In LA’s perfect weather, can there be a more ideal food than ice cream?

And yet, somehow LA seems like it’s light years behind the East Coast’s ice cream scene. Few dare to open artisanal ice creameries, and those that do rarely innovate. Instead, we’re left with an overload of massive chains like Cold Stone’s, which, sadly enough, has been my go-to stop for years—and even then, more for the mix-ins than for the quality of the ice cream.

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I was more than a little curious, then, when I heard about Scoops, a small family-run ice creamery. It has never expanded, yet it has somehow managed to capture the loyalty of countless fans, who swear by its unique flavors, like brown bread, pistachio and triple sec, and vanilla and salt. Never in all my travels across the nation have I heard anyone even attempt such combinations. My answer to LA’s dearth of quality ice cream had finally arrived.

So I headed over to Scoops, located literally in the middle of nowhere, sandwiched between the freeway and the city’s far trendier areas (think Melrose and Sunset). Arriving at what looked more like a miniature shack than an ice creamery, I stepped inside to a very small, quaint mom-and-pop shop with some bright photos and drawings (the variety made by school kids, not pros), but little else.

I immediately ordered a large, expecting to try a couple flavors. To my surprise, though, the shop offered me 6 different flavors—and all for $5.75! Less than a buck a scoop, the cheapest I’ve seen anywhere.

Even with six scoops and only about sixteen or so different flavors in the shop, though, I struggled making my selection. Almost every flavor is unique, usually mixing two different ingredients that traditionally don’t go together. Just a few examples include pistachio and triple sec, white chocolate and green tea, and wine and caramel.  Each flavor is strong by itself, but by combining two flavors, every ice cream is able to achieve a bold contrast that takes your taste buds for a ride, as you try to decipher and distinguish the different flavors. I was intrigued, to say the least.

I finally made my selection and dived right into the shop’s two specialties, vanilla & salt and brown bread. The first left my mouth puckering from the intense kick of salt, which made the intense vanilla stand out all the more. The brown bread, in contrast, felt like munching down some crunchy toast with a bit of caramel and salt, yet the crumbled bits of bread blended seamlessly into the ice cream.

My favorite flavor by far, though, was the pistachio and triple sec, which not only infused pistachio into the ice cream itself, but added in fresh pistachio chunks for an even more intense nutty flavor. It then balanced out that nuttiness and the ice cream’s sweetness with a bit of alcohol bitterness. Nearly perfect, as with the vanilla and salt.

More remarkable, though, was that, out of six different flavors, I enjoyed every single one and would easily recommend five of the six. That type of consistency has to do with Scoops’ approach to ice cream. As with the pistachio and triple sec, Scoops tends to use a two-pronged approach to flavor, using both mix-ins and infusing the ingredients into the ice cream itself. That means every single flavor actually tastes like the ingredients it’s meant to represent. On the texture side, Scoops creates something between gelato and actual ice cream, as the ice cream has the lightness and flavor of gelato but retains the heavier, fattier ice cream taste. The result: Intense smoothness, richness, and flavor.

And, finally, the selction. I mentioned that the shop features only about sixteen flavors on a daily basis. Yet not only are these flavors almost surely unique to the shop, they change very frequently, as the owner constantly experiments. If you’re lucky, he might even turn your own suggestions into reality, as he allows customer to submit ideas for new flavors in his selection box. It’s not really a question of whether another shop has more flavors, then, so much as what types of flavors you want to try—and trust me, once you try these, it’s hard to go back to the “classic,” cliché flavors of the past.

Remember, too, $5.75 for a bowl of 6 scoops—and I mean the gigantic variety, not measly Baskin Robbins-esque scoops! Never have I run into another ice creamery where $5.75 gets you enough ice cream for at least 2 people.

Let’s recap: The ice cream at Scoops combines bold flavor, phenomenal texture, some of the most unique flavors on the market, and $6 for 6 scoops. How can you go wrong with any one of those individually, let alone in combination?

All you ice cream nuts out there, take heed: Scoops is LA’s definitive ice creamery, no questions asked.

What I Tasted

1. Mascarpone Oreo: Tons of oreo is packed in, meaning tons of cookie crunch and a great contrast to the creaminess of the ice cream. The mascarpone, however, is downplayed—I can’t taste it very much at all. But the ice cream is still excellent—smooth, perfectly integrated the oreo. It’s just a bit flavorless for a mascarpone ice cream. 3.8/5.0
2. Vanilla Salt: Phenomenal combo. I think the salt is actually table salt, which strikes me as very odd, but I like the salt chosen because it does have an edge to it, really hitting the palate hard. But it’s amazing how well it works, enhancing the sweetness by contrasting with it so strongly. The salt also gives a nice thirst/pucker feel that I find oddly satisfying. Moreover, the vanilla is right on—not overly sweet and very intense. The ice cream itself has the consistency of a soft serve, which I think really works with vanilla flavors well. 4.8+/5.0. Very unique, very simple, and very intense.
3. Green Tea, White Chocolate: Very odd. The flavor is definitely in here. In fact, the ice cream has a great herbal tea smokiness to it, making you feel as though you’re breathing in the fumes of green tea. It’s a bit on the bitter side, too, like real tea leaves. That bitter, leaf taste really kicks in during the aftertaste. The big complaint, however, is that I just don’t taste the white chocolate at all, except for a very slight white chocolate sweetness that hits you in the beginning. That flavor would really help take the edges off the intense bitterness, so it’s a shame that it’s missing. 4.2/5.0. Tea lovers will love this.
4. Pistachio, triple sec:   Amazing! I love pistachio, and this for me perfectly captures that taste. As stated above, the flavors tend to both infuse the ingredient into the cream, as well as mix in chunks of it, and this flavor is the perfect example of that. I especially like that not only are tons of nut chunks mixed in for that very fresh, real pistachio taste, those chunks are all cut very small, so that the crunch doesn’t interfere with the smoothness of the ice cream, as it often does in many other pistachio-flavored ice creams. As for the liquor, I think triple sec adds a very slight wetness and an alcohol bitterness that really contrasts with the sugar and nuts. Surprisingly, the liquor is very balanced, not overpowering the sweetness or the nuttiness in any way. 4.9/5.0. Perfect texture, tons of nuts, and actually a balanced use of liquor—you’d be hard pressed to beat this pistachio.
5. Chocolate Raspberry—Very nice balance. Neither side dominates. Moreover, the chocolate is semi-dark or a dark milk, so it has a slight intense cocoa bitterness that I feel the fruitiness really helps to balance (in addition to the loads of sugar in the ice cream). The texture is also remarkable, verging on that of a rich mousse.4.6/5.0
6. Brown Bread (ice cream with bits of brown bread mixed in and caramel drizzled on the top)—A bit like the mascarpone oreo in how downplayed the creamy ice cream is, but this fares a bit better because of just how good the chunks of brown bread are, as they approximate a crunchy toast. And the bites of brown bread are mini-sized again, so they mix into the ice cream seamlessly. Finally, I like the bit of salt I taste on the palate, along with the caramel that accompanies the bread. 4.0/5.0

Scores

Texture: 4.8/5.0
Taste: 4.5/5.0. With the right flavors, more of a 4.8.
Flavor (How well integrated flavors are): 4.6+/5.0
Selection: 4.2+/5.0
Value: 5.0/5.0
Verdict: 4.6+/5.0

Most all critics consider New York the heart of culinary America. Yet for all of New York’s culinary might, there is one food I’ve never been able to find in any good form, and it just so happens to be my favorite dessert of all: ice cream!

How a city so rich in everything from pizzas to burgers to chocolates and fine dining could have overlooked the almighty ice cream cone is still a mystery to me, but I’m determined to find the ultimate scoop in the Big Apple.

