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Post by sugarfueledbeast on Sept 16, 2013 23:28:58 GMT -5
Haagen Dazs Salted Caramel Truffle ice cream. Having had quite a few pints of Talenti Sea Salt Caramel, my expectations were high, but this one probably would've disappointed even without that comparison to make. There was not much caramel flavor, and the truffles tasted like Russell Stover.
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Post by sugarfueledbeast on Sept 1, 2013 22:50:18 GMT -5
Honestly, when I think plain, I think Haagen-Dazs, along with Blue Bell's lesser flavors (Rum Raisin in particular). Almost every Haagen-Dazs pint I've tried has left me underwhelmed, I keep thinking "that's it?" whenever I scoop through them. Even Pralines & Cream, which is probably my favorite of what I've tried by them, should've had more pralines, especially towards the bottom. I can see why you would say this, but there are exceptions. My favorite Haagen-Dazs is definitely banana split. It's so good it surprises me every single time I buy a pint. The gelatos I've tried have left me underwhelmed too, except for the dark chocolate chip.
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Post by sugarfueledbeast on Aug 29, 2013 17:22:49 GMT -5
Butter pecan ahead of anything peanut buttery? mind=blown America = Broken Taste buds. The data is actually international, which I think explains why coffee ranks so high. I love coffee ice cream, but I've never considered it to be a wildly popular flavor.
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Post by sugarfueledbeast on Aug 29, 2013 10:25:40 GMT -5
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Post by sugarfueledbeast on Aug 26, 2013 13:53:54 GMT -5
You can get a good selection of Jeni's in BK in Brooklyn Fare and Gourmet Fresh (Court st). Thanks for the heads up that Jeni's & the Three Twins orange chocolate are at Brooklyn Fare. That's pretty far from me, but I finally bought a little cooler bag to be able to bring ice cream home from 45–60 minutes away. I'll have to venture there sometime in September just to stock up on rare finds.
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Post by sugarfueledbeast on Aug 24, 2013 13:37:46 GMT -5
I just found a bunch of pints from a place called "Ruby Jewel". They're from Portland and just starting to be distributed by Whole Foods. They will be our store's first step into the high-end market ($7+) as they don't carry Steve's or Jenny's. Does anyone's Whole Foods stock Jeni's? Even here in NYC, Jeni's is something I only come by rarely. I imagine Ohio stores would have it, but I wonder if it makes it into Whole Foods anywhere outside the local area.
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Post by sugarfueledbeast on Aug 21, 2013 23:54:09 GMT -5
Oh man, it's tough for me to get to a Target, but I just might go just for this one. It sounds amazing, although it's too bad they didn't get the mix-in ratio right.
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Post by sugarfueledbeast on Aug 20, 2013 12:38:49 GMT -5
Great article and thanks for the mentions. I'm going to feature this story on my blog later today. Thanks for sharing! That's really wonderful! Thanks for helping to get it in front of more ice cream enthusiasts.
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Post by sugarfueledbeast on Aug 20, 2013 11:09:58 GMT -5
Hi all, You probably do not know that I'm a copy editor and sometimes food journalist. Well, about a month ago the editor at the food blog I write for asked if I'd make a list about the wackiest ice cream flavors across the country. Awesome, right? I kinda owe that to my reader reviews here. Thanks to you all for pointing me to the cicada ice cream. And thanks also to ICI for a really amazing photo of my favorite ice cream ever, Jeni's goat cheese cherry... Here are 10 Crazy Ice Creams Made by Small-Batch U.S. Artisans. So am I right on the money with these, or do you disagree with any of my decisions? Are there any flavors you're dying to try, or are they just too weird? And so you don't miss it, I give you Foie Gras, Peanut Butter & Cocoa ice cream from the already infamous OddFellows:
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Post by sugarfueledbeast on Aug 14, 2013 17:10:10 GMT -5
Gelato places tend to be more adventurous when it comes to experimental flavors. Obviously there are exceptions to this, but generally speaking. Really? I'd say the opposite. Which gelato places are you going to, and what flavors have you had?
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Post by sugarfueledbeast on Aug 13, 2013 23:07:29 GMT -5
Agreed. I doubt I'd buy Chocolate Therapy again (I have BKLYN Blackout in the freezer now), but I definitely don't regret trying it once. BKLYN is meh at best.. not a good steve's flavor IMO The first pint I got was better than this one. It really seems like they have consistency issues. But I definitely like BKLYN Blackout better than Sunday Morning or Bourbon Pecan Pie, which were both big disappointments for me. Sunday Morning was the first Steve's ice cream I ever tried, and I disliked it so much I didn't buy the brand again for months.
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Post by sugarfueledbeast on Aug 13, 2013 22:55:16 GMT -5
No preference. Ice cream and gelato are both amazing for slightly different reasons. And I do like that gelato is a little better nutritionally.
Actually, my mom has always had a fondness for frozen custard, so wherever we lived when I was a kid, she'd find one and take me and my brother there for extra-special treats. So yeah, any frozen dessert is fine with me as long as it's good quality.
