May 09, 2004
More Screaming
On my last trip to Bethlehem, I wrote that I had found the best ice cream I had ever tasted at the Heavenly Hedgehog. One of the Bethlehem residents commented that the best ice cream was at another parlor on Linden St., Nuts About Ice Cream. As one who is always in search of great ice cream, I was excited to return to Bethlehem and try out this competitor.
I got there mid-afternoon and had Joshi, the owner pretty much to myself. I told him of my experience with Hedgehog and the reader recomendation. He told me how he started the company; how he makes everything by hand using the best ingredients. He's very proud of his ethnic flavors; you can tour the world in his freezer. I settled on a scoop of Raspberry Chocolate Truffle and a scoop of Fig. The Fig ice cream was very subtle; it had the fruitiness of the figs without the overwhelming sweetness. The Truffle was stupendous. Smooth chocolate ice cream with little explosions of raspberry has you bite into the truffles. Extremely well done.
Joshi then took me on a taste tour of his freezer. Saffron Pistachio was out of this world. His Sweet Cream takes like cannoli filling (I'm not a big plain ice cream person, but that's something I'm going to take home). He supplies most of the Thai resturants down and into Philadelphia with his Ginger Ice Cream. He pretty much has a flavor that represents any part of the world you love.
While I was busy enjoying my dessert, a woman walked in to pick up shakes for her and her husband. She told me how she has to try to take a different route home from work so she's not tempted to stop at Nuts About Ice Cream. That's a huge endorsement.
So which do I like better? I'm not saying yet. There are many more samples to try. I do know that when I leave town, I'm going to be packing multiple quarts from both merchants into my cooler. Who would have guessed that the ice cream center of the universe was in Bethlemhem, PA?
Posted by David Pinto at
12:08 PM
|
Ice Cream |
Other
|
TrackBack (0)
I'm sorry, but the greatest ice cream in the world is from the creamery at Penn State.
If, on the other hand, you're looking for frozen custard, look no further than the Del Ray Dreamery in Alexandria, VA.
Ginger Ice Cream. Hmm. I wonder if any of my Hawai'i shops have tried that.
Hey, Dave, what about Herrel's in Northampton? You live 20 minutes away -- come up and I'll buy you a scoop.
My former adviser is now at PSU and taunts us with creamery updates. I wondered if these stores were started by PSU trainees. Legend has it Ben & Jerry's started from a PSU correspondence course on ice cream making.
Yeah... I've had both PSU and Hedgehog ice cream. Hedgehog win, hands down. (I've had Nuts About's, too.)