Ice Cream, gelato, etc. [Toronto] [GTA]

Regional Dining Discussions Ontario
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I know we have a dessert thread, but I think ice cream deserves its own.

For 30 years, Greg’s was my favourite. His roasted marshmallow remains the only one that captured the smokey caramelized flavour of roasted marshmallows. He also had a great coffee flavour, with the bitter tang of a dark roast. When mixed with chunks of Score, his coffee toffee was nearly unbeatable. And he did seasonal fruit flavours very well, with pear and ginger a favourite.

We have had to move on to Ed’s Real Scoop, which is pretty good in terms of mouthfeel. His burnt marshmallow is only a distant second to Greg’s, but is an acceptable base for the s’mores ice cream pie.

We only recently had the chance to try Good Behaviour. Their s’mores was OK, but not smokey and no hint of graham crackers. Chocolate peanut butter was quite yummy. Torta della nonna was the standout, not too sweet with ricotta, pine nuts, and lemon.

We always enjoy Bang Bang. Our favourite flavours include burnt toffee, London fog, banana pudding, and the Sam James espresso. And it is fun to kick it up a notch by sandwiching the ice cream between cookies.

For Asian flavours, we love Kekou, especially for the garlic-meets-gym-socks durian, the HK milk tea, and the Vietnamese coffee. Alas Wong’s has gone, but on the same premises, Onyx is making some fine options including another durian take and wonderful coconut pandan.

Sicilian Sidewalk Cafe remains a longstanding favourite for the creamy tartufo, with chocolate raspberry being a favourite.

In terms of gelato, our favourite is Death in Venice. We haven’t me a flavour yet we didn’t love and the texture is excellent. Dolce is usually too sweet as is Hollywood Gelato.

I could go on, but this should be a good start for others to add to.

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I like Futura Granita and Gelato’s (St Clair W) fruit flavours.

I mostly order mint and coffee when I try a new gelato place.

I like Bar Ape.

I like Good Behaviour (Royal Milk Tea and Torta della Nonna were memorable. I usually try a new flavour each visit) and Bakerbots’ ice cream. I’ve only tried a few flavours at Bakerbots. I don’t do lines so I’ve never tried Bang Bang.

Soma has nice gelato and affogato.

This looks good:
https://alberobellogelato.com/

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You mentioned a lot of spots already
Futura Granita (Though it had dropped a bit IMO as wasn’t worth the trek as Eataly would satisfy)
SOMA was one of my fav though haven’t been in ages.
I recall reporting about Alberobello when they opened as wasn’t impressed.
Nani downtown is well liked though I didn’t enjoy.
Bakebots/Bang Bang are quite good.
Ice Creamonology has very good feedback though I have yet to try.
I reported on Creamary X recently as well as didn’t find it to be great maybe other flavors.
How about mass produced ice creams?
I like PC Black label versions

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Vanilla softserve at Butter Baker

Punjabi Milk Cake gelato at Nani’s

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Thanks for the reminders and also the suggestions about places we should try. Forgot about Soma. Forgot about the soft serve at iHalo Krunch (like the ube particularly). Forgot about the soft serve at Taverne Bernhardt (had a really nice peach one last summer). I have yet to be convinced that the popularity of Dutch Dreams and Summer’s is justified.

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Roselle also keeps a few soft serves available.

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My last pint from Futura was a little salty, which surprised me. It was their coffee toffee. I guess they were going for the salt caramel flavour but it left me a little thirsty. Salt can enhance flavour and it is present in gelato for texture and flavour enhancement, but in this case, I think it may have been an error. I had the same thing happen last year at a concert. Some small business was selling their ginger molasses cookie/ vanilla ice cream sandwiches, and I was famished. I bought one, thought it seemed a little salty at the time. I was guzzling water all night . I don’t know if it was an error in my cookie, that a clump of salt didn’t get mixed in properly by the mixer, or whether the baker/ maker was heavy handed in salting both the cookie and the ice cream.

I haven’t had this issue with their fruit flavours.

For store-bought, I still buy Baskin Robbins Jamocha Almond Fudge and Pralines & Cream, various Haagen Daz and Ben & Jerry’s when they are under $5. I tried the Farm Boy Lemon Basil Sorbet that was pretty good.

I noticed Loblaws is selling more South Asian -inspired flavour varieties last time I visited.

We mostly buy vanilla, pralines & cream or coffee varieties for the freezer, occasionally Bordeaux Cherry or Cherry Garcia, so I have no recent experience with other mass produced ice cream.

I have liked Belly Ice Cream in the past ( a decade ago), and when I’ve passed through Huntsville.

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Have you been visiting Toronto and not letting me know, @ipsedixit?! Let me know if you visit! We will meet up for ice cream!

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Summers is a bit like Weber’s. It’s in the right spot. Was it awful? No. It was okay. It’s a tradition for many to walk around Yorkville after grabbing a scoop.I live nearby, don’t think I’ve had a scoop at Summers in 10 years.

I still haven’t tried Dutch Dreams. I’m curious about Booyah. https://booyah-inc.com/

I get gelato at Gemma (mint, coffee, Passionfruit or lemon) on Cumberland or at Eataly when I’m in the vicinity of Summers. :joy:

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Just ice cream??!!??

I used to guest lecture at UoT Faculty of Law.

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I’m so sad you were in my neighborhood and I didn’t know it. The Faculty is a 7 minute walk from my apartment. I dropped off an application in the fall of 1998. :joy: I haven’t been inside since, but I have watched a few plays at Hart House.

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Yes, the admissions process is notoriously slow. I hear they are only working through 1992, as we speak.

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Just had the vegan dark chocolate sorbet from Onyx - very dark chocolate-y!

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I like the tea flavours at Good Behaviour.

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https://torontolife.com/food/torontos-best-ice-cream-flavours-ranked/?fbclid=IwAR2KuVPdR6BBueMrIDsFWCWfpd1Ncx2hZGt4uMQRI3wzUd9EUfXGzr53x_Y

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And yet they picked Good Behaviour’s s’mores flavour, which we weren’t that impressed with.

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I like the idea of the pasteis de nata ice cream.

On the topic of s’mores and marshmallow, we didn’t like Farm Boy’s Strawberry Marshmallow ice cream.

I haven’t been to Good Behaviour this year for ice cream.

I didn’t like Futura Granita & Gelato’s Espresso Salt Toffee much.

I currently have old school Spumoni and tartufo from Sicilian Ice Cream Café in my freezer , and the remaining Espresso Salt Toffee.

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Lots of these flavors, including those on the list, sound better than they taste in real life.

I’ve had Wong’s Black Sesame Salted Egg Yolk ice cream. In theory, it’s an intriguing flavor combination. But in execution it comes off like eating a smoothie made from a dozen Chinese Thousand Year Old Eggs.

Not exactly appetizing. Interesting perhaps, but delicious? No.

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I agree, that flavour wasn’t great. Their Hong Kong milk tea and the Thai iced coffee were more successful flavours.

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I liked the Thai Iced Coffee.

I typically order coffee, mint, lemon, chocolate or passionfruit ice creams/gelatos.

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