Just like home…

With Maureen working today I headed north to a poetry reading and stopped along the way in the beautiful, rural town of Ashford at the Ashford Dairy Bar & Grill for a mid-day treat. The Dairy Bar had both hard ice cream and soft serve. They make sundaes and offer cups and cones, although they don’t have the broadest selection of flavors.

The place was hopping when I arrived with about 25 people in line or seated. I had a chocolate milkshake with Gifford’s hard ice cream that was unfortunately not mixed very well and had lumps of ice cream in a thin chocolate milky mixture. In addition to the dairy bar they have a grill with hamburgers, hot dogs, various sandwiches, salads, chowdas, and pasta!

I planned a stop at one of my oldest friend’s home (Jane and her husband Ronnie) which is just down the road from the Ashford Dairy Bar and much to my surprise three of my other home town friends (Hope, Paula and Jay) joined us as well. The ice cream was good but it couldn’t quite compare with memories and stories from yesterday and laughs from today. In many ways it was just like home.

One of eight complete!

On my way home from playing golf at Black Birch Golf Course in Moodus, I stopped at the Moodus Ice Cream Parlor. I have probably driven by this place a dozen times but wasn’t aware of it until my friend Conrad pointed it out. Apparently they have graced this shopping plaza for more than 20 years!

Moodus is a village in the town of East Haddam and best known for the “Moodus Noises” that have been attributed to a serious of shallow, micro-earthquakes in the area.

I was hot so I stuck with basics and had a nice, thick, creamy coffee milkshake with a scoop of chocolate ice cream. I also splurged and had a Del’s lemonade to wash it down and both hit the spot! The Moodus Ice Cream Parlor was packed with lots of kids and moms, probably just getting out of school. they serve a variety of hard ice cream and soft serve in cups or cones. They make shakes and floats and had a crazy list of sundaes that someone named Maureen would have loved to try,

With this stop in Moodus…ahem East Haddam, we have now completed all the towns in Middlesex County and only have seven counties to go. This is also number 84 which is one shy of the half way point in this quest. After our next visit we will do a review at the midpoint.

Happy ice cream all!

All because of a detour!

On the way home from a golf outing with my buddy Conrad we were forced to take a detour to the north through the town of Portland and much to our surprise there was a Dairy Queen on Connecticut Route 66. So we had to stop and check it out.

This is a new facility and not the older style Dairy Queen I recall from previous trips along Route 66. The place is very modern with a very active drive-thru, a large menu including grilled burgers and fries and of course ice cream!

In addition to a wide variety of concoctions they sell ice cream cakes and my favorite Dilly Bars, prepackaged to go. I went with a small chocolate soft serve on a wafer cone (sorry Mo) and Conrad went for the classic strawberry shortcake Blizzard that is also celebrating Major League Baseball.

Next time you are forced to take a detour, think of it as a gift and maybe you too can find an ice cream joint waiting for you!

On a Mission…

On the recommendation of Melanie McKenna, a friend from my home town, we checked out Mitchell’s Ice Cream with our good friend Greg Watkins-Colwell. Mitchell’s is in the Mission neighborhood and quite the busy place for a cool Thursday evening.

Mitchels has been around since 1953 and a legendary place. They make all their ice cream on site and have some incredible flavors that we have never heard of but we all had to try “Ube” which is purple yam from the Philippines before we made our final selections. They offer traditional cones, cups, sundaes, ice cream sandwiches and cakes. And pints and gallons of their milky delights!

Our buddy Greg had two scoops of avocado and halo-halo in a cup while Mighty Mo had a sundae with Sticky Monkey ice cream. Since this was dinner I had an Avocado milkshake that was creamy and tasty to the last drop! No complaints from this group but it was a bit chilly standing on the sidewalk in the shade.

If you’re on a mission looking for ice cream, head no further than Mitchell’s in the Mission district. You won’t be disappointed, just bring your imagination and enjoy their creativity.

