good, here are my thoughts:
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<b>Cereal Milk</b>: Admittedly, when I eat cereal, I do not drink the milk remnants afterward. To me, it is concentrated sugar, like drinking soda from the machine is too many parts syrup. That said, when I had the Cereal Milk soft serve in New York, I was underwhelmed. It ends up all it needed was more milkfat. Simple and an instant classic, this pint has a subtler sweetness than its namesake, all with crunchy cornflakes mixed in to add some textural diversity. A wonderful flavor.
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<b>Cornflake Chocolate Chip Marshmallow</b>: Are you even making ice cream in post-Ben & Jerry's America if you don't have a flavor boasting to have the most crazy chunks mixed in? This long flavor name doesn't even mention that the flavor base aims to taste like cookie dough, something I'm not sure it achieves. What is does taste like is toasted bliss, vaguely s'mores-like. The mix-ins--chocolate chips, more crunchy cornflakes, and the occasional patch of a marshmallow-like substance--only add to the flavor experience, making each bite a little different from the next.
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<b>Birthday Cake</b>: In general, I find this flavor trend cloying and something colorful intended for kids, but Milk Bar made it right. Rich and flavorful, my only complaint is that the delicious frosting mix-in (usually the downfall of Birthday Cake ice creams) was in hunks rather than a ripple. This made some bites a bit much.
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<b>Pie</b>: A somewhat bland name for an interesting flavor. The "deep vanilla" base has a hint of burnt sugar. With the "gooey butter filling" giving the ice cream a St. Louis "Gooey Butter Cake" effect, this flavor is almost too rich for me...he says still licking the spoon. Lastly, they have some oats mixed in to approximate pie crust, but for me oats just don't work as a mix-in. Sure, they maintain their texture, but they linger too long and end up dominating. Still, a good flavor.Brad @ IceCreamUScreamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12406345176652208472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7870253277439772278.post-56846432089004836202021-04-09T10:26:00.004-05:002021-04-09T10:26:38.618-05:00Lost Larson in Chicago<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0y4W29fdoqSi0GIPaDee9bXYfvA8eziutQKaUZknqZGyQnFH62D6xg9klGp4YFFxua8U3TmVKLbYDTkwn7gEoGs5RjHdz9LI5SIU-249orB_9i2BOLSjcVO0ZPwlmO6ylVpdNYgC2WEwu/s2048/20210409_092921.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1734" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0y4W29fdoqSi0GIPaDee9bXYfvA8eziutQKaUZknqZGyQnFH62D6xg9klGp4YFFxua8U3TmVKLbYDTkwn7gEoGs5RjHdz9LI5SIU-249orB_9i2BOLSjcVO0ZPwlmO6ylVpdNYgC2WEwu/w169-h200/20210409_092921.jpg" width="169" /></a></div>If there's one reason to retcon my <a href="http://icecreamuscream.blogspot.com/2018/06/chicagos-best-sweets-full-list.html" target="_blank">Best of Chicago Sweets List</a>, it is Lost Larson. The bakery has become my favorite in Chicago. It's located in Andersonville between two of the neighborhood's longest Swedish holdouts--the Swedish Bakery and the delicatessen--before both tragically disappeared in the past five years. But while Lost Larson is definitely modern, it still keeps things Swedish, offering a lingonberry almond cake, limpa bread and semla, among others delicacies. In addition to their chai latte (the best I've ever had) and their cheddar and kale scone, these are my favorite items from Lost Larson:<p></p><p><br /></p><p>(1) Afternoon Tea Bun - To the naked eye, it is a cinnamon roll shape that's merely covered in granulated sugar. Incorrect. There is sugar, lemon zest and earl grey. It is simple, yet mind-blowing. My favorite by far.