My first stop: Chinatown Ice Cream Factory. If you’re like me, you should be thinking, “Impossible. Good ice cream in Chinatown cannot exist.” Yet a good friend of mine swore by this dinky, diminutive little shop in the heart of Chinatown, and, after having dinner with me one night, personally brought me to the stand.

As soon as I entered, I thought my friend had lost it. Not only did I feel cramped in the narrow shop (too small to fit even 10 people), but the shop was filled with playful ice cream paraphernalia, like floating ice cream cones, and other oddities, including crowns and Ninja Turtle T-shirts. It’s tacky in the way that only a child could appreciate.

Yet the ice cream doesn’t seem like it’s aimed at a younger audience, given the unique, exotic choice of flavors. A kid eating Zen Butter, Red Bean, or Black Sesame? I just don’t think so . . . but it’s still refreshing to see someone trying to innovate, even with the young audience in mind.

So I took my stab at the three that sounded the most interesting. First up, Black Sesame! As with all the flavors I tried, this one came very gritty, yet creamy enough that the grittiness wasn’t abrasive. The ice cream even had a peanut-like crunchiness to it. The sesame’s heavy, seedy, nutty, starchy flavor helped to balance out the sweetness. Score: 4.3/5.0

Next up was Taro, easily my least favorite. The ice cream seemed like it wasn’t properly defrosted, and the abundance of ice crystals detracted from the flavor, in addition to making the grittiness far too intense. Moreover, the taro was almost a non-entity, making this the weakest-flavored ice cream of those I tried. Score: 2.3/5.0

Finally, my scoop of Red Bean was somewhere in between, with a more moderate flavor than the Black Sesame but a marked improvement over the Taro. You can definitely taste red bean, but it’s so subtle that this flavor feels, more or less, like a vanilla with some extra starchiness. Moreover, this scoop also had a bit of frostiness that again suppressed the flavor. Score: 3.0/5.0

As for selection, the shop features at least a couple dozen flavors, with a strong representation of both traditional and exotic flavors. The ice cream, though, can still feel monotonous because of its redundant texture—gritty, with a lot of creaminess, and perhaps some ice. Flavors like Taro and Red Bean have no business having the same type of seedy quality that an actual seed-based flavor like Black Sesame does, and the novelty can wear off quickly.

In turn, Chinatown Ice Cream Factory may initially draw customers in with its attractive flavor combinations and unique texture, but it’s not enough to hold interest. My quest for NY ice cream continues.

Scores

Taste: 3.2/5.0
Texture: 2.9/5.0
Flavor: 2.0/5.0
Selection: 4.0/5.0
Value: 2.5/5.0
Verdict: 3.0/5.0

Cuisine: American Ice Cream.
Location: 899 Main Street, Cambridge, MA 02139-3512.
Price: $4 for 1 Large Scoop, $5 for 2.

While in Boston, I’ve had a few culinary surprises. While I fully expected to find some of the best cannolis I’ve ever tasted and some extraordinary clam chowder, I’ve begun to realize the richness of the Bostonian culinary scene. Many have a tendency to stereotype Boston as a city of few specialties, yet in nearly every type of food I’ve tried, I’ve found Boston able to stand up toe-to-toe with the best that the US has to offer.

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To my surprise, that applies even to the ice cream. And I do mean ice cream, rather than gelato. Despite the heavy Italian influence in Boston, I ironically haven’t found much great gelato in town, but I have found some of the best American style ice cream I can remember having.

Who’s the king of the ice cream scene in Boston, you may ask? It’s a heavily contested title, but the one that the whole town seems to be crazy for is Toscanini’s, which is so popular that it nearly always has a line stretching out the door.

You can tell, too, that Toscanini’s isn’t your typical ice cream store. The store may be small and cramped, especially with the long line of people, but it has a nice coffeehouse vibe. It is actually quite inviting and would be a nice place to go with friends or a date to just grab some dessert and a hot drink—a definite improvement over the typical bland ice cream shop.

The ice cream, though, really speaks for itself. In fact, Toscanini’s ice cream has one of the best textures of any I’ve ever tasted. The ice cream is almost as soft and creamy as a soft serve at times. Even where there are large chunks of toppings mixed in, the ice cream is always smooth and easy to eat, just melting in your mouth with almost no effort. Moreover—and this is especially great—Toscanini’s modifies the texture slightly to suit the flavor. Thus, burnt caramel is about as light and soft as possible, to the point that you can swirl it into any shape you please, whereas flavors with mix-ins will have ice cream that is much stickier, almost like glue, so that none of the chunks separate or seem disjointed from the ice cream.

To top off the technical excellence of the ice cream, Toscanini’s knows how to serve its ice cream just right. The ice cream is never overly frosty and never comes with miniature ice crystals (the chunks of frozen ice that haven’t defrosted), so you always taste the intended flavor.

That’s especially nice because Toscanini’s produces incredibly flavorful ice cream. When they say burnt caramel, for example, they truly mean that you’re going to taste a heavy toasty undertone of smoke. As for the Khufee (a flavor with cardamom and nuts), it’s so intense that it practically exudes an herby zest that clings to the palate.

In fact, if there had to be a problem, it would be that the flavors are at times too bold, becoming off-putting by their very intensity, which may mask some of the natural taste of the ice cream. It was especially problematic for the burnt caramel, the house specialty, which was so bitter that it practically overshadowed the sweetness. Regardless, the creaminess is so nearly flawless that it’s almost easy to forget about such small quibbles regarding immoderation in the flavors.

Almost as notable is the selection. While I only saw 28 flavors of ice cream and 4 sorbets on the day I went, which I would consider average, I was still impressed by how incredibly intriguing, odd, and unique some of the flavors were. At least half the menu was something I can’t find in a normal ice cream shop—flavors like raspberry ginger snap, coffee ice cream sandwich, grapenut raisin, and khufee. Even some of the plain, one ingredient flavors are interesting. Blueberry, ginger, burnt caramel, and pineapple are just a few that stand out.

The one legitimate complaint that can be levied against Toscanini’s is simply the price. $4 for a 1-scoop cup, albeit a large one, is simply overpriced. I’ll still willingly dish it out, since this is incredible ice cream, but I can see how many money-conscious consumers might prefer a cheaper shop.

Still, Toscanini’s has almost no weak links. The ice cream is some of the creamiest I’ve ever had in my life, the flavors are all intense, the selection is sufficiently large and unique, and the shop knows how to serve the ice cream properly. Two thumbs way up!