Fasten your seat belts and raise your tray tables.

We discovered Dairy Cream last fall on their final day of the season and missed out so this year we were not going to be denied! On our way to the airport we stopped for a pre-flight meal on a quiet Saturday afternoon.

Dairy Cream has been around since 1954 and has served traditional hard ice cream, yogurt and soft serve for years. They offer a variety of cups, cones, sundaes and shakes. Maureen was particularly impressed that they had “shots,” which most places call sprinkles or jimmies. They have all the standard flavors and a large list of exotic concoctions which seemed to be pretty popular. Their prices were very reasonable considering the large portions they dole out. The staff was friendly and patient as I was asking lots of questions.

Mighty Mo had chocolate soft serve with chocolate “shots” while I had my old standard coffee milk shake with a scoop of chocolate. Mo thought her flavor was off a bit but was excited to be having “shots”! My regular shake was large, flavorful and consistently thick to the last drop.

Next time you travel in the north central Connecticut valley or are heading to or from Bradley check out Dairy Cream. Just remember to fasten your seatbelts and raise your tray tables!

Straight from the cow!

Been trying to get to Ferris Acres Creamery for some time and today was the day. Maureen and I were joined by James Macklin, a buddy from Ottawa who partook in the journey.

Ferris Acres Creamery is the real deal, a creamery on an active dairy farm, although the cream for their products comes from a cooperative dairy coalition they participate with. They offer a wide range of flavors, some standards and some novel and intriguing concoctions. They offer cups, cones, sundaes with all the fixings…and believe me I mean all the fixings! And all very reasonably priced.

I had my old standby, a coffee milkshake with a scoop of chocolate. The shake was thick to the last drop but seemed to lack the coffee flavor while the ice cream had an icy, crystalline texture. Maureen had a sugar cone with a kiddie scoop of Crunch Factor which is coffee ice cream with crumbled Heath Bars. James had a kiddie scoop of a rich chocolate called Bad Habit. Both cones were delicious!

If your up for a drive head west to Ferris Acres Creamery and enjoy the scenery, their ice cream and the organic aromas of an active dairy farm!

Follow the yellow brick road!

I spent a few days in eastern Kansas with some good friends enjoying the rolling hills, good barbecue and of course ice cream. Several of my friends in Lawrence suggest I visit Sylas & Maddy’s Homemade Ice Cream on Massachusetts Avenue and it did not disappoint.

Sylas & Maddy’s has been around since 1997 and has move at least once. They have a large, open store front with lots of space for visitors. They have a wide variety of homemade products and some really interesting concoctions. I had their mint chip and it did not disappoint! My lactose-intolerant friend passed on this delicious dessert but I am sure he will be back!

If your ever in Lawrence or eastern Kansas check it out. Just follow the yellow brick road to Sylas and Maddy’s and you will be pleasantly surprised!

I’m not casing the place!

After we left the WestFarms Mall we traveled south to the town of Southington and stopped at a well-known local establishment Pat’s Main Street Ice Cream. Pat’s is quite the place, a small charming brick building, with Pat scooping ice cream and making shakes all day long. Lots of awards and accolades adorn the walls, while smooth music plays outside on a sound system.

Pat services Gifford’s hard ice cream products and a custom blend of soft serve. When I asked what products he uses for his soft serve he wasn’t telling! He has been using this recipe for 14 years wasn’t budging on the recipe.

I had my usual, a coffee-chocolate milk shake while Maureen had chocolate soft serve with chocolate sprinkles. The shake was rich, creamy, delicious and thick throughout. Maureen’s soft serve is one of the best soft serve ice creams we have had.

While waiting for our ice cream I was snapping some pics of the inside when Pat asked what I was doing. I guaranteed him we were not “casing the joint” but documenting his shop for The Connecticut Ice Cream Quest and he chuckled. I’m not sure he believed us. His shop was full with loyal customers craving his tasty soft serve.