</p><p><br /></p><p>(2) Cinnamon Roll Bread Pudding - Like everything at Lost Larson, the cinnamon rolls are good. The cinnamon roll bread pudding, however, is great. Dense and sweet. It may not have a cream cheese frosting, but it doesn't need it.</p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT8ODDTCJzBPPzz3Yfg4SxZk4J-su_e5-oqcc503utf6Qgj8SUEeJLtSFhc4hKf8VQ6pwGJTmJbHW-8d9kgyP0W4jYpLNfxeQNboxkViJCOUOkc6jzXaYaDQqzEdJ7lHCI-H3hiBDQdXda/s1984/20210409_092830.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1326" data-original-width="1984" height="134" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT8ODDTCJzBPPzz3Yfg4SxZk4J-su_e5-oqcc503utf6Qgj8SUEeJLtSFhc4hKf8VQ6pwGJTmJbHW-8d9kgyP0W4jYpLNfxeQNboxkViJCOUOkc6jzXaYaDQqzEdJ7lHCI-H3hiBDQdXda/w200-h134/20210409_092830.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Afternoon Tea Bun.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></p><p>(3) any seasonal fruit dough-y pastry - Croissant, danish, whatever they're calling it that day, get it. My favorite is when they have rhubarb, but that is more personal preference than studious recommendation.</p><p><br /></p><p>(4) Chocolate Passionfruit Caramel Tart - Did I mention they do pastry of the non-dough variety? Lost Larson excels at this, too! What would you say to a dark chocolate tart topped with a caramel that has been flavored with passion fruit? You would say, "Yes. I would like to eat that now, please."</p><p><br /></p><p>(5) Almond Croissant - Almond croissants were perfected in my mind by West Seattle's Bakery Nouveau. Here at Lost Larson, we have a worthy local option. The almond paste in the middle of this powdered sugar topped delight doesn't taste like marzipan and it doesn't taste like amaretto; it tastes like--who'da thunk?--almonds.</p>Brad @ IceCreamUScreamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12406345176652208472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7870253277439772278.post-16614225269711892122021-04-02T08:14:00.000-05:002021-04-02T08:14:43.794-05:00Freezer Faves: Tillamook's Monster Cookie<div><i>While this blog is primarily a fan of local scoop shops, it acknowledges that sometimes a person just wants to stay in for the night. That being said, this is one of my <a href="http://icecreamuscream.blogspot.com/2014/10/freezer-favorites.html" target="_blank">Freezer Favorites</a>.</i></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">• • •</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvJrFaM0Vdt4XeSOsorpYqDbZ7o4leLP0aHdQD9-4LxsJFLS_BjwzxVtxSHvdXAppXbm0rlUpiGnUhIVehe5PlyiALIsJZAhO9IWEfUYqfbV9veaNXL5V4el4mmN-1TWKDkrJuP5MuimfT/s2048/20210325_100704.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1757" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvJrFaM0Vdt4XeSOsorpYqDbZ7o4leLP0aHdQD9-4LxsJFLS_BjwzxVtxSHvdXAppXbm0rlUpiGnUhIVehe5PlyiALIsJZAhO9IWEfUYqfbV9veaNXL5V4el4mmN-1TWKDkrJuP5MuimfT/w172-h200/20210325_100704.jpg" width="172" /></a></div>I was delighted when mid-pandemic, the local Chicago-area grocery stores started carrying the Oregon brand Tillamook. Having lived in the Pacific Northwest, Tillamook's extra creamy ice cream is well-known to me. But enough boasting about my extensive dairy dessert knowledge, on to the blog!<div><br /></div><div>M&M's, oats, chocolate chips, and peanut butter. What makes these cookie ingredients a "monster" you ask? Elementary, my dear blog reader. It is not the cookies that are the monster, but, in fact, you...once you have your first taste of a monster cookie. Om nom nom nom.<div><br /></div><div>Tillamook's Monster Cookie ice cream is my first time hearing of this classic cookie being made into an ice cream. And they knock it out of the park. This isn't bursting with mix-ins, but instead strikes a delicate balance one might not associate with the eponymous baked good: not too much oats, which would result in the still being chewy after the ice cream part has melted away; not too much peanut butter, which could easily overpower the other flavors; and kissed with just enough chocolate chips and wannabe M&M's to elevate the sweetness in every bite.