What I Tasted

1. Burnt Caramel: I’m not crazy for the flavor, but this really is burnt caramel, with a heavy smoky, blackened taste that largely counters the sweetness, though there is a slight bittersweet kick at the end that is reminiscent of salted caramel. The texture, though, is irresistible. It’s so creamy it reminds me of true caramel syrup, literally just sliding around and melting in your mouth. It reminds me of soft serve ice cream at its finest, and it is indeed so creamy and soft that you can pretty much craft it into any shape you like. Thus, even though it has that heavy roasted, burnt flavor, it’s still incredibly easy to eat. As it is, though, it is just far too heavily bitter to be an ideal ice cream. 4.0/5.0
2. Bananas Foster: The banana is very bold, but there is a subtle undercurrent akin to chocolate or cookie. That said, the banana is the star of this combo, and it shines through like I’ve seen in almost no other banana ice cream. It’s bold and fruity but not overpowering, and the banana melds perfectly with the sweetness, so you get a very nicely balanced flavor. The texture is almost as smooth and soft as the burnt caramel, making it an absolute delight in the mouth and one of the easiest treats you can eat. 4.7/5.0
3. Khufee (Cardamom and Nuts): This is kind of a weird flavor. Normally, I’m not a fan of weird, exotic flavors, which I find gimmicky, but I had to get this out of curiosity, and I can’t say I’m disappointed. The texture is much, much harder than what I expected, especially after how the last two were practically soft serve. This one, in contrast, is still smooth and creamy, but very sticky, as though the ingredients have adhered to the ice cream and can’t be separated. I suppose it’s really the nut chunks that have hardened the ice cream, and I can’t say it’s not fitting, given how much heavier the flavor is meant to be. Once it gets into your mouth, though, it melts so smoothly that it’s surprising, so you barely notice how chunky it is. Moreover, the flavor is very fresh and light, with a really nice herby zest from the cardamom (which is thankfully very pronounced) and a heavier, chunky pistachio and walnut crunch. I think there may also be some dried fruits in here. It’s rather complex, with herby and numerous different nutty flavors, so it’s nice just exploring what flavor is going to come next. Highly recommended for people who like unique flavors, though I’d say the traditional flavors are still much better here. 4.0/5.0
4. White Chocolate Orange: Delicious. This is how white chocolate should taste. It’s smooth, rich, and creamy, like the bananas foster (though it’s a bit tougher). The sweetness is also perfect—not too cloying but just enough to really make you feel like you’re eating white chocolate. Moreover, slight orange bits (maybe of the peel) are placed directly into the batch. They are small enough not to affect the consistency and texture at all, but they are bold enough in flavor (which is why I think they’re peel shavings) that you feel a strong orange kick throughout. It’s very refreshing, especially because neither of the two flavors dominates, so the fruitiness and sweetness balance each other out. I definitely have to give bonus points for the flavor, too. Not only is it incredibly unique, it’s a hard combo to pull off, and I can’t imagine too many producers making such an excellent version of it. 4.6/5.0

Overall Score

Texture: 4.9/5.0
Taste: 4.4/5.0. If you know the right flavors, though, this will probably be a 4.6+/5.0.
Flavor (How well integrated flavors are): 4.6/5.0
Selection: 4.2/5.0.
Value: 3.0/5.0. Very pricey for ice cream, though this is probably the best in town.
Verdict: 4.3+/5.0.

Like I’ve said before, when I went to Philly, one of the things that struck me most was just how good the ice cream was. My first experience with that ice cream was Bassetts Ice Cream in the Reading Terminal, where I had a bowl so good that I couldn’t imagine anything in Philadelphia coming close to its brilliance. In all the reviews I had read, though, Bassetts was always a distant second to Capogiro Gelato, largely proclaimed the best ice cream/gelato shop in town. That’s quite the claim—and I obviously couldn’t resist investigating.

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So I decided to head over to Capogiro Gelato during lunchtime, right after trying Bassetts. I wanted the experience of Bassetts to be fresh in my mind so that I could judge which was the true king of Philadelphian frozen treats.

Once I stepped inside Capogiro, though, I could tell it wasn’t going to disappoint. Whereas Bassetts is more or less a food cart, Capogiro is a trendy, young café, serving a variety of goods, offering Wi-Fi, and providing a relaxed atmosphere. The colors are vibrant and simple, the staff is young and friendly, and the seating is comfortable. This is surely not your normal, bare-bones, boring ice creamery.

The same applies to the flavors. The gelato is extremely varied, with traditional flavors like vanilla and chocolate as well as much more unique twists, like blood orange. The texture is smooth, much more so than most gelato, yet it is not too light, having a bit of heaviness to it that I feel gives it some substance. Finally, it’s extremely flavorful, almost perfectly capturing the flavors of the ingredients it uses. The orange, for example, is so intense that it feels like eating a true orange.

It’s that flavor that really sets this gelato apart. There are many ice cream/gelato joints that can churn out phenomenal frozen treats, Bassetts included, but there are very few ice creams/gelatos that are so intense that they can give you the sensation of eating what you’re not. It’s all the more remarkable given that Capogiro produces 27 different flavors a day. That much variety is something you don’t typically see at the smaller artisanal gelato vendors.

The one disappointment might come in the bill. $6 for a medium-sized cup with 3 scoops? Gelato may cost more to produce than normal ice cream, but $6 for a medium is pricey, even by gelato standards. Still, you have to pay for quality, and if there were ever a gelato that justified a high price tag, this would be it.

I’ll end by answering the million dollar question: Is Capogiro truly the king of ice cream/gelato in Philadelphia? I have to answer with a resounding “yes.” Capogiro Gelato may be expensive, but it is easily the best producer of gelato I’ve yet to run across in America.

What I Tasted

1. Orange: Very sweet, but you get a nice orange tang twist throughout, especially in the end. The sweetness in the end really helps to give it that gelato flavor that you expect, but the flavor is just so intense and melds so well with the gelato that you can’t help but think you’re eating real orange. The frostiness really suits the sweet fruitiness, which tastes extremely fresh. 4.3/5.0. This is the closest thing to a true orange experience you can get.
2. Cherry: This is pretty good. The gelato is rich and creamy, as the others, but there are HUGE chunks of cherry throughout, making it feel much more natural. Those chunks are a big bonus both in terms of flavor and texture, as the gelato’s smoothness is enhanced by a fantastic chunkiness that makes the whole ice cream stick together. And surprisingly, the blend works. Dried fruit tangy sweetness and rich, creamy, milky gelato mesh rather well together. The only problem is that the cherry isn’t infused throughout the gelato, coming just in isolated chunks, so you’ll often just taste plain milk-flavored gelato. 3.5/5.0
3. Dulce de Leche: Wow, this is rich and creamy! The milk gelato is fantastic. It’s incredibly smooth, to the point that the sweetness just blends in with the richness and is even overtaken by it. It’s a nice effect, as you don’t pay much attention to the traditional sweetness of the gelato but rather the texture and feel. Still, the flavor is weak, as I can’t really taste too much dulce de leche, since there wasn’t much syrup at all in my mix, even though it looked like there would be a lot from my view of the batch. Moreover, the flavor of dulce de leche is not really infused into the ice cream. It’s instead mixed into the gelato, so it’s not a consistently strong or evenly distributed flavor. On the positive side, the dulce de leche is really solid—sweet, but not overdone, with a nice syrupiness to it that blends well with the creaminess. 3.3/5.0 for the dulce de leche, largely for lack of more dulce de leche flavor, though I’d give the milk gelato itself a 4.5/5.0.
4. Coconut Milk: Amazing! This is coming from a guy who absolutely hates coconut milk in almost anything, but here it works very well. The texture and flavor are similar to the milk gelato in the dulce de leche, but there is also a really nice coconut kick throughout the gelato that lingers on even in the end with a great fruity sweetness. And the texture is better than any other flavor’s—in fact, it’s one of the best I’ve ever had. The gelato is creamier than the others, but with the right balance and density so that it doesn’t feel too light or insubstantial. It’s not so rich as to be cloying, either. Really, it’s just pure coconut flavor with an unbeatably milky texture. 4.8/5.0
5. Nocciola (Hazelnut): Awesome hazelnut flavor, perfectly integrated into the very cream so that you taste it in every bite. Not overpowering either. Instead, the hazelnut adds a nice balancing neutrality that blends well with the cold sweetness. Still, it’s a bit high on creaminess and light on true hazelnut. Moreover, no actual hazelnut chunks are integrated, so it’s just like eating a nice cream. 4.0/5.0
6. Dark Chocolate: This is fantastic. It has real dark chocolate flavor, again perfectly integrated into the gelato so that you not only get the sweetness of the gelato but a true bittersweet dark chocolate flavor that actually dominates the sweetness and makes this taste like a true dark chocolate. Even better, it seems like there’s actual dark chocolate cocoa inside, so the gelato has a slight grittiness that is intensely satisfying, really setting apart the texture from that of other flavors. And this is long for such a sweet gelato. You taste it even a minute after you’ve eaten it. 4.8/5.0
7. Bacio (Chocolate hazelnut gelato with candied hazelnuts): This is the hazelnut I was looking for! Actual hazelnut chunks are included, giving a nice slight crunch. And they’re candied, so there’s this candy sweetness that really blends well with the intensity of the chocolate and the nuttiness. Overall, this is a medley of flavors—nut, intense cocoa, and crunchy candy bits, all with a great creamy, milky flavor. Thus it’s very complex. It also strikes the perfect balance between chocolate and hazelnut. There’s even a slight grittiness from the use of the nut chunks and some cocoa powder, similar to the texture of the dark chocolate gelato. This flavor is, however, a bit too cold/milky, which might overpower some of the bolder flavors. 4.2/5.0
8. I also tried the Blood Orange and Arroz con Leche, both of which are excellent. I’ve never liked blood orange at all, and yet I find the bitterness of the blood orange gelato completely tolerable and even refreshing. As for the Arroz con Leche, I am surprised that actual chunks of hardened rice are added into the mix, giving the gelato a fantastically crunchy, squishy texture.