If you are passing through Southington don’t forget to stop at Pat’s. You won’t be disappointed. Just don’t get caught taking too many pics!

Sometimes you just have to laugh at yourself!

Last week I made a pledge to myself that I was going put a hiatus on my ice cream consumption. However, on our way home from visiting my aunt in Stafford, we were driving through the town of Tolland and I saw an Xtramart that was serving soft-serve. This wasn’t a normal route that we take, so I said the hell with my hiatus and jumped at this chance to get some soft-serve in a new town.

This is an Exxon gas station with an XtraMart convenience store that serves their own soft/serve product. They have chocolate and vanilla and offer cones, cups, shakes and ice cream sandwiches. Much to Maureen’s, my soft serve specialist, shock their machines were not operating. But much to my surprise they have a nice selection of pre-made mixes and ice cream sandwiches.

I went for a chocolate-vanilla sandwich with a nice cake-like cookie that was well made, firm ice cream with a soft, tasty cookie.

On our way home we stopped at one of my favorite places in Connecticut..Safari Mini-Golf in Berlin. Maureen and I play several times a year and track our scores for the season and the winner gets a prize. You guessed it…ice cream.

Some times you just have to laugh at yourself!

Our bracket is complete!

On our Sunday drive we enjoyed the countryside in the town of Sharon in the far northwest corner of Connecticut. Sharon is a rural town rich in farm land but not a lot of commerce and I suspect the locals wouldn’t change a thing.

We ended up in the Sharon Farm Market which is surprisingly large and diverse for a rural community. I even found a jar of the spice Garam Masala I have been looking for. I found a wide variety of various ice cream products from Hood, Turkey Hill, and Friendly’s to Arethusa and Ben & Jerry’s. But what caught our eye was a pint of ginger ice cream from a company called SoCo Ice Cream from Great Barrington, Massachusetts. SoCo uses dairy products from a farm in southern Vermont and most of their ingredients are either grown locally or baked on site in their creamery in Great Barrington.

The ginger ice cream was in a pint and once we found some spoons we dove in. SoCo’s ginger ice cream has a very light, smooth taste not the least bit overwhelming as some ginger products can be. In fact it has such a faint ginger taste it’s hard to recognize unless you really think about it. SoCo offers a wide range of exotic and somewhat standard products. They also have a shop in Great Barrington I would love to check out some day.

Sharon was the last town we had to visit to complete the four corners of Connecticut or our bracket. Over the rest of the year we hope to find some new creameries and continue to fill in our bracket.

Billions and billions served!

On a beautiful, warm Sunday afternoon we took off for the northwest corner of the state and visited the small, quaint town of North Canaan. North Canaan has been in the news a lot lately as it is one of the few places in Connecticut that has had any significant snow fall this winter. One would think with all that snow, there might be ice cream…but not really. The only option for ice cream in North Canaan is a place known for those addictive French fries, McDonalds.

I admit it. I have had a McDonalds burger in most of the countries I have visited over the years but I have largely limited my ice cream selection to chocolate milk shakes, and today was no different. McDonald’s sells a soft serve ice cream product and contrary to popular folklore there is no “plastic” used in their ice cream products.

The chocolate shake I had was consistent with all the other McDonald’s shakes I have had over the past 50 years…thick, thick, thick with a slightly granular texture and rich chocolate flavor.

If you are looking for a quick ice cream fix don’t hesitate to have a shake or soft serve cone from Ron’s Steak House, MickyD’s, or the Golden Arches! Just remember billions and billions served, which is how I am beginning to feel on this quest!

On the way home…

On my way home from a very enjoyable trip to Eastern Connecticut State University, I was enjoying a peaceful ride when Meyer’s Crazy Hollow Creamery popped up in front of me in North Franklin. Well you know me and you know I can’t pass up ice cream, especially when it is raining on a 48-degree day!