</div><div><br /></div><div>But the crowning achievement is the ice cream base. Boasting itself to be cookie-dough flavored ice cream, the base is definitely more than your average sweet cream. Were it a blond-folded taste test, would I name the flavor cookie dough (as I would with <a href="http://icecreamuscream.blogspot.com/2012/03/youre-welcome-president-obama.html">Thomas Sweet's Chocolate Chip Cookie flavor</a>)? Probably not. But that doesn't stop the base from being exceptionally tasty!</div></div></div><div><br /></div><div>Tillamook's Cookie Monster, I salute you!</div>Brad @ IceCreamUScreamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12406345176652208472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7870253277439772278.post-76681350246976656112021-04-01T09:42:00.000-05:002021-04-01T09:42:01.914-05:00Freezer Faves: Signature Select's Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup<p> <i>While this blog is primarily a fan of local scoop shops, it acknowledges that sometimes a person just wants to stay in for the night. That being said, this is one of my <a href="http://icecreamuscream.blogspot.com/2014/10/freezer-favorites.html" target="_blank">Freezer Favorites</a>.</i></p><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">• • •</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDUPnXky4vkPwFO2QfbF0fBA6PN7a_bAB2gRRyOFUQikkPB7KscjHYr_5LfgQR0DGhGsX0tX8rPDjTiN62mO2mZ6-8_gMJJmp2tkLQ51ooOW_iQdE12-dVB4jfasOvT2-Y5K08jajKJITJ/s2048/20210325_100342.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1604" data-original-width="2048" height="157" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDUPnXky4vkPwFO2QfbF0fBA6PN7a_bAB2gRRyOFUQikkPB7KscjHYr_5LfgQR0DGhGsX0tX8rPDjTiN62mO2mZ6-8_gMJJmp2tkLQ51ooOW_iQdE12-dVB4jfasOvT2-Y5K08jajKJITJ/w200-h157/20210325_100342.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Gasp! Is he really recommending a--double gasp!--grocery store brand ice cream?!? (Clutches pearls.)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I am often confused with being an ice cream snob. But the truth is I appreciate high-brow and low-brow ice creams. Who among us doesn't crave a Dairy Queen blizzard or <a href="http://icecreamuscream.blogspot.com/2008/12/mcdisappointed.html" target="_blank">McDonald's caramel sundae</a> from time to time?</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">In proclaiming the virtues of this particular flavor, I would argue that that its chocolate base has more of an actual chocolate flavor than most so-called chocolate ice creams. (It still isn't like taking a bite out of a 72% cacao single origin chocolate bar, but one should turn to fresh gelato or even fresh chocolate sorbetto for that.) And, unlike most products offered by the grocery store staple brands Edy's/Dreyer's and Breyer's, this flavor is actually ice cream and not "light ice cream" or "frozen dairy dessert."</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Moving beyond the singing the praises of its chocolate base, I must also declare its peanut butter cups to be hunks of joy. Mixed in along with an exceptionally good (but not overpowering) peanut butter swirl, the cups are not in every bite, but are such that I often bargain with myself that I'll stop eating "one more peanut butter cup...no, one more...no, one more..." </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Signature Select's Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup, I salute you!