Scores

Ambience: 4.2+/5.0 (Not factored into verdict)
Texture: 4.7+/5.0
Taste: 4.3+/5.0. If you know the right flavor, this can easily reach the 4.6-4.8 range.
Flavor (How well integrated flavors are): 4.9/5.0
Selection: 4.0/5.0. 27 flavors a day is great, but not phenomenal. Still, the flavors are so unique and so different I can’t complain.
Value: 3.0/5.0. Very pricey, even for gelato, though this is easily the best in town.
Verdict: 4.3+/5.0.  Far higher if you hit on the right flavor.

I had recently eaten at Toscanini’s, perhaps the most famous ice creamery in Boston, featuring a young, trendy atmosphere that draws everyone from the youngest to the oldest. In fact, I was almost swept away in the rush, as the line circled around the whole store, making it one of the most popular ice cream shops I’ve ever seen.

But for all that hype, I kept on hearing from the truly hardcore ice cream fans that Toscanini’s was just hype—all hustle and bustle, without the actual ice cream to back it up. No, if I wanted the real king of Bostonian ice cream, I had to head over to Christina’s Homemade Ice Cream, a small neighborhood gem practically in the middle of nowhere.

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And they weren’t kidding when they called it a neighborhood gem, either. When I saw that Christina’s was located on Cambridge St., one of Boston’s longest and largest streets, I thought all that “middle of nowhere” business was surely an exaggeration. As I walked towards Christina’s, though, I noticed the scenery shift more and more towards the residential and dingy until I finally reached a little store with almost no decoration whatsoever.

Even so, I could feel that the ice cream was going to be good because there were a few people relaxing inside with a look of absolute bliss on their faces. They were, in fact, in a state of semi-culinary nirvana, enjoying every single bite of the ice cream.

I even had a chance to talk to one, who invited me to sit with her for lack of space. She was an old British women who was absolutely fanatical for true vanilla ice cream. As soon as she saw me taking down some notes and apparently guessed at what I was doing, she went on for a good 5 minutes about Christina’s vanilla bean. It was so good, in fact, that it took her back to her memories from her hometown of London. After she had come to America, she’d been desperately looking for an ice cream that could rival those that she had found back home, and only Christina’s had managed to satiate her, serving easily the best vanilla bean she’d ever eaten in her life. I was shocked to see just how loyal Christina’s fans were. It may be a little, inconspicuous shop, but I got the sense that once you eat Christina’s, you just can’t go back. Not surprisingly, I went back after my first bowl and got a second just to try that vanilla bean.

Unfortunately, I can’t say I share that old woman’s enthusiasm, at least not for a large part of Christina’s flavors. The problem wasn’t so much that Christina’s served bad ice cream, but rather that the ice cream was inconsistent. While I had some flavors that were, ranking among the best I’ve had in the whole nation, the other 4 couldn’t even hold a torch to that greatness. Christina’s specifically seems to have trouble integrating the proper ingredients when it uses mix-ins, as frequently the ice cream either won’t taste like what it’s supposed to or specific components will overpower the whole. Thus, for instance, the cinnamon in the cinnamon rice pudding was far too strong and sweet, so that I didn’t get much rice. Moreover, many of the flavors, particularly the ones I didn’t like, use a vanilla base, and Christina’s to me doesn’t seem to produce all that flavorful of a vanilla.

Still, the texture of this ice cream just can’t be beaten, as it’s creamy with just the right amount of density so that you feel that you’re eating something with a bit of substance. Some flavors, especially ones that integrate a lot of chunks, can be on the hard or clumpy side, but the softer flavors are as smooth as can be.

The selection, too, is impressive. Christina’s features over 40 flavors, many of which are rather unique, such as burnt sugar, cinnamon rice pudding, Adzuki bean, basil, and coconut butterfinger. You will, however, not find too many exotic ingredients, and the flavors can be far blander than they seem at first, since Christina’s doesn’t always infuse the flavor into the ice cream. Thus, for instance, the pistachio isn’t actual pistachio-flavored ice cream, but rather a vanilla base with pistachios mixed into it. If you’re wondering how I ended up with 4 vanilla-based flavors out of the first 6 I tried, that’s the reason—I was caught off-guard by this overuse of mix-ins.

Those few disappointments are a small price to pay for Christina’s overall excellence, though. The softer flavors that are infused with their ingredient are simply unforgettable. I’m talking about chocolate so intense and creamy that it practically feels like real chocolate mousse, basil so herby that your palate feels refreshed after every bite, and burnt sugar so smoky-sweet that you breathe out smoke.

The value impresses, too. $4 for a medium these days is about average, but after you taste this ice cream, you’ll know it’s fully worth it.

All in all, then, Christina’s Homemade Ice Cream is an easy recommendation. If you avoid all the vanilla-based flavors and go for the soft-textured, infused flavors, you’ll get some of the best ice cream in America.

