Not all ice cream is created equal. The first time I tasted really good ice cream was in Stuttgart, Germany. When I returned home to Ireland, the £1.99 gallon tub lurking at the bottom of the supermarket freezer just wouldn’t cut it. So I moved on up the ice cream ladder and happily spent a little more money for a lot more tastebud-tingling icy, creamy goodness. Then I tasted ice cream in Italy, and things got kind of crazy. I experimented with flavours, dabbled in gelato, flirted with sorbet, and eschewed anything with ingredients I couldn’t pronounce. I secretly saw myself as an ice cream connoisseur.
Then, last week, I experienced an ice cream awakening. I was visiting the college town of Princeton, New Jersey on one of the hottest days so far this summer. As the noon hour drew near, the sun beat down mercilessly and a friendly college student, recognizing my plight, suggested I beat a retreat indoors to try the best ice cream Princeton has to offer. How could I resist? I followed his directions to Palmer Square and found The Bent Spoon.
There was a line, but it moved quickly and soon I was inside, gazing up at the menu of hand-written signs attached to the wall above the counter.
Zucchini cake. Blueberry apricot. I was hooked. The people ahead of me moved to one side and the ice cream came into view.
The chap behind the counter grinned a tousle-haired hello, and seeing I was a new kid on the block, started offering me tastes of the flavours on offer that day. The lemon mint sorbet sparkled, the strawberry creme fraiche teased, but in the end I opted for lavender mascarpone and, at my tousle-haired friend’s suggestion, the blueberry mascarpone.
I sat down and took a tentative spoonful of the lavender mascarpone. It was delicately perfumed, subtly sweet, and of a texture words cannot do justice to. Shifting over to the blueberry, the berry flavour burst out juicy and sweet, and again, that dreamy, thick, never let go don’t let it stop texture. I was humbled. The Bent Spoon in Princeton NJ schooled me on how truly great ice cream can be. As I looked up from my ice cream, I saw a review of the shop, hanging on the wall next to me.
Yes. It was that good.
Where's my backpack? 
Oooh! That’s my kind of place 🙂
Mine too, Madhu 🙂
YUMMY!
🙂
I love ice cream too, and my all-time favourite was a fresh lemon purchased off a street vendor in Istanbul, Turkey. Rich, creamy, tart and refreshing with every lick. That said, if you’re desperate for an ice cream fix, President’s Chocie offers their ‘Loads Of’ line. Their Pecan Butter Tart is rich, creamy, buttery & sweet. The dark chocolate and cherries… Mmmm… Not quite McKay’s Ice Cream in Cochrane, AB (20 minutes west of my house) which is also fabulous, but a very close second.
If I’m ever in Cochrane, I now know where to go! Thanks! 😉
Oh my!! That looks so good right now!
I was in foodie heaven!
Summer treat
A delicious way to cool down 🙂
i hope The Bent Spoon compensate you for comments, it must be worth a blueberry mascarpone on the house
Haha, wouldn’t that be nice. I actually checked their site when writing this post, and saw they had two flavours that weren’t on offer that day – sweet pea and cardamom ginger – now if the nice folks at the Bent Spoon ever read this and feel like sending me a sample, I would not be offended in the slightest. 🙂
I’m drooling and licking my lips at the thought of all that choice….
It’s probably just as well I don’t live there because I’d have to try every flavour, and seeing as they come up with new flavours all the time, I’d resemble the Goodyear blimp 🙂
Me too my will power is non exsistant were ice cream is concerned…
J’adore ice-cream, so I really see your point.
The best one I ever ate was this year, ilat Sirmione-Italy, white chocolate and cafe, just wow…
Yum, what a delicious combination!
This looks incredible. I’m probably about an hour away. ROAD TRIP!
Do it, Gemma! I don’t know if you’ve ever been to Princeton before, but the campus is wonderful and the surrounding town is charming. And that ice cream alone is worth the trip 🙂
I love ice cream! It was my favorite food of choice when I was pregnant and able to eat it all the time guilt free! We are going on vacation this weekend and the place has the most amazing ice cream ever. During our week of vacation, we all try a new flavor each day. I can hardly wait!!! But I must also agree, that italy’s gelato is some of the best ice cream I’ve ever had!
A different flavour ice cream each day, now that has the makings of a delightful vacation! Have fun on your trip, Nicole, I look forward to reading your posts about it. xxx
Thanks! Not sure when I’ll get to your new post on “art”. I have a backlog of five posts in my queue that need to be written but hopefully I can join in. If not this week then next time! I’ll be busy eating ice cream and praying I still look ok in my bikini! (he he)….not ready to give in to a mommy suit yet.
Haha, this made me crack up, Nicole – from your photos, trust me, you are oh so far away from a mommy suit. Bet you rock your bikini! xxx
I love your photos and the names of the ice creams. How creative! So many sound appealing; in the heat here in Oman, my mouth is watering for one of these refreshing treats. Great post, Ailsa!
I have heard (don’t ask me where or when) about sweet frankincense ice cream that you can get in Oman, Cathy. Have you ever tried it? It sounds ridiculously decadent. If you haven’t, maybe you can go and try some and then let me know about it, so I can live vicariously through you. 🙂
You know Ailsa, I did recently hear about it and I will definitely try to find it and let you know about it!! Maybe that will be my quest next weekend when I got to Muscat!! 🙂
Yes! Let me know all about it 🙂
Hi Ailsa, You asked me about frankincense ice cream and I finally was able to try it. You can read about it here: http://catbirdinoman.wordpress.com/2012/07/19/no-comfort-zone-challenge-ubhar-frankincense-ice-cream/.
Let me know what you think. Maybe the lady in Salalah, who Dhofari Gucci writes about in her related article at the bottom of my post, makes it better. Too bad Salalah is 1,000km away, otherwise I’d go give it a try!
Aww, I was disappointed, as I’m sure you were. That settles it, Cathy, at some point either you or I (or both of us) have to travel to Salalah to try the frankincense ice cream there! 🙂
Yumi …. very delicious. I would choose blue berry mascarpone … yumi 😀
Wise choice, campanulladellaanna, it was delicious 🙂
Oh, how delicious, Ailsa. I love the idea of “The Leonardo Da Vinci of ice cream.” 😉
Me too, and I loved the taste of it also 🙂
The way you describe the taste and texture Ailsa, I can almost taste the ice cream.
That’s a real compliment, Shaanthz, I had to get really creative to try and convey the texture, glad it paid off! xxx
It sure did Ailsa.
Oh man, I need to go there and experience this ice cream nirvana since I live in NJ. Thanks for sharing!
Excellent, sutira, you are going to love it. Stop by after you’ve tasted it and let me know what you thought! xxx Ailsa
Wow. You capture the magic of ice cream’s affect on the senses so beautifully… It makes me want some immediately even though I’m in freezing cold weather!
Cat
Thanks Cat, and I’m a firm believer that ice cream is a year round necessity, no matter what the weather! 🙂
Sounds heavenly…. ice cream so sinful 😉
Yes, so sinfully good 🙂
My downfall was trying moosetracks ice cream. I used to take it or leave it.
Ooh, never tried it, Po’ Girl, now I’m going to have to find some 🙂
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