</div>Brad @ IceCreamUScreamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12406345176652208472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7870253277439772278.post-83491298020136408722021-03-31T10:55:00.001-05:002021-03-31T10:55:38.059-05:00Freezer Faves: Kemp's White Chocolate Raspberry<p><i>While this blog is primarily a fan of local scoop shops, it acknowledges that sometimes a person just wants to stay in for the night. That being said, this is one of my <a href="http://icecreamuscream.blogspot.com/2014/10/freezer-favorites.html" target="_blank">Freezer Favorites</a>.</i></p><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">• • •</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6v7IxGoyC3XNpdX_rFltgsvV-jFYqGvdv6Ixf_XjwtUpuCLze11zHXyvjP9BdPs1haVPc0AwZ6OeALzHmel3Er_EbjhKrpV4fXqbLD3eUXgaIHlakhgTHG_Bwg5KadcgV-E0uJSOTM8U6/s2048/20210325_100312.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1594" data-original-width="2048" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6v7IxGoyC3XNpdX_rFltgsvV-jFYqGvdv6Ixf_XjwtUpuCLze11zHXyvjP9BdPs1haVPc0AwZ6OeALzHmel3Er_EbjhKrpV4fXqbLD3eUXgaIHlakhgTHG_Bwg5KadcgV-E0uJSOTM8U6/w200-h156/20210325_100312.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>"Decadent mascarpone cheesecake ice cream with a luscious raspberry swirl and white chocolaty chips."</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Need I go on?</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div>Sure, the base may not scream of mascarpone and there aren't as many raspberry swirls as I'd like, but damned if this flavor ain't the truth. With the white chocolaty flakes packing every bite, this flavor is similar to <a href="https://icecreamuscream.blogspot.com/2021/03/freezer-faves-haagen-dazs-double.html" target="_blank">Häagen-Dazs' Double Belgian Chocolate Chip</a>, in that it utilizes a sweet and creamy base with a differently textured mix-in to produce a chocolate truffle effect, albeit a white chocolate truffle.<br /></div><div><br /></div><div>When I turned a half gallon of this flavor into a mere two portions, I knew I had my hands on an instant classic.</div><div><br /></div><div>Kemps' White Chocolate Raspberry, I salute you!</div>Brad @ IceCreamUScreamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12406345176652208472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7870253277439772278.post-2453843065323824932021-03-30T09:16:00.000-05:002021-03-30T09:16:11.721-05:00Freezer Faves: Häagen-Dazs' Double Belgian Chocolate Chip<p><i>While this blog is primarily a fan of local scoop shops, it acknowledges that sometimes a person just wants to stay in for the night. That being said, this is one of my <a href="http://icecreamuscream.blogspot.com/2014/10/freezer-favorites.html" target="_blank">Freezer Favorites</a>.</i></p><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">• • •</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2gxI0rmd-Dpfq1KIDOwAPm5Vv2cltiSYEmd0hE18rzPP79sWX-lmzaQgAUMWme8TCwCs1iiegYwW2nxrIHByX3PfkFndMZhOEyAJP4lVrD9f-xHVsG8a4vpoh8MFRzjNXATf3K7KRJkWo/s2048/20210325_100248.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1863" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2gxI0rmd-Dpfq1KIDOwAPm5Vv2cltiSYEmd0hE18rzPP79sWX-lmzaQgAUMWme8TCwCs1iiegYwW2nxrIHByX3PfkFndMZhOEyAJP4lVrD9f-xHVsG8a4vpoh8MFRzjNXATf3K7KRJkWo/w182-h200/20210325_100248.jpg" width="182" /></a></div>I have blogged about this flavor before. Indeed, it was this flavor that inspired me to share my extensive ice cream knowledge on the blogging platform when a co-worker I had a decade-and-a-half ago falsely claimed there were no good American chocolate ice creams. And this flavor was once considered my all-time favorite ice cream flavor. But while my palate has become more refined over the years, there is no denying that Häagen-Dazs' Double Belgian Chocolate Chip still kicks serious butt.