What I Tasted

1. Burnt Sugar: Much better than Toscanini’s take on a burnt flavor. This has that same smoky roastiness you’d expect from the burnt flavor, but it’s much, much nicer. This one actually has some sweetness to it, so that it doesn’t feel like you’re eating smoke. It has a very smooth, creamy texture too, so that you can get a really good roundness in the mouth as the ice cream hits the whole palate. But this ice cream also has the flavor to go with it. Its burnt flavor comes gradually, meaning it doesn’t attack the palate all at once. Instead, you get to taste the frozen ice cream sweetness, which gradually takes on increasingly bitter notes. It’s phenomenal, and it’s just about as smooth as real ice cream can get. It might as well be gelato or soft serve, except for the fact that it retains that ice cream heaviness and flavor that make it such a delight. 4.7/5.0
2. Pistachio: This is not what I consider “real” pistachio, in the sense that it’s not a pistachio-flavored ice cream, but rather a vanilla with chunks of Italian pistachio integrated into the batter. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, because it’s great regardless. The ice cream is much harder than the rest, which isn’t saying much because it’s still creamier than what you’ll typically find in most ice creams. The nuts also give it a great contrast in textures, in addition to hardening the base ice cream. I will say, though, that the ice cream doesn’t taste quite as flavorful on its own as the other flavors, as the vanilla is a bit on the frosty side with very little sweetness. I do like that actual nuts are integrated, especially because of their delicious saltiness. That saltiness is both a strength and weakness, though, as it gives a great contrast to the ice cream but can be a bit much, countering the sweetness. 3.4/5.0
3. Chocolate Mousse: This is one of the best (if not the best!) chocolate mousse I’ve ever had in my life. Fabulous texture—even smoother than the burnt sugar, to the point that it can’t even maintain its form and begins to melt within the first 5 minutes. And it’s just a delight swirling it in your mouth because it’s so round that it leaves a fantastic, rich residue all over. But the real reason to eat this is the flavor. It’s about as chocolaty as it gets, yet it’s not overwhelming at all, largely because it’s balanced so perfectly. The ice cream sweetness balances the dark chocolate intensity, giving you the best of both worlds, and the texture is so creamy that it gives you the sensation that you’re eating real mousse. This is about as close as chocolate ice cream can get to perfection. 4.9+/5.0
4. Vanilla Bean: I was quite disappointed. First, my batch had a little bit too much frostiness to it, like it wasn’t perfectly defrosted. Moreover, this flavor lacks the texture of the others. It’s a lot denser, heavier, and even gritty on the inside, which I suppose may be an accurate reflection of the texture of a bean. That gritty, clumpy texture, though, isn’t very satisfying and only makes the frostiness worse. The flavor isn’t very pronounced either, nor does it really have a very ice cream-like sweetness to it. Overall, it’s hard to appreciate this flavor after having tasted such better, though it’s objectively not all that bad. 2.2/5.0
5. Carrot Cake: This is the one vanilla-based flavor that I found to be really unique and well-executed. Especially nice is that the flavor integrates real chunks of walnuts and even strands of carrots—in fact, it’s so chock full that you can even see the carrot. And the flavor really does come through. The walnuts add a nice crunchiness and harden the ice cream nicely, while the carrots add a freshness and zest that you don’t normally get, though it’s very slight. While this doesn’t taste like real carrot cake (esp. since the base is actually vanilla, rather than an ice cream infused with carrot cake flavor throughout), you do get very pronounced flavors that tend to balance each other out. Still, I do think the flavor is a bit tacked on. 3.7/5.0
6. Cinnamon Rice Pudding: This is another unique flavor, but I find it to be less balanced than the last. Again, it’s a vanilla base, and this time the vanilla is yet again a bit on the frosty, clumpy side, which is the biggest downside to this flavor. To its huge benefit, though, this is the one vanilla-based flavor that does actually taste like what it’s supposed to taste like. The cinnamon is very pronounced, infused into every bite, giving a really nice sweet spiciness. And there are bits of hardened rice integrated into the batter, both helping to give a slight crunch to the flavor and really approximating the idea of rice pudding. My two main problems: 1) the cinnamon makes it far too sweet and tends to completely dominate the whole taste of the ice cream, though I’m sure some people may enjoy that heavy cinnamon taste (esp. since the vanilla is so bland), and 2) for a “pudding,” this is one of the hardest and clumpiest flavors of all, so calling it “pudding” is a huge stretch. 3.2/5.0

As a side note, I’ve since returned to Christina’s and tried out a selection of other flavors and all of the flavors have been up there with the burnt sugar and chocolate mousse in terms of quality. The basil is especially impressive – creamy, like a rich milky vanilla, but with an intense overtone of herby basil that leaves a very refreshing herby quality on your breath and tongue.

Scores

Texture: 4.0/5.0, but really depends on the flavor. 4.8/5.0 for the softer flavors.
Taste: 4.5/5.0, but again depends on the flavor. 4.8/5.0 for the flavors that aren’t vanilla-based.
Selection: 4.4/5.0. Though there are a lot of weak flavors, there are still over 40 of them to choose.
Flavor: 4.2+/5.0. Lots of odd flavors, but not always well-integrated into the ice cream.
Value: 4.0/5.0
Verdict: 4.4/5.0, but a 4.8/5.0 if you find the right flavor.
Christina’s may not have consistently excellent ice cream, but the flavors that do work are some of the best I’ve ever had in my life. Don’t miss out on the Chocolate Mousse!

When I went to Philadelphia, I expected to get some good food, but never would I have thought that I’d end up finding amazing ice cream—it was so good, in fact, that I left thinking that I had come for the ice cream instead of the cheesesteaks. Even odder, I found that ice cream at a former railroad terminal of all places!

Now, if you’ve ever played monopoly, I’m sure you’ve heard of the Reading Terminal. And if you’re like most people, including myself, you probably thought it didn’t exist in modern times. Well, it turns out that, after it stopped serving as a railroad station, it turned into a food court. And when I say food court, I actually mean the largest food court I’ve seen in my life. Lined up in a dozen rows or so are over a hundred different stations, selling everything from baked goods to chocolates to fresh cold cuts. In one of those small stalls is this little gem of an ice cream store, Bassetts.

If you’re like me, you really wouldn’t think much of Bassetts if you saw it in person. It’s more or less a large street cart with no pizzazz whatsoever. But when you serve ice cream this good, that’s really all the pizzazz you need. Looking at the flavors, I was immediately drawn by the wide variety of custom creations—flavors with chocolate cookies, pretzels, caramel, etc. As a young kid, I used to love mix-ins in my ice cream, and this really hit the nail on the head. Instead of taking just a wide variety of toppings and tacking them on, here the creators had taken the time to find proper mixtures and make whole flavors out of them. I immediately ordered a bowl of pistachio, Gadzooks, and The WHYY Experience, beginning a journey into some of the most unique flavors I’ve had in a long time.

Moreover, even the simple flavors have very intense flavors. I was especially happy to see that flavors centered around a certain ingredient—pistachio, for instance—are actually infusions, i.e. the ingredient is not simply mixed-in, but rather the ice cream itself is flavored with that ingredient. While I can find gelatos that have pistachio infusions, typically pistachio ice creams are just vanilla with pistachio chunks, which is a large disappointment because pistachio is one of the most flavorful ingredients you can use.

And the ice cream itself is solid all around. It’s very rich, creamy, and thick, so much so that you actually have to cut through it with your spoon, yet once it enters your mouth it really melts in the most delightful way, covering your whole mouth with a thick coating of flavor. Moreover, unlike other ice creams, it doesn’t taste too fatty because it doesn’t use gimmicky ingredients, like butterfat (I’m looking at you Fosselman’s!). Still, that thickness doesn’t downplay the flavor at all, nor is the sweetness very marked, allowing the flavors to shine through—and, trust me, they will!

To add just a final touch of excellence, Bassetts boasts one of the largest selections I’ve seen, all the more surprising since the storefront is literally the size of a food cart. Bassetts produces over 100 different flavors, including gluten free ones, though it only features a mere 50 flavors at a time at its stall (note the sarcasm). Moreover, both classic flavors and modern innovations are well represented, so practically everybody can find something for his/her taste. In short, this is easily the largest, most well-rounded selection of ice creams I’ve ever seen at any ice cream store, barring perhaps some of the mega-chains.

And the price for all this? $4.25 for an absolutely gigantic 3-scoop cup. Try topping that price at any of the other legendary ice cream makers. It’s nearly impossible.

Bassetts Ice Cream, then, not only offers incredible ice cream, but some of the most unique flavors, the largest selection of any smaller-scale ice cream producer, and some of the cheapest prices anywhere. Really, if you’re craving old-fashioned ice cream, you just can’t do much better than Bassetts.

