Yankee Magazine has published this list of the best places to get ice cream in New England.
When it comes to ice cream, I’m always down to hearing about more places I can try.
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Thanks for reminding me Yankee Magazine still exists. It was one of two periodicals we had in the house growing up (the other was BusinessWeek). It was a toss-up of opposites when I got desperate.
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Interesting list. Honestly haven’t been to most of these, probably 6-8 and all were excellent. IMHO, most people rave about their local place, declaring it “the best” without experiencing a range of other contenders. I’d love to get to half of these.
On a personal note, I love the UConn Dairy Bar. I’m not a UConn student, or even a CT guy. Just went there to try the ice cream and was blown away. They make their own base (lots of “homemade” places start with a commercial base), and the freshness of the milk from the grass-fed cows really shines through. Good, good stuff.
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Gorgeous Gelato in Portland, Maine is a favorite of ours from the Yankee Magazine list. To us, the flavors and texture are very true to the gelato you’d find in Italy. Makes sense as the owners relocated from Milan.
This year I read that Gorgeous Gelato added a second location in the High Street Place food hall in Boston. Have not been to
the Boston spot.
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Looks great. Funny, I just got back from Italy and had gelato at several locations in Rome and Florence. Most were no better than, and indiscernible from, decent quality ice creams we have here. One standout was Il Capriccio Di Carla in Rome. Phenomenal.
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I’ve got to Stan for New City locally. Their product is exceptional and some of the original flavors really work. Nostalgically I still go to Toscanini’s sometimes, but I think the ice cream at New City is better.
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My recent experience in Europe was the exact opposite. Almost put me off wanting ice cream here
at all this summer.
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I think the main drive for Toscanini are their creative flavor combinations. The quality of the ice cream is OK at best, e.g. storage temperature is too low and so has unfavorable texture
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I agree, New City is awesome. WAY better than Crescent Ridge - so overrated.
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Now this is making me think about a trip to Christina’s and Gracie. I’ve never been to Gracie myself, since I am almost never in Somerville (and a loooong ride on the red line for me). It’s been a while since Christina’s last visit, and I admit to forgetting about this place a lot. It’s just past my usual haunts in Cambridge, so I skip taking that extra few blocks down to their shop.
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Gracie’s is awesome. I’m curious about Forage
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Christina’s is my forever favorite
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It was in my grandmother’s house!
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Thanks for posting the link.
These are my recent frozen confection forays:
- The short rose season at Christina’s has come and gone. As always, it was superb. I’d had a disagreement with them a few years ago when they refused to sell me a pint of rose at stated pint prices, but they are back to offering pints now. Their other flavors this season have not wowed me – the mango was just OK, the sweet cream milk-powdery, the ginger harsh and the strawberry-lavender sorbet so lavendery that the only hint of strawberry was the color.
- Honeycomb has a terrifically delicate honey-lavender. It brought back memories of the great (but now defunct) Out of a Flower ice cream from Texas. But their rose-pistachio cashew-milk confection is so dominated by the cashew that the rose is lost (a hazard with pretty much all nut-milk affairs).
- Forge is always great, especially if you like your ice cream rich. Most recently, their coffee heath bar has been terrific.
- An otherwise sub-mediocre brunch at Henrietta’s Table (but it was outdoors on a glorious day) ended with a really good, intense chocolate sorbet.
- I’ve enjoyed a few pints of this and that from High Lawn (Hi-Rise carries them).
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Thanks for your detailed report. You might have gathered that I adore ice cream. And gelato. Always appreciate hearing about good stuff that I haven’t tried yet.
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Yes, I’d gathered. You may have gathered likewise about me and my wife.
Let me add that EH Chocolatier on Huron offers a very intense chocolate ice cream over the summer, almost fudge-like in its chewiness and richness. In that aspect it reminded me a bit of Jenni’s offerings – and it was likewise a bit too rich for my tongue.
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If you find yourself in Northern Berkshire County, check out Lickety Split in Williamstown which serves Herrell’s ice cream but in addition to the pink cow (strawberry and white and dark chocolate chunks), they have some other cows including the local favorite, purple cow (using black raspberry with the chocolate chunks)…I love these flavors personally…I don’t think they have these exact flavors in Northampton.
Lickety-Split Ice Cream (@licketysplit.icecream) • Instagram photos and videos
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If anyone is heading to New Hampshire, check out Red Rover Creamery in Portsmouth.
It’s on my wishlist.
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I had a goat cheese basil scoop at Honeycomb last week that was fantastic. I’m generally not a fan of toppings on ice cream (too muddled!) but they had just pulled a tray of roasted strawberries from the oven and I couldn’t pass it up. A delightful combination - slightly tangy, slightly sweet and 100% summer.
We also like Lizzy’s in Harvard Square. Formaggio sells their pints, but we’ve found it is significantly fresher (and better!) when bought at the shop.
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Honeycomb sounds interesting, will have to get over there. I don’t get the Lizzy’s love. People seem to like it, but I get the feeling they’re just using a commercial base, could be wrong. Not saying it’s bad, just, to me, pedestrian.