</div><div><br /></div>While it has gone through a number of name changes over the years--Belgian Chocolate Chocolate to the simplified Belgian Chocolate to its new, most accurate name--the flavor has remained the same. A pint of creamy chocolate ice cream that is nearly fifty-percent dark chocolate shavings. Every single bite is equal parts ice cream and shavings so delicate and small that they are nearly indistinguishable from the base were it not for their full-bodied punch of flavor. The effect is that of a chocolate truffle ice cream with two types and textures of chocolate blending into a wholly original experience.<div><br /></div><div>Häagen-Dazs' Double Belgian Chocolate Chip, I salute you!</div>Brad @ IceCreamUScreamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12406345176652208472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7870253277439772278.post-83766688275065079082021-03-29T10:51:00.001-05:002021-03-29T10:51:43.611-05:00Freezer Faves: Talenti's Roman Raspberry<p></p><div><div><i>While this blog is primarily a fan of local scoop shops, it acknowledges that sometimes a person just wants to stay in for the night. That being said, this is one of my <a href="http://icecreamuscream.blogspot.com/2014/10/freezer-favorites.html" target="_blank">Freezer Favorites</a>.</i></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">• • •</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqwpE-9prUrpThII9nf9WnZpg_3ymGZkBWqOfaxKmXjohaduO0QDp4iuAaGYmSMfnbaez4efY4lvQzA176gOTt9uiQpLXrtV_KVJqFLWuXHf8tVgWUz2HnXYEXwt0ffML-cJIHl0ssESQa/s2048/20210325_100220.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1655" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqwpE-9prUrpThII9nf9WnZpg_3ymGZkBWqOfaxKmXjohaduO0QDp4iuAaGYmSMfnbaez4efY4lvQzA176gOTt9uiQpLXrtV_KVJqFLWuXHf8tVgWUz2HnXYEXwt0ffML-cJIHl0ssESQa/w162-h200/20210325_100220.jpg" width="162" /></a></div></div>When my lactose-intolerant lady friend told me her favorite dairy-free grocery store option was made by Talenti, I balked. I've never been impressed with their gelato. Quite frankly, I thought their gelato stunk and tasted of the plastic container it came in.<p></p><p><br /></p><p>Enter Roman Raspberry dairy-free sorbetto.</p><p><br /></p><p>Soft, scoop-able sorbet. None of that icy block that you have to scrape and scrape and scrape away at until you eventually get a satisfying amount onto your spoon. And the flavor envelops your taste buds with tart berry flavor that forces you to pause a moment to savor before dipping your spoon in for more.</p><p> </p><p>Now, authetic, fresh sorbetto is comprised of merely sugar, water and the fruity flavoring agent, be it fruit or juice. Talenti's Roman Raspberry contains more than that; it is a mass-produced grocery store product so of course there are preservatives...but the final product has only six ingredients! Ultimately, though, one should trust the taste buds. It is so close to being the real thing, one might question if, in fact, it is the real thing. I dare say it is.</p><p><br /></p><p>Talenti's Roman Raspberry, I salute you!</p>Brad @ IceCreamUScreamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12406345176652208472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7870253277439772278.post-82876121157443486302021-03-29T10:48:00.002-05:002021-03-30T09:21:34.363-05:00Pandemic Land Special: What's Good in the Grocery Store?<p>There hasn't been a ton to report on dessert-wise during pandemic times. I am limited to the spots that are walking distance from my apartment. But while I prefer to review local spots, the pandemic has allowed me to settle in with a few new grocery store favorites AKA my <a href="http://icecreamuscream.blogspot.com/2014/10/freezer-favorites.html" target="_blank">Freezer Faves</a>. This week I will be reporting on my best new discoveries as well as a few old stand-bys. Scroll on for more...