What I Tasted

1. Pistachio: Again, I’m really glad that this is a true pistachio ice cream—i.e. one that looks green, with pistachio actually infused into the cream itself. But this ice cream takes it up a notch and also includes actual pistachio chunks, so you get a slight nutty crunch. And the flavor does not disappoint at all—it really has the intensity of salted pistachio, but it works wonderfully. The texture is softer than some of the other ice creams, but it’s suitable, feeling somewhat like a hard soft serve. The contrast between the crunch and smoothness is especially nice. This ice cream is sweet, but controlled, and thankfully the nuttiness is not downplayed, so it’s well-balanced. 4.7/5.0
2. Gadzooks (Chocolate with caramel, cookies?, and chocolate chips): Very solid. The creaminess and smoothness are still there, but there’s even less sweetness, so that the cocoa comes through amazingly. It’s milky, but on the more intense side, so you’re not overpowered by sweetness. Instead, the chocolate is bold—a bit too much for me, but very nice still. When you bite into the caramel and pretzels, though, it opens up a whole new world of flavor. Best of all, the texture is incredible, mixing crunchiness (from the pretzels), soft-serve chocolate, and a light cakey quality (from the cookie/caramel). The caramel really adds a nice sweetness, too. 4.6/5.0
3. The WHYY Experience (Vanilla with butterscotch and chocolate pretzels): The texture on this one is a bit smoother than the others—not as extraordinary as the chocolate, but the chocolate pretzels, which are very flaky and crispy, add some nice contrast. It’s actually a bit much for me. My one critique is that the pretzels are just a bit too salty, but some may like the combo of sweetness (from the butterscotch) and saltiness. Moreover, the butterscotch really does balance everything out, and the vanilla is delicious in itself. The flavors are not as strong as in the other two scoops I tried, but everything does come together extremely well with the natural creamy richness of the intense vanilla. 4.4+/5.0

Scores

Texture: 4.4/5.0
Taste: 4.6/5.0
Flavor (How well integrated flavors are): 4.8/5.0
Selection: 5.0/5.0.
Value:  4.9/5.0. The prices just can’t be beaten anywhere in Philly, esp. for this quality.
Verdict: 4.8/5.0

Most really good ice cream these days tends to come out of very modern shops without much history—places that are trendy, that make special flavors, that transform ice cream into new forms or treats, etc. Gone are the days when somebody could just own an old-fashioned mom-and-pop ice creamery and get a lot of attention for it just by word of mouth.

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Sometimes against all odds, though, one of those shops does manage to get attention. And whenever you visit one of them, it’s almost as though you’re going down memory lane, recalling the simplicity of childhood.

That’s exactly the feel I got, at least, when I entered Margie’s Candies. One of the few renowned ice cream stores in Chicago, Margie’s is about as classic as it gets. It’s small, having none of the normal ostentation of candy shops—no huge lollipops hanging from the walls, no giant posters of chocolate producers, no flashy colors. No, this is a mom-and-pop store, through and through. The two workers are easily over 60 years old, the walls are plain, the only decorations are some flowers and chocolate bars, etc. Still, it’s a shop where you can go just to relax and sit down for a nice sundae, without being disturbed too much. Moreover, the folks running the joint are very kind, engaging you in conversation, talking about the city, and even perhaps giving you a free sample here or there. They really know their candies and their customers, and they will make anyone feel right at home.

As will the treats. I decided to go with a simple, but goodie: the Turtle Sundae, a massive assortment of three scoops of ice cream with nuts, whipped cream, cookies, caramel, and hot fudge. It is, in a word, delicious. It can get a bit too much, as so many flavors are overloaded into this monstrously large dessert that some of the weaker ones can get overshadowed, especially the caramel and the nuts. Still, it is the quintessential American sundae, having all the trimmings you could want. The ice cream is flavorful, the cookies and nuts add a big crunch, and the whole dish is so big that you’re almost sure to not finish it. And all of it is yours for a mere $5-$6, the price of a simple 3-scoop cup at other ice cream joints. Now that’s value!

Nothing, though, quite compares to the hot fudge. I’ve had better ice cream, and I’ve had more interesting sundae combinations, but very rarely do I find a hot fudge quite this good. It’s so dense that you can lift it up with a spoon, yet it’s so well-balanced that it never becomes cloyingly rich or sweet, having more of a dark milk chocolate flavor. It is the house specialty for a reason, and it’s what elevates the sundae.

Really, the only big problem I have is that the ice cream is not served at the proper temperature, i.e. it’s not defrosted properly. The frostiness is so intense that it in large part interferes with the flavors of the ice cream, which is a real shame, because this ice cream has tons of flavor, even for something as simple as the vanilla.

That said, I may not really like the space, and the ice cream does have its flaws, but I love the feel of this shop. It’s a mom-and-pop ice cream shop, run by people who have apparently been working there for years and who really know their ice cream—and the sundae’s no slouch, either. Give it a shot if you’re ever nearby.

What I Tasted

Turtle Sundae (Vanilla, Pistachio, and Butter Pecan ice creams with nuts, whipped cream, cherry, cookies, caramel, and hot fudge): This is monstrously big! And it really does pack as big a punch. The overload of pecans, whipped creams, and caramel may seem gratuitous, and it is to some extent, but surprisingly it’s not too bad, because the fudge and ice creams are so flavorful and so well-balanced that they in large part counteract any cloying sweetness. At the same time, it is way too much, and because the ice cream suffers from frostiness (ice crystals, bad defrosting, etc.), some of the flavors can fail to come through, including that of the chocolate, caramel, and pecans. Also, when the chocolate becomes cold, it loses a lot of its flavor and the whole mixture can become a bit of a mess. 4.0/5.0

1. Vanilla: Finally the vanilla I’ve been looking for! This is true vanilla—very smooth, with an intense vanilla infusion and a richness that you don’t find in most others. And there are no gimmicks attached. It’s not overly, artificially creamy, nor is it too heavy, like some of the thicker ice creams. It tastes like old-fashioned ice cream, but with a richness and flavor you don’t normally get. Moreover, it ends with a really nice milky aftertaste, such that you can practically taste the dairy. Best of all, it’s not too sweet, rather relying on the natural vanilla. The one problem is that it’s too frosty, suppressing some of that excellent flavor. 4.2/5.0
2. Pistachio: This version is actually pistachio-flavored, unlike a lot of the ice creams I tend to find (which just add pistachio chunks to vanilla), but it adds a nice twist: pieces of almond to the ice cream. Not only does that add a ton of texture to the flavor, but it adds a great contrasting nuttiness, as you get the creamy pistachio and a fresher, intense almond in smaller bursts. And this ice cream really does have a great level of creaminess, just like the vanilla—not too light and not too heavy. It is again, a bit too frosty. 4.0/5.0
3. Butter Pecan: Again, I do have to criticize the frostiness of the ice cream, but regardless, the flavor is extremely pronounced. What I like here is that you get both a strong, nutty pecan taste (which actually is not very sweet) and a pronounced butteriness, the latter coming in stages until it takes over in the aftertaste, leaving you with a nicely oily (but not cloying) sweetness on the palate. So it’s smooth and creamy, with both a heaviness from the nuts and a lightness from the ice cream and butter flavor. I do think the frostiness is a bit stronger here, though, since the flavors are on the more neutral side.. 3.5/5.0
4. The Hot Fudge: This is the house special, the hot fudge, and it’s what people come here to eat. Believe me, it really is worth it. While the ice cream was fantastic in its own right, when I put this fudge on top, it went to a new level. The fudge is like a mix between hot chocolate and drinking chocolate, as it’s thick enough to be eaten with a spoon, but light enough to be drizzled on without becoming too rich. It’s also very balanced, as it has a dark milk chocolate flavor, beginning with a light sweetness but ending with a counterbalancing, long bittersweet aftertaste. It’s so good that it goes with any flavored ice cream, in fact. You must eat it hot, though, because if you don’t, it becomes bland. 4.6+/5.0

Scores

Ambience: 1.5/5.0. Small, cramped, and a bit dull, even for an ice cream parlor.
Taste: 4.0/5.0
Value: 4.6+/5.0. For $5-$6, you get a sundae so huge it can easily feed 2 people. Enough said.
Verdict (excludes ambience): 4.3/5.0

It’s no secret that I love ice cream. If there’s one ice cream concoction that I love the most, though, it’s the milkshake.

