We all scream for ice cream! [08/02/2008]

Getting the scoop on summer ice cream treats

"You scream, I scream, we all scream for ice cream!Ah, ice cream it's one of the veritable delights of summer.Here in Mount Washington Valley, ice cream lovers will find no shortage of ice cream vendors, the purveyors of that sometimes fattening but always pleasing dessert or treat of choice.One of the cooler places (pun intended) to visit is the Sandwich Creamery in rural Sandwich, a 20-minute drive west of Chocorua.Founded in 1995, the creamery (www.sandwichcreamery.com) makes its own cheese and ice cream, and it makes for a great family outing.On a recent starlit summer night, I drove to the creamery with my always surprising, ice-cream loving and equestrian-riding friend Ellen Keith and her several young nieces. I mentioned that I was planning on doing a story on ice cream, and that led me of course to recite the oft-repeated You scream, I scream, we all scream line as we barreled west down Route 113 and then Route 113-A and onto Wing Road and then Hannah Road.The poet who wrote that roomed with my grandfather at Harvard, said Ellen, once again surprising the heck out of me and proving (as always, especially here in New Hampshire) that there really are only two degrees of separation between us all, even concerning ice cream. Ellen, who lives on a horse farm in Chocorua with a birds-eye view of Mount Chocorua, was referring to poet David McCord (1897-1997), who roomed with her grandfather, LeGrand Cannon, who wrote the famous 1942-published book about settlers in the Tamworth area, Look to the Mountain, the mountain in this case being Mount Chocorua.Impressed with that bit of knowledge, I led the carload in another chorus of I scream ... and yes, they all did scream out the verse, as we made our way up to the creamery ice cream shop. It was late, but that was OK the creamery operates on an honesty policy at that time of night, which makes you feel almost as good inside about the state of this part of the world as the ice cream tastes going down.Under the honor system, we picked out our dixie cups or pints of ice cream, and inserted the appropriate dollar amounts into the slot. The creamery offers a tantalizing array of flavors Almond Joy, Birch Bark, Black Raspberry, Black Raspberry Chocolate Chip, Blueberry, Butter Pecan, Cherry Choc. Chip, Chocolate, Cinnamon, Coffee, Coffee Kisses, Coconut, Cookie Dough, Cow Tracks, Cranberry, Ginger, Lemon Squeeze, Maple Walnut, Mint Chocolate Chip, Oreo, Peach, Peppermint Stick, Pistachio, Rum Raisin, Strawberry, Tipsy Turtle and Vanilla.They have sorbet, too Black Currant, Kiwi, Peach, Red Raspberry and Wild Strawberry .On the way back home to Chocorua, we stopped by a field on Route 113-A near the Wonalancet Chapel to enjoy our ice cream while gazing at the beautiful blanket of twinkling stars in the clear summer night sky. We didn't linger for long, however, as soon we were startled by the sound of something verrrryy large tromping on the twigs and leaves of the woods right across the road from our parked station wagon. Back in the car, kids! Ellen yelled out to the band of ice cream lovers yelling, but not screaming, as we ice cream lovers crashed back into the Subaru, not knowing whether it was a bear or moose that we were running from, but none too eager to find out, either.So, it's true we all scream for ice cream, and moose and bears and other things that go bump in the night, too. For further information about the Sandwich Creamery, call 284-6675.(Among the local vendors carrying Sandwich Creamery Ice Cream are Weston's Farmstand on West Side Road in Conway and Leavitt's Bakery, also in Conway). According to ice cream historians, Marco Polo brought the recipe for ice cream back to Europe when he went to China in 1295. The original recipe didn't have cream in it. It was water ice, made with fruit juice, sugar and water, the same way ices are made today. Cream didn't get into the recipe until 300 years later in France. You can guess some of the major ingredients in ice cream cream, milk, sugar, flavoring but you'd probably never think of one of the most important ones plain, unflavored, uncolored air. Air is stirred into ice cream as it freezes. Without air, eating ice cream would be like chewing milky ice cubes. But you can have too much of a good thing. The more air ice cream has, the fluffier and warmer it seems (warmer because it contains less of the ice and icy liquid that makes you feel the coldness). Some ice creams, usually the cheaper varieties, have as much air in them as the other ingredients put together. So, now you know why that ice cream cone or dish tastes so great next time you treat yourself to one whether you're Marco Polo-ing or just going for an adventurous drive in the valley to Sandwich Creamery and beyond! As a service to you, our ice cream-loving readers, we offer the following listing of other local ice cream vendors. starting in Pinkham Notch in the north and heading south all the way to Ossipee and into Maine. We did not sample them all in our journalistic ice cream tour, but we can attest that they all have well-deserved reputations for quality ice cream among ice cream aficionados.PINKHAM NOTCH Wildcat Mountain Ski Area, Route 16, Pinkham Notch. 