July 2, 2009

We all scream for ice cream
By Hippo Staff letters@hippopress.com

Rain aside, the season of hot and muggy is here. And what better to go with steamy days and nights than ice cream?

What is merely a delicious treat in other parts of the country has been elevated to an art form here, with local ice cream makers turning out flavors that rival any national premium ice cream. To celebrate this holiday weekend — or any weekend when you need a cool taste of something sweet — we give you your local ice cream spots, from the places that make their own to the places that serve up scoops from some of the best ice cream makers in the area.

Local scoop
By Doran Dal Pra

This collection of local restaurants, drive-ins and dairy bars, offers nearly every flavor of ice cream, sherbet, sorbet, and frozen yogurt available and make for a perfect warm weather stop. Pack a lot of napkins, and enjoy.

• Arnie’s Place (164 Loudon Road in Concord, 228-3225, www.arniesplace.com)

How it’s made: Arnie’s has been making its own ice cream since 1996. It offers 65 flavors.

Popular flavors: One of the most popular flavors at Arnie’s is the Frozen Pudding, commonly referred to as “tutti fruity.” It has dark and golden raisins marinated in rum, maraschino cherries, apples and grapefruit peels.

What’s new: A couple new flavors featured at Arnie’s are Orange Pineapple, Indian Pudding and White Chocolate.

Cone options: Soft-serve ice cream comes in a cake cone, while hard ice cream is served in sugar and waffle cones. Arnie’s also offers dipped waffle cones.

• Blake’s Creamery (353 S. Main St. in Manchester, 669-0220; 53 Hooksett Road in Manchester, 627-1110, www.blakesicecream.com)

How it’s made: Blake’s has been making ice cream since 1963 and currently offers more than 80 flavors of ice cream, sherbet, sorbet and yogurt. It comes in a variety of sizes including three-gallon tubs for commercial clients, half-gallon sizes through the restaurant and other establishments, and take-home containers. Blake’s also offers handmade cookie sandwiches. They make their ice cream six days a week starting in February.

Popular flavors: Vanilla, Moose Tracks and Maple Walnut.

What’s new: Konabar, which features coconut ice cream with chocolate swirled through it; Black Magic, made with mocha cream cheesecake ice cream and a chocolate cookie dough swirl; Nancy’s Fancy Orange Pop, which was created at the suggestion of a customer and has orange sherbet with moose tracks fudge swirled through it.

Cone options: You can have your ice cream in a sugar cone, a cup or waffle cones that can also be dipped in chocolate and then covered in toppings. Blake’s also offers a number of different ice cream sundaes.

• Cremeland Drive-in Ice Cream (250 Valley St., Manchester, 669-4430)

How it’s made: Started in 1947, Cremeland is currently run by Tom and Nicole Queena, with Nicole making all the ice cream. They carry 35 flavors and make ice cream about three times a week.

Popular flavors: Two of the more popular flavors are Chocolate and Black Raspberry.

What’s new: New Cremeland flavors include Florida Sunshine, made with an orange ice cream base with a raspberry swirl and mandarin oranges; Coffee Cream Swirl, made to taste like coffee with cream; and Butterscotch Pie, which has a butterscotch base, fine Oreo cookie powder and pecans.

Cone options: Sugar cones, dishes, waffle cones. A particularly unique ice cream presentation is the Sand Pail Sundae. As the name implies, the ice cream is served in a sanitized sand pail and has eight scoops of ice cream, five toppings of your choice, two bananas, whipped cream, nuts or jimmies and five cherries. It also comes with a plastic shovel.

• Granite State Candy Shoppe (13 Warren St. in Concord, 225-2591, www.nhchocolates.com)

How it’s made: Co-owner Jeff Bart says they currently make about 40 flavors and regularly have about 30 or so flavors ready for scooping but have a master list of about 120 flavors that they’ll cycle through over several years. Granite State makes super premium ice cream which has 16 percent butter fat and not a lot of air and high quality chocolates and vanillas — the special Madagascar vanilla they use is “arguably one of the best vanillas in the world,” Bart said.