I was pretty excited, then, when a friend told me about The Diner. Not only does it have what is hailed as DC’s best milkshake, but it’s open 24 hours a day and located in probably my favorite neighborhood in all of DC, Adams Morgan. It’s thus the perfect spot for a late-night bite in the local bar scene. You can tell, too: Lines burst out the front door at even 2 am on the weekends.

It’s that line that finally tempted me to enter. During a night out with the guys, I was surprised at just how wild and popular the Diner was, practically stealing people from the neighboring bars. After waiting for a few minutes, my friends and I got inside, where we were served by a rather casual waiter and seated at a plain, no frills table. While the Diner boasts a nicely moody, dim lighting scheme, that’s about all there is to see in the restaurant. One thing’s for sure: People come here simply for the food.

So I’ll get straight to the point and discuss the milkshakes. The Diner’s shakes are rather old-fashioned. They’re spun in a small, semi-classic shake machine while one of the workers simultaneously spins them manually around with a spoon—a very nice touch, in my opinion. That manual spinning procedure leaves the milkshakes extra chunky. The shakes are so thick, in fact, that you’re better off eating them with a spoon rather than drinking them. In a sense, then, this is somewhat of a combination between pure ice cream and a shake.

The shakes are also notable for their sheer flavor. Both the chocolate and vanilla I tried had very strong, classic flavors. That’s not always a good thing, though. While I liked that I could taste all the ingredients, sometimes the shakes felt bland—as if they did nothing more for the ingredients than to just show them in their purest form. While that might work for ice cream, it unfortunately doesn’t always work for shakes. There isn’t much milkiness, malt, or added flavorings (e.g. caramel) to make the shakes stand out. Instead, they really rely on the flavor of the ice cream. While some will like that, here I think it falls just a little bit short of “best of DC” quality, as the ice cream isn’t the greatest in the world, even if it is excellent. I do like, though, that the ice cream is light on the sugar, allowing the actual flavors to come through more than the sweetness.

Another factor that will satisfy most people is the sheer quantity of the shakes. They’re already good as they are, but they come with two servings—and when I say serving, I really mean the size of a tall glass. I also like that the shakes are served in two parts, one in a glass and one in the shake tin. For your second serving, you get the delight of squeezing that last little bit out of the bottom of the original mixture, which is usually the chunkiest and most flavorful part of the shake.

Overall, though, the shakes aren’t spectacular, and I’d hardly call them the best of DC. While they are big on flavor and a fantastic value, they’re just too bland for me and a bit too thick to drink. I’d personally stick to the shakes at Good Stuff Eatery or even Johnny Rockets.

What I Tasted

1. Vanilla Malt: I’ve had the vanilla shake before, and it just tasted too bland. The malt, though, largely fixes that problem, adding a good sweetness that complements the very nutty, strong vanilla accent well. I say nutty because the vanilla does actually have a very odd aftertaste that I don’t normally taste in most vanillas—a nuttiness which is both heavy and neutral. The ice cream thus comes off as very balanced, without an overflow of sugar, which I really appreciate here. The vanilla flavor is very marked, too, leaving you refreshed with an herby-sweet aftertaste, and I like that the focus is on that vanilla flavor instead of the sugar. My one big complaint really comes with the texture.  As I said, the shakes here are very thick. They’re so thick, in fact, that you need to cut through them with a spoon. It’s a shame, because it’s delicious, yet it just doesn’t feel like a liquid at all. Still, it’s a minor quibble for something so bold, delicious, and very unique for what it is. I’ve never had such a nutty vanilla, but it works well here, especially with the addition of the strong malt powder. 4.1/5.0
2. Chocolate Shake: Worse than the vanilla in my opinion, largely because it was just a bit plainer. The shake is just as thick, again requiring a spoon, and it’s just as hard to eat. The flavor is, moreover, less delicious, since it really lacks the added sweetness and flavor of the malt to liven it up. Instead, what you get here is a plain, solid, very nicely done chocolate. It’s on the milk chocolate side, almost without any bitterness to it at all. Best of all, the shake is extremely balanced, emphasizing the chocolate flavors over the sugar of the ice cream, so that this never becomes cloyingly sweet. At the same time, it’s very plain, largely because of that lack of sugar, or the lack of any added ingredients for that matter. 3.5/5.0

Scores

Ambience: 2.5/5.0. About as nice as a 24 hour diner gets. (Not factored into verdict)
Service: N/A. I was at the bar, so I can’t say much about the service. Plus, it’s not that important for a 24 hour diner.
Taste: 3.8/5.0
Value: 4.5/5.0
Verdict: 4.1/5.0

Anyway, I’ll be putting up some of those reviews in the coming months. Hope you enjoy!

While I was in Argentina, I had some of the best gelato I’ve ever had in my life. With such a rich Italian immigrant community (in fact, it’s estimated that the vast majority of Argentines have at least one Italian ancestor), is there any doubt that Argentines would produce phenomenal gelato?

That’s why whenever I hear about an Argentine gelatería, I’m always very excited. The chance to reminisce about those old memories over a scoop of delectable dulce de leche? How can I resist?

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I was lucky, then, when I found out about Dolcezza, Washington, DC’s  only Argentina gelato store and quite easily the best gelato maker in the city, period. Surprisingly, it’s also probably better than all but a couple of the countless gelato joints I ate at in Argentina.

Word hasn’t caught on, though. Everyone instead seems to go to the far inferior Thomas Sweets, a famous ice cream shop located a block down from Dolcezza. I thought I’d take the chance, then, to spread the word about just how good this gelato is.

There are a few things I really like about Dolcezza’s gelato, along with a few that I think could use some improvement. On the pro side, the #1 factor has got to be the consistency (in the sense of the consistent excellence in its gelato). Every flavor has the same general type of texture, even if some are a bit smoother or denser, and every flavor actually tastes like what it should. In all my experiences at Dolcezza, I’ve never been truly disappointed with a flavor because Dolcezza really does have the fundamentals down. Moreover, never have I tasted a flavor that didn’t actually embody its ingredients well (except one, maybe, but just maybe).

Key factor #2 is the texture. In Dolcezza’s gelato, I finally found a gelato with some body, verging on an ice cream-like density. It’s very similar to the actual quality you get in Argentina, where the people don’t differentiate between gelato and ice cream (helado really can refer to both). I appreciate that sort of hybrid take, since it takes the creaminess of gelato and gives it some substance. Moreover, since the ice cream is so rich, it really leaves an impression on the palate, both with its intensity and with its roundness (i.e. you can taste it in every part of the mouth).

Dolcezza also has some good variety in that texture. Heavier flavors tend to be a bit thicker and richer, especially prevalent with the chocolate. The bitter chocolate, in fact, has a texture somewhere between chocolate mousse and chocolate pudding (it is as delicious as it sounds). The dulce de leche is just as mousse-like, but less thick. The fruity flavors (which are often sorbets) tend to be much lighter, almost like a smooth version of crushed ice. In general, then, Dolcezza really knows how to give each flavor the right weight and creaminess.

Finally, key factor #3—and this really is a revolutionary concept because almost nobody in the whole District can seem to manage this one all that well—is that the gelato is actually served properly, at the right temperature! This has to do somewhat with consistency, but here I’m not talking about the quality of the ice cream, but rather of the fundamentals of serving it. There’s a tendency among ice cream stores to improperly defrost their ice cream, so that part of it remains frozen, making for a somewhat frosty sensation as you eat it. That frostiness suppresses the flavors, too. It sounds like a small quibble, but it really can make the difference among good, great, and fantastic—Dolcezza’s gelato, not surprisingly, falls in the last category.