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Post by sugarfueledbeast on Aug 13, 2013 14:20:07 GMT -5
Chocolate Therapy is on a much higher level than both Phish Food and Truffle Trifecta. You definitely need to try that one. That chocolate cookie swirl... Agreed. I doubt I'd buy Chocolate Therapy again (I have BKLYN Blackout in the freezer now), but I definitely don't regret trying it once.
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Post by sugarfueledbeast on Aug 10, 2013 16:16:43 GMT -5
Available to order online for $75, Portland's hippest ice creamery Salt & Straw is offering a limited-edition six pack of pints, each infused with a different local craft beer: - Passionfruit Berliner Weisse in Coconut Water Sorbet: We're using Breakside Brewery's "Passion fruit Berliner Weisse" to create a tart, passion fruit-sweetened marmalade that is ribboned into a coconut water sorbet.
- Bourbon Barrel Aged Stout: Finding inspiration in Hair of the Dog's barrel aged "Cherry Adam of the Wood," we created a dark malty, cherry ice cream and cold steeped it in a bourbon barrel.
- Smoked Hefeweizen: We took a spin on Widmer Brothers' world famous Hefeweizen by smoking wheat malts and steeping them into the cream to create a smoked Hefeweizen ice cream.
- Hopped Farmhouse Ale: Based off of Commons Brewery's "Myrtle Farmhouse Ale," we used three different methods to steep the meridian hops in order to capture the bright aromas of peach and refreshing bitterness of grapefruit.
- IPA Upside Down Cake: We captured the pineapple, citrus and piney hop flavors of Gigantic Brewing Company's Imperial IPA by using hop-back technique to pull out the sweet and spicy hop flavors and adding a pineapple upside down cake infused with ho leaf and candied tangerine zest.
- Bretta Fermented Pears and Fudge: Using Logsdon Farmhouse Ales' famous Bretta yeast strain and inspiration from their "Cocoa Bretta Ale," we carefully fermented pear juice and a malted fudge syrup to make a Bretta-fermented pear wine ice cream with ribbons of Bretta-fermented malted fudge.
Anyone dying to get their hands on these? I don't even like beer, and I am intrigued, especially by the Bourbon Barrel-Aged Sout and Bretta Fermented Pears and Fudge. FYI, the Portland shop is also making Melon & Prosciutto as an August special.
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Post by sugarfueledbeast on Aug 8, 2013 16:49:44 GMT -5
Well I have the worst news ever. Yesterday I bought a pint of Talenti Sea Salt Caramel, and there were only 15 or so chocolate truffles in the whole thing! In past pints I've had, there was almost one in every bite. I just wrote the company about it. That's definitely a bummer. From what I've gathered based on other peoples experiences writing in with complaints, they usually always help out their customers in the form of a free pint, coupons, etc. Yep! Already got an e-mail asking me for my mailing address for a free pint coupon. That makes the experience a little better.
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Post by sugarfueledbeast on Aug 7, 2013 21:18:47 GMT -5
Well I have the worst news ever. Yesterday I bought a pint of Talenti Sea Salt Caramel, and there were only 15 or so chocolate truffles in the whole thing! In past pints I've had, there was almost one in every bite. I just wrote the company about it.
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Post by sugarfueledbeast on Aug 6, 2013 21:06:40 GMT -5
Tonight I spotted Haagen Dazs Salted Caramel Truffle gelato, but I didn't realize it was brand new and bought the Talenti instead (safe choice). Now that I've done my research, I'm crossing my fingers they still have it in stock later this week.