Popular flavors: Coffee Toffee Crunch (coffee ice cream with broken up pieces of toffee), Lura’s Coconut and Mocha Chip, which is extraordinarily popular this year, Bart said.

What’s new: Last year’s new flavor was Funky Monkey, banana ice cream graham cracker swirl; currently, check out the Green Tea ice cream.

Cone options: Granite State serve sugar, plain and waffle cones but then they use their candy making expertise for special offerings such as waffle cones dipped in chocolate (milk, dark or white — all high quality real chocolate), chocolate dipped waffle cones rolled in chocolate sprinkles or roasted almonds and, for the true chocoholic, a small dish of chocolate (milk, dark or white) created in a special mold.

• Hayward’s Ice Cream (7 DW Highway, Nashua, 888-4663; 383 Elm St., Milford, 672-8383, www.haywardsicecream.com)

How it’s made: Hayward’s is 100-percent homemade and currently has 50 total flavors of ice cream and frozen yogurt. They make their ice cream seven days per week, for eight to nine hours per day.

Popular flavors: Chocolate Tsunami, Fluffernutter, Cake Batter, and Cookie Dough.

What’s new: New on the menu (as of March) are Appalachian Trail, which is espresso-flavored ice cream with a fudge swirl and Heath Bar pieces; and Polar Cave, made with a vanilla base filled with fudge swirls and caramel truffles.

Cone options: Have it on a plain cone, sugar cone or homemade waffles cones and waffle bowls. Hayward’s goes through roughly 60,000 waffle cones per year between its two locations.

• Jake’s Old-Fashioned Ice Cream & Sweet Shoppe (135 State Route 101A, Amherst, 594-2424, www.jakesoldfashionedicecream.com)

How it’s made: You can choose from between 32 and 35 flavors of ice cream, sorbet and sherbet at one time at Jake’s, as well as a selection of soft-serve ice cream. According to chef and owner Ronie Vetter, Jake’s rotates through roughly 100 flavors throughout the year. They produce ice cream between three and five days a week and their product is usually sold within the same week.

Popular flavors: “Mint Madness, made with mint chips and Oreos, is the hands-down winner,” Vetter said. Also popular is Caramel Assault, a caramel ice cream with caramel swirl, pieces of dark chocolate and a pinch of sea salt.

What’s new: Rocking Reese’s, a peanut butter ice cream with chunks of Reese’s cups; and Sweet Cream ice cream with raspberries.

Cone options: Sugar cone, plain cone, soft-serve cone, and homemade waffle cones that can be chocolate-dipped.

• King Kone (336 DW Highway, Merrimack, 424-6848)

How it’s made: King Kone offers all soft-serve ice cream that, according to co-owner George Soffron, is made three or four days a week. They offer nine flavors and their flavorings are made with all natural ingredients.

Popular flavors: Besides the classic flavors like vanilla, Peanut Butter is “wildly popular.” King Kone will twist its Peanut Butter with Chocolate for an even tastier experience.

What’s new: Lime and Orange soft-serve, which can be twisted with Black Raspberry or Vanilla. The orange/vanilla twist imitates the classic flavor of the creamsicle. All flavors are blended all the way through, not just a flavor coating.

Cone options: You can get your soft-serve dipped in chocolate, cherry or butterscotch. Sundaes of all kinds are also offered. Also special are their “razzles,” toppings for the ice cream that are blended into the ice cream to create an even wider variety of flavors.

• Moo’s Place (27 Crystal Ave, Derry, 425-0100, www.moosicecream.com)

How it’s made: Moo’s Place co-owner Steven LaRocca and his wife Christy make ice cream here three times a week. They also offer Italian ices, frozen yogurt and homemade ice cream cake, and carry about 35 flavors of regular ice cream and 30 flavors of soft-serve. They recently opened a new satellite location in Brookstone Park in Derry.

Popular flavors: Black Raspberry, Cookie Dough, Caramel Turtle (vanilla with a caramel swirl and chocolate truffles) and Double Chocolate Brownie.

What’s new: S’mores ice cream, which, like the famous treat, features chocolate, graham crackers and marshmallows; Rocky Road; and the summertime classic, Peach.

