Hot Eats/Cool Seats: Double Dip Ice Cream Trip

Okay, here's the truth. I've been waiting to write this column since first conceiving of the idea for the Hot Eats/Cool Seats column. Don't get me wrong, I love burgers, pizza, wings, etc but I am an ice cream fanatic. My first real job was at the Baskin Robbins on Harrison Avenue in my hometown of Arlington, VA. I worked there during my senior year in high school and my only claim to fame was having my 10 cent raise taken away because my scoops were too big.

So, where to start? There are many great ice cream parlors here in the Triangle. You can get everything from ice cream, gelato to frozen custard. My goal was to go simple and only focus on what I consider to be the purest form of ice cream pleasure...the single scoop on a sugar cone. Unfortunately, I was often swayed by the tasty treats in front of my and was diverted from my goal at almost every stop.

My first dip came courtesy of Maggie Moo's Ice Cream and Treatery in Cary. When looking for places to try, I found Maggie Moo's and the name made me laugh so I had to try it. Maggie Moo's is one of the places that lets you mix bits and pieces of stuff into a basic flavor of ice cream. I went with one of their recommended Fresh Escape combinations the Banana Beach. The Banana Beach starts with banana ice cream then mixes in more bananas, caramel and walnuts. It was a hot day and Maggie Moo's provided a nice cool treat to help ward off the heat.

My next stop was at Goodberry's Creamery who makes their frozen custard right at each location. There are eight Goodberry's in the Triangle and I stopped in at the one in Wake Forest. I went on May 19, when the Flavor of the Day was hazelnut. I used that as the base and then created my own Carolina ConcreteTM by adding in blackberries and pecans. It was a rich, gooey concoction that was thick enough to hold upside down and not lose a lick of ice cream to gravity.

I got to go a bit nutty at my next stop at Bruster's Real Ice Cream in Raleigh. I actually kept it pretty simple and bellied up to the ice cream bar and had a double scoop, one of Pistachio and one of Black Walnut. Call me crazy but it was a pretty tasty combo that went perfectly on top of the old fashioned sugar cone.

My next stop had me back in Cary at Henry's Gelato. The name "gelato" is derived from the Italian words meaning "frozen" and "milk" and was developed in modern-day Italy where in the north; gelato is a milk-based dessert that is creamy and dense. In Southern Italy, gelato tends to be water based and have fresh fruit as dominant flavors. I had the Coffee Biscotto, which is coffee gelato with bits of biscotti cookies and chocolate mixed in. If you've never had gelato, you need to give it a try. It's got a really dense, rich flavor that's hard to beat.

My final dip was at my old standby Ben & Jerry's. There are several in the Triangle and I stopped in at the one on Broad Street in Durham. Ben & Jerry's is what I eat at home and really consider the pint size container a single serving. My two favorite flavors are Chunky Monkey and Pistachio. Given that this is a serious editorial review, I had both in a waffle cone. I probably should have tried something new to give myself some journalistic credibility but decided to leave the integrity to Teri and get my favorites.

I ran out of time to visit any of the other great places in the Triangle. I had wanted to try Cosmic Ice Cream Company, Doug's Ice Cream and several others and had planned to make a final stop at Carvel's for a trip down memory lane and have a vanilla cone dipped in peanuts. Oh well, maybe next time I'll be able to fit it all in. Of course, I won't fit in my pants if I do but its a trade I'd willingly make for my loyal readers....

Well, that's the scoop on local ice cream. Next month, I'll sample some of the area's best summer-time treats - the all-American hot dog!