That’s not to say it’s perfect. That consistent excellence I was bragging about can, at times, be turned on its head, as the richness of the gelato can sometimes suppress flavors partially. I’m really referring to just a couple of flavors here, mainly nutty ones like pistachio and some of the vanilla-ish flavors. The richness does amplify the gelato’s impression on the palate, but it sometimes becomes the centerpiece, rather than the flavor. The flavor does come through—and intensely at that—but that’s mostly in the aftertaste, which, to be fair, is quite long.

Major flaw #2 is a bit of an odd one. I can’t really pinpoint the problem, but something about the sweetness and smoothness is sometimes off, as the gelato goes down a bit roughly. While I was eating the gelato, I really liked the sweetness, because it was so subtle that it didn’t interfere with the flavor or creaminess at all. In the aftertaste, though, my throat started to tickle with just a bit of irritation, as though there was somewhat of a cloying bit of sugar or some harshness in the gelato—almost unnoticeable too, but still there. It’s not a big complaint because it’s so subtle, but by the end of a whole cup, you may feel it a bit, especially if you had the chocolate flavors.

Finally—and this one’s not much of a complaint, but more of a downer—the gelato typically doesn’t incorporate any actual chunks of the ingredients, unless it’s a syrup or powder, such as cinnamon. I really love getting just a bit of extra crunch and flavor, especially with nuts, but you won’t get those chunks here. Regardless, Dolcezza does a good job with nailing the real flavor, and it seems as though they may even incorporate ingredients like nuts in a very small, minced or powdery form into their mixes, but I can’t say for certain.

I’ll end with a few suggestions. All the flavors are solid, but avoid the fruity ones and stick to the nuts, vanilla, and chocolates—not that the fruits are bad, but the others are just better. Special favorites are classic chocolate and/or gianduja, vanilla bean, nocciola (hazelnut), pistachio, and Sumatra cinnamon. The hot chocolate is also amazing—it has a dark chocolate focus, so it’s not too sweet, but it has a great kick at the end. It’s one of the best hot chocolates I’ve had in the District.

Overall, it all comes down to one fact: Dolcezza makes gelato that is far above the quality you typically get in DC. It may be a bit pricy compared to other shops, but it’s worth the price, considering that it’s single-handedly saving the DC gelato scene.

What I Tasted

1. Chocolate Clasico: Really a solid chocolate flavor, but perhaps the dullest and most one-dimensional of all. On the positive side, I like the texture of this a bit more than the others, since it has just a bit more creaminess and less richness to it, helping the chocolate to really show through. At the same time, though, the chocolate flavor is very plain—it really is the classic, milk chocolaty taste that you can get almost anywhere, though this one is excellently crafted. I can’t really penalize Dolcezza for that, though it is somewhat of a downer when every other flavor is so intense that this one comes off as somewhat normal. Moreover, this one seems like the sweetest of the flavors I tried and causes perhaps the most cloying of the subtle sugar spikes in the aftertaste. 4.0/5.0
2. Pistachio Siciliano: This one is perhaps the most suppressed of all the flavors, though the flavor it did have I enjoyed incredibly. A roasted, slightly salty pistachio comes through excellently. I doubt any salt was actually incorporated, but I nevertheless had a slight puckering/mouth-watering sensation that reminded me of the saltiness of some pistachios. Regardless, it isn’t quite as sweet as the chocolate or mascarpone, and that lesser sweetness suits the flavor. Even better, there is a slight smokiness that hits you at the end—very refreshing and very much like real pistachio. Unfortunately, it’s just too subtle. 4.1/5.0
3. Nocciola del Piemonte: Probably one of my favorite, largely because it embodies the flavor the best. The roasted hazelnut comes through as soon as you put it into your mouth, though it remains subtle for a while. That’s largely because the flavor itself is so bold that it can actually match the intensity of the richness of the gelato. Like the pistachio, the focus is on the nut flavor rather than the sweetness, which is always a plus in my book. And that flavor is simply delicious, leaving the palate with a very heavily smoky/roasted sensation that lasts for quite a while. It, too, faces some of the same problems as the others, though. 4.2/5.0
4. Mascarpone (with raspberry syrup): This one’s a mixed big. On the one hand, it captures the flavor very well, but that’s largely because the rich, plain flavor of the gelato itself is very much reminiscent of a traditional vanilla flavor, which is supposed to be somewhat on the neutral, plainer side. Still, there is a fair bit of vanilla/cheese flavor added in, so much so that I can taste it almost throughout, and it is especially nice that the sweetness doesn’t interfere with it. Where the sweetness does interfere is in the raspberry syrup. I really like the intensity of it, and the raspberry is easily the boldest of all the ingredients in any of the flavors I tried. However, it isn’t distributed very well throughout, bunched mostly at the top. Thus, the gelato at times tastes like a plainer, rich mascarpone cream ice cream and other times like cloyingly sweet raspberry. There is a sweet spot, though—and when I hit it, I got gelato that was both balanced and much more intense than the other flavors. 4.0/5.0
5. Honey Tangerine (Sorbet): I’m not a huge fan of sorbets, but this one hits the mark in a lot of ways. First, the lightness is just right, forgoing all the heaviness of the gelato for something that’s about as light as crushed ice, though it’s still about as smooth. Gone is the richness, but not the flavor—in fact, the flavor’s probably even more pronounced than in a normal gelato. It’s very complex as well—immediately tangy-sweet, with a bitterness that just keeps on picking up on the palate gradually, just like you’d get with a real tangerine. It tastes very similar to the real deal, and I can taste both the honey and the tangerine here, so I give them points for great flavor integration. Finally, the aftertaste is still very long and very refreshing, perhaps even more so than with the gelatos because of the lightness and fruity intensity. 4.3+/5.0
6. Valrhona Chocolate Amargo (Bitter Valrhona Chocolate): Even creamier and richer than any of the other flavors I’ve tried to this point. Like I’ve said before, the texture (and taste for that matter) here is more like a heavy mousse than anything else, and it’s so heavy and thick that it literally just sticks to the palate as it goes down—and I mean that in a good way, because this chocolate is extremely intense and extremely long in the aftertaste. I hesitated about the chocolate after the semi-blandness of the chocolate clasico, but here it is very pronounced, and while it is bitter, it isn’t cloying. The gelato does, however, have a slight harshness as it goes down the throat—again, I can’t pinpoint what it is, but it is very pronounced here. 4.4/5.0
7. Thai Coconut Milk: The crème de la crème of the crop of gelatos that I tried. This is perhaps one of the more simple flavors. It’s just milk, after all—as though gelato needs to taste any more like milk, right? Well, here that milkiness is even more delicious and marked. The gelato has a slightly thicker richness to it (nowhere near the chocolate’s mousse quality, though) which really suits the idea of milk. And the flavor is just so refreshing and so pronounced, though subtle, that I felt the need to savor this one for just a bit longer than the others. Especially nice is the little bit of tangy coconut that comes out gradually and leaves the mouth with a blast of zesty fruitiness in the end. 4.5/5.0
8. Dulce de Leche Granizado: I got a lot of great dulce de leche gelato while I was in Argentina, so I was really looking forward to trying Dolcezza’s take on it. Unfortunately, the flavor is downplayed significantly. Dulce de Leche is a very strong, very sweet, very rich flavor, and while Dolcezza gets the richness down, I really can’t taste much dulce de leche except for a slight bittersweet, caramel-like taste, which really is overshadowed by every other flavor I had. Nor do I taste quite so much of an aftertaste here. Still, I love the texture for this flavor, as it is somewhere between the heavy mousse quality of the chocolate amargo and the lighter creaminess of the other non-chocolate gelatos. 3.0/5.0

Scores
Taste: 4.2/5.0
Texture: 4.0/5.0
Value: 3.6/5.0
Selection: 4.0/5.0
Verdict: 4.0/5.0