Cone options: Have your ice cream in a sugar cone or a waffle, which you can also have chocolate-dipped. Soft-serve ice cream can be dipped into a number of different flavorings. Enjoy a specialty sundae made with brownies, cookie bars or strawberry shortcake.

• The Puritan Backroom (245 Hooksett Road, Manchester, 669-6890, www.puritanbackroom.com)

How it’s made: The Puritan started out as an ice cream and candy store on Hanover Street in Manchester in 1917. They make ice cream roughly four days a week during the summer and two days in the winter. Fifty total flavors are offered, and at the time of interviewing, co-owner — and the man in charge of making the ice cream — Chris Pappas had just made Butter Crunch.

Popular flavors: “Vanilla, Chocolate and Coffee are the most popular by numbers,” Pappas said. Cookie Dough, Oreo, and Peanut Butter Cup are also very popular.

What’s new: The Puritan features new seasonal flavors. Currently running are Strawberry Cheesecake ice cream and Banana ice cream, and the folks at the Puritan have started making their own ice cream bars.

Cone options: The Puritan offers chocolate chip cookie cones, waffle cones, sugar cones and the traditional dish.

Though not a local shop, this Seacoast ice cream maker’s wares can be found at ice cream counters all over the state.

• Annabelle’s Natural Ice Cream (49 Ceres St., Portsmouth, 436-3400, www.annabellesicecream.com)

How it’s made: Annabelle’s carries more than 30 flavors of its premium ice cream. Besides retail stores, Annabelle’s has a large wholesale business where it sells its product to restaurants all over New Hampshire, Maine and Massachusetts. Annabelle’s ice cream is made with no additives or artificial colors.

Popular flavors: Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Monster, Mint Summer Night’s Dream (chocolate-based mint ice cream with white and dark chocolate chips), Peanut Butter Fantasy (a peanut butter base with chocolate fudge swirls and Reese’s peanut butter cup pieces).

What’s new: “Due to popular demand, we’ve just brought in a simple Butter Pecan ice cream,” Manager Richard Peyser said.

Cone options: Annabelle’s offers sugar and waffle cones and will dip their waffle cones in chocolate.

More places to get a unique scoop
These local ice cream hot spots may not make their own ice cream, but they offer a wide range of sweet treats and make for great summertime destinations.

• Beech Hill Farm (Beech Hill Road, Hopkinton, 223-0828, www.beechhillfarm.com)

Ice cream: Beech Hill Farm uses Blake’s ice cream and currently carries 76 flavors

Popular flavors: Moose Tracks, Cookie Dough, and the extremely popular make-your-own sundae bar where you can put your imagination to work and build the sundae of your dreams. They also offer 95-percent fat-free yogurt in a variety of flavors.

What’s new: Beech Hill just introduced four new flavors: Candy Shop, made with a vanilla base then filled with M&M’s, Heath Bar pieces, Reese’s cups, Snickers, and Milky Way bars; Orange Pop, an orange sherbet filled with Moose Tracks swirl; Black Magic, a mocha cheesecake ice cream with chocolate cookie dough swirl; and Konabar, a coconut ice cream with a dark chocolate swirl.

Cone options: sugar cones and waffle cones that can be dipped and covered in a number of different toppings

• Goldenrod Drive-in Restaurant (1681 Candia Road, Manchester, 623-9469)

Ice cream: Goldenrod has been in business since 1951, serving ice cream and traditional American cuisine. They make use of a local creamery for their ice cream.

Popular flavors: Goldenrod’s Mint Chip frozen yogurt and Black Raspberry Chip frozen yogurt are some of its more popular selections.

What’s new: “People get mad when we take away old flavors, so for right now we’re sticking with what we have,” said Goldenrod’s owner Ron Diburro.

Cone options: sugar cone, soft-serve cones.

• Johnson’s Dairy Bar (1334 1st NH Turnpike, Northwood, 942-7300; 69 Route 11 New Durham, 859-7500; www.eatatjohnsons.com)

Ice cream: Johnson’s Dairy Bar uses ice cream from Richardson’s Dairy in Littleton, Mass. They operate locations in New Hampshire and North Berwick, Maine.