</p>Brad @ IceCreamUScreamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12406345176652208472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7870253277439772278.post-77622235529851852692020-08-23T13:45:00.003-05:002020-08-23T13:45:39.748-05:00Downstate Donuts in Chicago, IL<div class="separator"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtb8-lpdmEHt-Nx56J33KVVxjtBi4qr5f9VkDpSkVpSeLz4lbmrtXp7s86Hde6s69x8EXgDwIBwZshc_LbKAC3xtK0aQL2iAL2mI6TcxXaFJwUL0junpjNXbjhKWcMpzIi_zRjVR91cwJ8/s2048/20200823_132305.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1882" data-original-width="2048" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtb8-lpdmEHt-Nx56J33KVVxjtBi4qr5f9VkDpSkVpSeLz4lbmrtXp7s86Hde6s69x8EXgDwIBwZshc_LbKAC3xtK0aQL2iAL2mI6TcxXaFJwUL0junpjNXbjhKWcMpzIi_zRjVR91cwJ8/w262-h241/20200823_132305.jpg" width="262" /></a></div>Many of us Chicagoans have been craving the foods we cannot access easily during quarantine due to them being outside walking distance. Imagine my delight when a friend spread the gospel of a new doughnut place that delivers! The purveyor in question is <a href="https://www.downstatedonuts.com/" target="_blank">Downstate Donuts</a>, where the doughnuts are made with potatoes. Indeed when the half dozens have arrived at my door, they smelled like potato chips. They didn't taste like potato chips, but there's no denying that smell.<br /><br />As the weeks continue to pass in quarantine, I've allowed myself to make more than one order to this wonderful establishment and create a list of their donuts, from my favorite to my least favorite. Don't get me wrong, though: all of them are good!<br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP83lhRjPzRJ-y1iajer1OIiM1obWfyLeJ3oP6V38fajQOs_gUm4TXPr7VLIvum0eJtzkgrKGiR8ZmGxxLo3FXAAXcA-WpHvR7uzu4zIIk2MFZlFZMaccOPrJN7gHMgAQSb5ql_kUh5-LK/s2048/20200823_132154.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1276" data-original-width="2048" height="163" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP83lhRjPzRJ-y1iajer1OIiM1obWfyLeJ3oP6V38fajQOs_gUm4TXPr7VLIvum0eJtzkgrKGiR8ZmGxxLo3FXAAXcA-WpHvR7uzu4zIIk2MFZlFZMaccOPrJN7gHMgAQSb5ql_kUh5-LK/w262-h163/20200823_132154.jpg" width="262" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">L-to-R: Wild Blueberry, Strawberry Rosé,<br />Lemon Mascarpone, Vanilla Sour Cream</td></tr></tbody></table><li><b>Strawberry Rosé</b> - My favorite of their offerings, they actually boast that this is their first savory doughnut...but it tastes sweet to me! The strawberry glaze is the best I've encountered.</li><li><b>L.R.P. (Lemon Ricotta Pistachio)</b> - Hot on the tail of the previous doughnut, the layered combination gets better with each bite.</li><li><b>Vanilla Sour Cream</b> - Don't bypass this one just because it sounds simple. This classic is classic for a reason.</li><li><b>Sweet Potato Maple</b> - A delightful balance of sweet potato and maple, I actually prefer this version to their other option Maple Pecan, which has too much going on flavor-wise in my humble opinion.</li><li><b>Lemon Mascarpone</b> - As you have probably deduced by now, in addition to having a variety of glazes, Downstate Donuts also uses different doughs. This particular doughnut is decadent and rich. </li><li><b>Italian Cream Cake</b> - I ate the whole thing, but I'm still not totally clear on what was going on with it. All I know is that it was good. The website says the cake doughnut has coconut milk in it!</li><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN4aHLVc_2rQDNZj9CjF37IWx3MpHXZWaAXOQb-KobWIDyFJxhI4ld_FcuOPCqtVsAnLiT6tL6Uz53NCnjfcIzyuK82ZiyyOAQ3pFbkSmWWOkpOfrwhgGyovmEbIJandwdNmwlcrXoiqHu/s2048/20200704_101931.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1103" data-original-width="2048" height="142" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN4aHLVc_2rQDNZj9CjF37IWx3MpHXZWaAXOQb-KobWIDyFJxhI4ld_FcuOPCqtVsAnLiT6tL6Uz53NCnjfcIzyuK82ZiyyOAQ3pFbkSmWWOkpOfrwhgGyovmEbIJandwdNmwlcrXoiqHu/w262-h142/20200704_101931.jpg" width="262" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">L-to-R: Vanilla Sour Cream, L.R.P.,<br />Chocolate Sea Salt, Brown Butter Chai</td></tr></tbody></table><li><b>Wild Blueberry</b> - The glaze has more than a hint of lemon in it, which sadly overpowers the blueberry, even though there are hunks of blueberries in the doughnut.