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Post by sugarfueledbeast on Aug 6, 2013 14:58:12 GMT -5
This past Saturday I lived the dream: ice cream for lunch. LOTS of ice cream for lunch. Here's a rundown of the vendors who, between Saturday and Sunday, came out for Brooklyn's ice cream extravaganza:Alchemy Creamery Ample Hills Bent Spoon Blue Marble Ice Cream Butter & Scotch Fort Grace Ice Cream Good Batch Gourmet Sorbet Joe & Liza's Kelvin Slush La Newyorkina Luca & Bosco Monsieur Singh Odd Fellows People's Pops Phin & Phebes Steve’s Tea-rriffic A few of them weren't there for Day One, but even so, there were enough options that I was unable to taste them all. It was a little overwhelming, but choices were made a easier because most of the creameries opted to bring safe, standard flavors. Of course I was there to try the wildest, most original varieties. The first thing to grab my attention was La Newyorkina, known for paletas and other Mexican frozen treats, who were offering mini ice cream cones for $2 (pictured). I got my first ever taste of avocado ice cream (finally!), which was uber-creamy with a mild flavor, rich in texture but not heavy. The second tiny scoop I picked was horchata. It tasted exactly like the drink with just enough of cinnamon not to overpower the sweet rice. It was a little icy, not as smooth as the avocado, but that worked well to recreate the drink in frozen form. Too bad they didn't bring out the queso fresco-guava, though, because that sounds amazing. I followed that with another mini cone with two scoops from Bent Spoon: Jersey corn & chocolate Earl Grey. Both could not have had more flavor, a feat made even more impressive given that I was consuming them in such small quantities. The corn had whole, juicy kernels in it and was like smooth, frozen creamed corn. I expected the Earl Grey to be overpowered by the chocolate, but that was far from the case. The two battled for dominance, and the result was the best tea-flavored ice cream I have ever had (and yes, I've had Tea-rriffic's Earl Grey too). Clearly this New Jersey scoop shop knows how to concoct a no-holds-barred base, but mix-in fans would be left disappointed. Speaking of mix-ins, Ample Hills Creamery really lives up to its name. The Brooklyn-based shop, opened in 2011, is not afraid of amping up the cream-to-chunk ratio with some serious pieces of cake and candy. I tried the Sweet as Honey ("Home-made honey comb candy in a sweet cream ice cream") and Ooey Gooey Butter Cake ("The smoothest, creamiest vanilla ice cream with gobs of St. Louis Ooey Gooey Butter Cake pieces") and was immediately bowled over – pun very much intended – by the massive mix-ins. The honey was like eating crispy honeycomb candy with a side of ice cream, and the cake was not only the best cake ice cream I've had, but some of the best cake I've had period. These were as rich as Cold Stone's creations, however, so I passed on buying anything, swearing instead to go to Prospect Heights soon to get a more satisfying taste. I'm honestly glad this stuff isn't in stores because it would be more addictive than Talenti. It was hard not to go sample crazy, but I couldn't pass up the opportunity to try more from Phin & Phebes. Banana Whama was reminiscent of fresh banana taffy, really light and dreamy, and the Coconut Key Lime was so good I had to repeatedly talk myself out of buying a scoop, placating my urges with the idea of buying a whole pint (or two!) later on. The best part of this booth, though, was getting to meet the ladies behind the brand, who are sweet and down to earth, clearly putting their whole hearts into their homegrown business. The same can be said of Gourmet Sorbet, who make what is undoubtedly some of the best sorbet I've ever had. Sorbet tends to feature one-note flavors, but these ladies were mixing it up with options like Cucumber White Wine Mint and Pistachio with Sea Salted Caramel. They were light and refreshing while packing in the promised flavors in high concentration. I wasn't sure about the pistachio-caramel combo, which seemed more fitting for ice cream, but it was a definite winner. They were also offering scoops of sorbet in lemonade, a genius idea and tough offer to refuse. Needless to say, if you get a chance to taste Gourmet Sorbet, leave your dairy-free hang-ups at the door and DO IT. After that, I felt like I needed to settle on some scoops to really dig into, and I couldn't say no to goat cheese ice cream offered by Luca & Bosco. Unfortunately, each of their offerings made big promises but fell flat. I was as excited to try the whiskey fudge as the goat cheese, which is saying a lot, but I found hardly any whiskey OR fudge in the mix. It ended up being mostly standard chocolate. The goat cheese was disappointing too, and I was left feeling like Luca & Bosco is super afraid of flavor. It tasted as much like cow milk as goat, and without any mix-ins or swirls, it just made me kind of saddened by the missed opportunity. It's like they tried to make goat cheese ice cream for people who hate the unique taste of goat milk. The best thing I had at Creme de la Creme came from OddFellows, the newly opened shop that lives up to every bit of its totally insane, national-level hype. I've been to the actual shop a few times already and would go every day if possible, but especially since the storefront is less than 5 blocks from Smorgasburg, I really meant to skip them on Saturday. Then I saw the rose, pink peppercorn, raspberry ice cream and had to give in. I follow their flavor announcements on Facebook and had read about that one a few days earlier, and I knew I'd regret it if I never got a taste. After a sample spoon, I not just wanted but needed more. The combination was simply perfect, the three flavors playing out one after the other (in the order listed). At first I thought I couldn't find the raspberry, but then it came in at the end, finishing off the somewhat strange mix with a familiar tartness, a fresh-picked fruit flavor rounded out by the dry peppercorn and surprisingly light rose. It should be said that OddFellows' ice creams are never very sweet, always with just the right amount of sugar without going overboard into kid country. This one was very delicate, almost but thankfully not quite perfumey, and yet didn't hold anything back. OddFellows Ice Cream Co. has definitely mastered its art, and thankfully this is only the beginning.
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Post by sugarfueledbeast on Aug 6, 2013 13:35:09 GMT -5
Waaah! Why haven't they made it to NYC yet?
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Post by sugarfueledbeast on Jul 27, 2013 19:18:02 GMT -5
The shagbark is amazing stuff. Also, the everything bagel literally tastes like onion poppy seed bagels crutons, and on it's own s a bit weird. But on top of a sweet ice cream is cuts through the flavor perfectly. Thanks for chiming in about the everything bagel. Of all the awesome mix-in options, I'd probably pick that one to try.
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