Popular flavors: Some of their more popular flavors are Black Raspberry, Cookie Dough, and Moose Tracks.

What’s new: Johnson’s Dairy Bar has seen success with its current ice cream line-up and is sticking to their tried and true flavors.

Cone options: sugar cones and dishes.

• Pete’s Scoop (185 Rockingham Road, Derry, 434-6366)

Ice cream: Peter Kershaw (the “Pete” in Pete’s Scoop) makes use of Richardson’s Dairy out of Littleton, Mass., for his ice cream. He carries 61 flavors of both ice cream and frozen yogurt.

Popular flavors: Cookie Dough and Mint Chip ice cream, as well as their 95-percent fat-free Mint Patty Yogurt.

What’s new: Pete’s Scoop just introduced a flavor called Candy Shop that is filled with pieces and chunks of popular candies.

Cone options: plain, sugar or waffle cone, which can be dipped in chocolate and loaded up with toppings.

What’s your favorite scoop?
Tell us about your favorite place to get a scoop and your favorite flavor and recommendations may end up in future Weekly Dish columns. Send recommendations to food@hippopress.com.

Cones
What is ice cream without a cone? Cake or plain, sugar or waffle cone, each kind brings something different to the table.

Hayward’s Ice Cream Stand (7 D.W. Highway., Nashua, 888-4663?, and 383 Elm St., Milford, 672-8383?, haywardsicecream.com) makes its own waffle cones. Chris Ordway, owner of Hayward’s, said that though the process is time-consuming the stand has been making its own cones for 15 years because “they are much better than the store-bought ones.”

Hayward’s has three choices for cones — plain, sugar and waffle — Ordway says that he believes a waffle cone is probably the best. He said “a waffle cone holds ice cream better” while “sugar cones fall apart much easier” and “on a hot day you have to eat fast” with a plain cone. — Kayla Chagnon

Gelato
Gelato is the Italian version of ice cream and varies from traditional ice cream mainly in that it contains less butterfat. Here are some of the places that make this creamy treat.

• J Dub’s Coffee (1000 Elm St., Manchester, 622-7944, www.jdubscoffee.com)

How it’s made: J Dub’s is primarily a coffee shop but offers a selection of gelato as well. It carries four different types, all of which are made right there at the shop. “It’s the perfect partner to the normal coffee business,” said J Dub’s owner Jim Whitney.

Popular flavors: The flavor offerings are Chocolate, Vanilla, Mango, and a daily special flavor. Mango gelato is the #1 seller.

What’s new: J Dub’s offers special gelato that changes every day. Past flavors have included Mint Chocolate Chip, Hazelnut, Coffee, and Amaretto.

Cone options: The gelato is served in three-ounce cups.

• Van Otis Chocolates (341 Elm St., Manchester, 627-1611, www.vanotischocolates.com)

How it’s made: Known mostly for award-winning chocolate, Van Otis also offers a wide range of gelato flavors. Its roughly 20 flavors are offered both at the Elm Street location and at the Fratello’s restaurant chain. Van Otis makes its gelato roughly every two weeks.

Popular flavors: Popular flavors of the gelato are Wild Strawberry and Coconut, and Lemoncello and Pink Grapefruit in sorbet.

What’s new: Van Otis will be sticking with its current flavor selection for the time being.

Cone options: Both the gelato and the sorbet are served in small and large cups.

• Swan Chocolates (436 DW Highway, Merrimack; 144 Main St., Nashua, 423-5950, www.swanchocolates.com)

How it’s made: Swan’s gelato is offered year round and comes in a close second in popularity to their traditional business of making chocolate. They have the capability to carry 12 different flavors and enough recipes to make up to 80. Flavors are switched around seasonally and are typically being made every day.

Popular flavors: Blueberry, Pomegranate, Lemon-Lime, and Biscotti (chocolate and biscotti mixed together).

What’s new: Recent new gelato flavors are Watermelon, Key Lime, and Peach.