</li><li><b>Brown Butter Chai</b> - I expected more of a punch of flavor than I got in this doughnut, but when has cinnamon on a glazed doughnut ever been bad?</li><li><b>Chocolate Sea Salt</b> - More salt than I prefer on this tasty chocolate glaze. I feel it necessary to reiterate that while this is near the bottom of the list, it still was good!</li><li><b>Salted Peanut Butter</b> - This was the only doughnut of theirs that didn't taste unique to me. I feel I can grab something similar at other doughnut spots.</li><div>Delivery from Downstate Donuts is available on Saturday mornings only, so get your orders in before 5pm on Friday this week.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div></div>Brad @ IceCreamUScreamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12406345176652208472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7870253277439772278.post-44372107760207480802019-10-09T10:48:00.000-05:002019-10-09T10:59:55.764-05:00Pierre Hermé in Paris, France<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQv82-Qy_CnjqMYrLwGrRoiZYHNUcqL46bQyjVyqomL9ml1tTMxYjp5GS8_D_3_V9FswExTh4jCB-As0DaKIEecvY67hTOb69FJxB2Ovlyq8T8JU_GqS02IuEdQ_g8Mh1Y4_3aSlDZVspj/s1600/20191001_140007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQv82-Qy_CnjqMYrLwGrRoiZYHNUcqL46bQyjVyqomL9ml1tTMxYjp5GS8_D_3_V9FswExTh4jCB-As0DaKIEecvY67hTOb69FJxB2Ovlyq8T8JU_GqS02IuEdQ_g8Mh1Y4_3aSlDZVspj/s400/20191001_140007.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I was three days into my Paris trip still waiting for my "Wow" moment with Parisian food. Things had been good--and a select few great--but nothing had completely blown me away yet. As luck would have it, Day Three was also the day I would be trying the number one spot on my dessert list: Pierre Hermé.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG6lJwMPg0A6bSbRpQon_fkISbn5_LjZppXjMl4YcEqAtlkOKzRpGXb-cr1bdXcVBTmy1ELM3KhBFAsyr4zm8mZeui449vFn5_qhV1VMUJk8wgg2bqjJ-FInFgcV_1Zp90RYiXOkm2ogF1/s1600/20191001_135945.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="143" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG6lJwMPg0A6bSbRpQon_fkISbn5_LjZppXjMl4YcEqAtlkOKzRpGXb-cr1bdXcVBTmy1ELM3KhBFAsyr4zm8mZeui449vFn5_qhV1VMUJk8wgg2bqjJ-FInFgcV_1Zp90RYiXOkm2ogF1/s200/20191001_135945.jpg" width="200" /></a>Most famous for his macarons, Hermé has fashioned his fair share of original flavor combinations. To name a few: Jardin Oriental (rose, orange blossom and candied ginger), Jardin de l'Atlas (lemon, orange blossom and Maquis honey) and Montebello (pistachio & raspberry). What I was lining up for is his most famous flavor creation, Ispahan, in both macaron and croissant form.<br />
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What is Ispahan, you ask? Raspberry and lychee with a hint of rose. Going in, I wasn't entirely sure that this would be as great as advertised--my experiences with floral flavors has usually been negative--but my doubts were put to rest when the duo ahead of me in line ordered five of the seven remaining Ispahan croissants!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY4EcTRlFS5Ofehi-L0y_kFjMYJfxBNk3bGEj1d46H2vF9lMI45N9fY7T1TBgZL4ngbHrQ8BmE8e2fKTnKZvr6dwt11wMy-qZ15uTAG7_Z_Ddf2nHCSE-zTI_z3Slzxdgo3JxHetogtba6/s1600/20191001_134933.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY4EcTRlFS5Ofehi-L0y_kFjMYJfxBNk3bGEj1d46H2vF9lMI45N9fY7T1TBgZL4ngbHrQ8BmE8e2fKTnKZvr6dwt11wMy-qZ15uTAG7_Z_Ddf2nHCSE-zTI_z3Slzxdgo3JxHetogtba6/s200/20191001_134933.jpg" width="200" /></a>From my first bite of the croissant, I knew I had walked through a doorway into a new world, forever changed. With a thin, sweet glaze on top of the pastry, the tart raspberry intertwined with the sweet lychee on a floor of soft rose petals. The words from my mouth were expletives with modifiers of the divine persuasion.<br />