Meyer’s is a friendly establishment with a large selection of flavors that are produced by a local farm, Wildowsky’s Dairy. I had a coffee shake with a scoop of chocolate which was thick, creamy and had a strong chocolate kick to it. I can’t wait to come back with Maureen and try their other flavors. They serve cups, cones, shakes and sundaes and have an enormous list of toppings.

Whether you are on your way home or just out for a Sunday drive head to Franklin and stop at Meyer’s Crazy Hollow Creamery. You won’t be disappointed!

The real deal.

With more than 50 flavors to choose from the Main Street Creamery & Cafe in Wethersfield is an ice cream oasis. Open seasonally, we stopped by on opening weekend and were not disappointed.

The shop was packed inside with lots of smiling faces, no doubt filling their bellies with these sweet concoctions. Main Street Creamery offer a wide selection of standard and not-so-standard hard ice cream flavors. Their hard ice cream and frozen yogurt is made locally just for them, and they even have a custom, home made soft serve. They offer cups, cones, shakes, floats, pies and ice cream sandwiches made on the spot.

I went back to basics and had one of the best coffee-chocolate milkshakes I have had in a long time. It was rich, creamy and just the right thickness to be drinkable yet frozen delicious. My compliments the ice cream scooper! Maureen, despite her love of soft serve passed on this creamy deliciousness.

No doubt we will be coming back to Main Street Creamery for some further sampling but if you are looking for a nice ride this year check out the real deal Main Street Creamery in historic Wethersfield.

A gold medal type of place!

On my way home from the Passport Office in Stamford, I took a diversion to the town of New Canaan down in the panhandle of Connecticut. I have some good friends who grew up in New Canaan and I have wanted to stroll around this beautiful Connecticut town. New Canaan is well known for the architect Philip Johnson’s glass house and was the childhood home of Bill Toomey, the 1968 gold medal decathlon winner in Mexico City.

Gelatissimo is a nice establishment on a side street off Main Street in New Canaan. I was met by a very nice, kind gentleman who is very passionate about their gelato. Gelatissimo makes their gelato on site. They offer 20 or so flavors of a wide variety, toppings, cones, cups and cakes and make a special flavor daily.

I had a cup of their stracciatella alla menta or mint chocolate chip. But honestly their was about ten I wanted to try. Their gelato is delicious…sweet, smooth and very tasty. Their prices seem a bit high but believe me it is well worth every penny.

If you are looking for a gold medal gelato or ice cream, try Gelatissimo. You won’t be disappointed.

Baby on board!

After a trip to the Passport Office in Stamford, Maureen and I met my good friend Matt Walsh and his wife Kristi and son Parker for lunch at Sally’s Apizza and then ice cream at Milk N Cookies. I have known Matt since he was about six years old and it has been fun to watch him grow from a curious, fun loving kid, to a high school and college football star, to an owner of his own company in Stamford.

After a nice lunch with traditional New Haven style pizza at Sally’s in Stamford we walked up the street to a novel ice cream establishment called Milk N Cookies. They are in a nice location in a row of shops on one of the main shopping areas of Stamford.

Milk N Cookies offers only the three traditional ice cream flavors…chocolate, vanilla and strawberry from the New Jersey creamery Jack and Jill Ice Cream…and they mix various varieties of breakfast cereal in the ice cream with a number of traditional toppings. I had a thick, rich and creamy chocolate milk shake. Maureen passed on ice cream and had a large, chocolate chip cookie. Big surprise there! While Matt had a cup of chocolate with Heath Bar candy topping and Kristi had vanilla ice cream with Heath Bar candy topping too. Sounds like two peas in a pod there all right!

Much to my surprise Kristi is quite the ice cream aficionado and she had lots of good suggestions on places to visit. We are looking forward to our next trip to Fairfield County and the chance to have ice cream with Matt, Kristi and their growing family.