Cone options: Medium and large gelato cups. “They are smaller than a regular dish of ice cream,” said owner Michael Anderson. “Sampling is very popular; we encourage people to come in and try some. You can also pair up two or three or four flavors and try something new.” — Doran Dal Pra

Frappes vs. ’shakes
In most of the United States, if someone orders a milkshake they expect a drink with milk, maybe syrup and ice cream. But order a milkshake in New England and you might receive something different.

According to Chuck Stergiou, one of the owners of the Puritan Backroom, and Ron Diburro, owner of the Goldenrod, the main difference is the ice cream. While a frappe could be described as a thick milkshake, their ingredients are different. Stergiou explained that a “frappe is the one with ice cream — there is milk, ice cream and syrup,” while a “milkshake has no ice cream.”

Diburro said at the Goldenrod the other difference between the two is the flavors they come in. A frappe can come in any kind of ice cream flavor that the shop has available, whereas “milkshakes can be vanilla, chocolate, strawberry and coffee” and that’s it.

Stergiou said that when people come to the Puritan they usually know which drink they want and they usually know the difference.

“Probably three out of four know what a [frappe] is,” Stergiou said, but just to make sure the wait staff checks with patrons who order a milkshake to see if they really want a frappe. Diburro says that the Goldenrod has the same policy, to check whether the customer expects ice cream in his “milkshake,” making it a frappe. Diburro says that few people know they actually want a frappe instead of a milkshake.

Another problem for people wanting their milkshake to have ice cream is the price point. Frappes are twice as expensive as milkshakes, and those who believe that their milkshake should have ice cream might fume over the higher price.

However, neither store is planning to drop the “frappe” from their menu. According to Stergiou the Puritan Backroom has always had the frappe on its menu. He said he had no idea where the frappe-milkshake difference came from but he had no plans on dropping either drink.

So the confusion will continue for both New Englanders and visitors alike. But the New England frappe is a point of pride for some in New Hampshire. Diburro says that whereas “everyone else has milkshakes, New England has the frappe.” Stergiou seconded that idea, saying “our frappe is their milkshake.” And that difference makes the frappe just a little better. — Kayla Chagnon

Can you have your ice cream and your bikini too?
When it’s hot, ice cream can seem like the best meal option and certainly just the right amount of cold and sweet. But for most of us, a straight diet of ice cream can have unfortunate consequences for those swimsuit days. Can  the low-calorie and/or low-fat offerings fulfill some of your ice cream needs?

We conducted a not-so-scientific survey of some of the diet-friendlier ice cream offerings at a local supermarket. There seem to be two schools of thought when it comes to the low-cal treat. One selection of ice cream treats is simply smaller portions of the full-fat and full-calorie versions.

The other, represented by many of the treats listed below, has less sugar, less fat or some combination of the two. Not all of the results are as tasty or successful as their boxes would suggest. To try them out, Amy Diaz and Lisa Parsons dug in to eight boxes of frozen snacks. Lisa’s husband Doug chimed in with his opinion of a few of the treats. While a few of the snacks were acceptable, the conclusion seems to be that there is not yet a tasty low-cal alternative to the real thing.

• Healthy Choice Premium Fudge Bars (fudgsicle) Calories: 80; fat: 1.5 grams; sugars: 4 grams; sugar alcohols: 3 grams.

Amy says: This very creamy bar is reminiscent of a pudding pop in its texture and mouthfeel. The chocolate flavor is faint but the overall creaminess make the bar feel more like a treat. The bar was a hit with other family members.

Lisa says: First thought: Not bad. Second thought: But thin. Definitely feels like skim milk.Third thought: BLECHY aftertaste. This 3rd thought reoccurred several times over the next few minutes.
Thumbs down. Ick. Her husband Doug says: Almost sour taste. As it really settles in my mouth though I realize, yeah, it tastes, again, the skim milk taste [and a powdered milk taste].

• Klondike Krunch (no sugar added) Calories: 170; fat: 10 grams; sugar: 7 grams; sugar alcohol: 7 grams.