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When my trekking brought me near a different location of Pierre Hermé on Day Four, I made sure to stop in. This location did not have pastries of the croissant variety. It didn't appear that they had sold out; I could be wrong, but it appeared croissants simply weren't one of the items offered. Luckily, the macarons I had eaten on Day 3 were the best macarons I've had in my life--and you thought I'd forgotten to discuss those. Highlights of the ten flavors I tried from their Autumn Collection were Ispahan, Mogador (passion fruit with milk chocolate), Infiniment Chocolat Paineiras (pure origin Brazilian chocolate from the Paineiras plantation) and Infiniment Cassis (black currant).<br />
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TL;DR: If you go to Paris, make sure to stop in at Pierre Hermé, but while you can't go wrong with the macarons, check that the location offers Ispahan croissants. Or just go to the location I went to: 72 Rue Bonaparte in Saint-Germain.Brad @ IceCreamUScreamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12406345176652208472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7870253277439772278.post-56447736583543801292019-09-13T10:00:00.000-05:002019-09-13T11:00:50.729-05:00Craft Soda Week: The Worst Sodas<i>This week the ol' blog is celebrating <a href="https://icecreamuscream.blogspot.com/2019/09/craft-soda-week.html">Craft Soda Week</a>. Glug, glug, glug.</i><br />
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Let us also honor the bottom three worst soda I've ever consumed. Counting down...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYRvUPvfglhnmeLNh685rZyfL8b5C-eyGQxlhheL7SoudB9Gr69EIT_AO4ltaTSCyCA7Ow-vD3WID99qQfFQ05_LmINfw45EsqdK_4_L7k90ZYM7I5JZUgfhTuNn2DvJt-n2_0XtPuqXgJ/s1600/IMG_20150806_171842_609.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYRvUPvfglhnmeLNh685rZyfL8b5C-eyGQxlhheL7SoudB9Gr69EIT_AO4ltaTSCyCA7Ow-vD3WID99qQfFQ05_LmINfw45EsqdK_4_L7k90ZYM7I5JZUgfhTuNn2DvJt-n2_0XtPuqXgJ/s320/IMG_20150806_171842_609.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #666666;">Spruce Beer.</span></td></tr>
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<b>3.) Beverly by Coca-Cola. Out of Italy.</b><br />
Discontinued in 2009, I sampled it at the Atlanta tourist trap <a href="https://www.worldofcoca-cola.com/explore/explore-inside/explore-taste-it/">World of Coca-Cola</a>. This allegedly "bitter citrus" soda tastes like carbonated quinine and ear wax.<br />
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<b>2.) Sweat by <a href="https://www.jonessoda.com/">Jones Soda</a>. Out of Seattle, WA.</b><br />
Jones Soda likes to have fun. For years they had an annual Thanksgiving pack that included feast-flavored sodas, ranging from the appetizing (Cranberry Sauce soda) to the bizarre (Mashed Potatoes soda). But one even stranger soda pack they created was themed after the Seattle Seahawks, a series of sodas that represented what the team had to go through (Dirt, Turf, Sports Cream, Sweat) to achieve Victory (the final soda). Sweat had me gagging.<br />
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<b>1.) Spruce Beer by Empire Bottling Works. Out of Bristol, RI.</b><br />
Root Beer is popular, Ginger Beer recognizable and Birch Beer more of a niche product. Some jokers decided to try out the flavor of spruce in a beverage, resulting in a creamy flavor at the start and the most god-awful Windex aftertaste imaginable.Brad @ IceCreamUScreamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12406345176652208472noreply@blogger.com0