Amy says: The ice cream is creamy but has very little flavor and the same can be said about the chocolate coating. The crispy does add a nice texture to the chocolate coating. The biggest negative is the mildly weird aftertaste.

Lisa says: Love the crunch of the delicate thin layer of chocolate coating. Just like any Klondike bar. Not bad at all. Doug says: This looks like a Klondike bar. Fine, it’s good, I haven’t had a real Klondike bar in a while but this seems fine.

• Light Ice Cream Sandwiches Vanilla (store brand) Calories: 160; fat 2.5 grams; sugars: 15 grams.

Amy says: Good basic ice cream sandwich with appropriately creamy ice cream and tasty chocolate cookies. Decent sized — overall a good snack.

Lisa says: Like the Tercel of ice cream sandwiches. Or what would be the current analogy. Is that a Yaris? Doug says: That one’s fine. That one seems completely normal.

• Skinny Cow Low Fat Ice Cream Cone (chocolate ice cream in a cone with a chocolate drizzle on top and fudge in the bottom of the cone) Calories: 150; fat: 3 grams; sugars: 19 grams.

Amy says: This looks like the exact kind of childhood treat you’d want on a summer day. Looks. The ice cream has a mild but detectable chocolatey flavor but there is also a plasticy flavor when you first bite or lick the ice cream and an extremely off-putting aftertaste to the ice cream, chocolate syrup swirl on top and the fudge on the bottom. However, the nine-year-old in the family loved everything from the drizzle to the tip of the cone.

Lisa says: The ice cream tastes like a Fudgsicle. The fudge swirl is pretty good. Doug says: I’d have another one. [he agreed it tastes like a Fudgsicle]

• Skinny Cow Low Fat Ice Cream Sandwich (chocolate- and peanut butter-flavored ice cream) Calories: 150; fat: 2 grams; sugars: 15 grams.

Amy says: Creamy but not terribly flavorful ice cream — there is more of a peanut butter smell than a taste. The cakes have very little flavor and a tendency to almost instantly stick to fingers.

Lisa says: Yech. Doug says: Wow, I don’t like it. I don’t like the chocolate outside. It’s something, something taste-wise, I just, I took a big bite, I just don’t like it.

• So Delicious Dairy-Free Minis (Neapolitan flavored ice cream sandwich) Calories: 90; fat: 2 grams; sugars: 8 grams.

Amy says: There is something watery about the consistency of the ice cream, and the strawberry part of the trio has a very “strawberry flavoring” flavor.

Lisa says: Tastes a little fake, plasticky or cardboardy or like lipstick ... and yet, not bad! Doug says: The outside seems like a regular ice cream sandwich, it’s soft; this doesn’t seem light at all. It’s pretty good. Might be my favorite of the bunch. The strawberry ice cream tastes good.

• Weight Watchers Candy Bar Ice Cream Bar (a peanut butter low-fat candy-bar-sized rectangle of ice cream topped with caramel and peanuts covered in milk chocolate-flavored coating)  Calories: 150; fat: 9 grams; sugars: 11 grams.

Amy says: The chocolate exterior has almost no flavor but the inside has a strong and pleasant peanut butter flavor. Though there are very few actual nuts, the nuts add welcome texture and flavor. Overall, this treat feels more decadent than it really is. This and the Weight Watchers ice cream bar (below) were the two treats I voluntarily returned to later.

Lisa says: The consistency seems a little marshmallowy maybe, just a little. Strong flavor of peanut, then of chocolate. Never really taste the ice cream. OK-ish.

• Weight Watchers Giants Cookies & Cream Ice Cream Bar (ice cream bar surrounded by crumbled cookies) Calories: 130; fat: 5 grams; sugar: 15 grams.

Amy says: This bar isn’t initally all that flavorful but the exterior of crumbled cookies adds a good taste and texture. While the ice cream isn’t very flavorful, it also isn’t too sweet and it is pleasantly creamy. Though not as good as a premium bar, this is a treat on par with most grocery-store-bought ice cream treats.

Lisa says: I don’t think you gave me one of these. I want a re-do.

Amy says: Sorry, box is now suspiciously empty.