466-3326. Wildcat Mountain is not only home to the ZipRider, Disc-Golf and the Wildcat Express scenic gondola ride, but also has an ice cream bar at which patrons can create their own Presidential Range masterpiece. Enjoy your sundae while taking in the view of Tuckerman Ravine and Mount Washington across the notch. Scenic explorations abound nearby.BARTLETT Trails End Ice Cream Shoppe, Route 302 Bartlett 374-2288. Featuring an outdoor, wooden play castle, monster truck and fire truck playground built in the Amish country of Pennsylvania, Trails End is located just west of Attitash Recreation Area and on the way to Crawford Notch and Bretton Woods. The shop features 28 flavors of Bobby-Sue's homemade ice cream and Hershey's ice cream and frozen yogurt. For a real treat, ask for the Mount Washington Banana Split or the Trails End Special (three scoops of any flavor and three scoops of toppings).GLEN Dairy Queen (www.dairyqueen.com), routes 16 and 302, Glen 383-6878. Ice cream cakes, sundaes and plenty more!INTERVALE Vista Scoop Shoppe, Route 16, Intervale. Frappes, floats, brownie sundaes, banana splits. Located across from Intervale's Scenic Vista state rest area and the million dollar view of Mount Washington, the scoops at this family-owned business are almost as big as the 6,288-foot mountain known to Native Americans as ol' Agiochoock. The sunsets are superb from the deck. A local landmark since 1884, this Cannell family-owned business serves Hershey's ice cream. Try the ice cream floats, says owner Stephanie Cannell Mullins, operator of the shop since 1994NORTH CONWAY Bellini's Gelato, Bellinis Ristorante Italiano, White Mountain Highway (Route 16), North Conway. 356-7000.Known for its creative Italian dishes, Bellini's is also renowned for its homemade Italian gelato. Now available at Hannaford stores in addition to the restaurant, Bellini's Gelato is served at its Geletaria, along with fresh fruit sorbetto and frozen confections. Gelato, or the plural Gelati, is Italian ice cream made from milk and sugar, combined with other flavorings. The gelato ingredients (after an optional pasteurization) are frozen while stirring to break up ice crystals as they form. Like high-end ice cream, gelato generally has less than 35 percent air, resulting in a denser and more flavorful product. Try the raspberry chocolate, mint chocolate chip, wildberry sorbetto or spumoni. Ben & Jerry's North Conway, www.benjerry.com, 26 Norcross Circle, North Conway, 356-7720. From a renovated gas station in Burlington, Vt., what began 30 years ago with two guys creating otherworldly ice cream flavors has turned into a mind and taste bud boggling odyssey of Ben & Jerry's dessert served around the world. Home of the Vermonster (20 scoops of ice cream, hot fudge, whipped cream, bananas, brownies and cookies the record for one person to consume it all is 8.5 minutes), Ben & Jerry's this 30th anniversary season is featuring such new flavors as Cake Batter (cake batter ice cream with chocolate frosting swirls), Cheesecake Brownie (cheesecake ice cream with Cheesecake Brownie Chunks); and Imagine Whirled Peace (Caramel & Sweet Cream Ice Cream Swirled with Fudge Peace Signs and Toffee Cookie Pieces).In case you always wondered what the socially-minded ice cream company's top flavors are, see the list below:1. Cherry Garcia Ice Cream2. Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream3. Chocolate Fudge Brownie Ice Cream4. Chunky Monkey Ice Cream5. Half Baked Ice Cream6. Phish Food Ice Cream7. New York Super Fudge Chunk Ice Cream8. Coffee Heath Bar Crunch Ice Cream9. Cherry Garcia Low Fat Frozen Yogurt10. Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream Brandli's, Settlers' Green (356-7878) serves hard-serve Shaine's of Maine ice cream at its Italian restaurant, and now also has an ice cream outlet at Settlers' Green known as Kaity's Big Chill (356-7374). Specialty's there include Schartner's strawberry smoothies, and peanut butter ice cream frappes, Reese's chocolate frappes, and mixed berry frappes. Cafe Carleo, 2683 White Mountain Highway, corner of Main and Kearsarge Streets, North Conway. 356-2389. Sandwiches, hot dogs, lobster rolls, and homemade Italian catering dishes; soft serve cones and frappes, featuring 24 flavors such as pina collada, tutti fruit, amaretto and more. Fruit frappes, frappes, coffee chillers, kids chillers. sundaes, soda floats and banana splits. Owner Vicki Carleo says to try the Road Kill vanilla or chocolate ice cream, dirt and worms topped with whipped cream and a cherry (Oreo cookie and Gummy worms). Cold Stone Creamery, Settlers' Crossing, North Conway (www.coldstonecreamery.com); 1500 White Mountain Highway; North Conway 03860 (603) 356-2223. Founded in Arizona in 1988, Cold Stone Creamery ice cream is categorized by industry experts as Super Premium. The company's rich ice cream is made fresh every day in every store, which puts Cold Stone completely in a class of our own. Regaled as Ice Cream Innovators, every ice cream they serve is a Creation each one is a work of art. Freshly made, smooth, creamy ice cream blended on a frozen granite stone with endless combinations fruits, nuts, candy, cookies, brownies you name it you can mix in to your hearts content. Friendly's Ice Cream Shop (www.friendlys.com), 1657 White Mountain Highway, Route 16, North Conway 356-6108. Burgers, dinners and tons of Friendly's ice cream delights. What makes Friendly's ice cream so delicious? They make it with only the finest ingredients. From their famous ice cream cakes to build your own sundaes with endless combinations of flavors and toppings, Friendly's ice cream is one of life's sweet rewards! Try a Fribble shake, an Oreo freeze, or a Forbidden Fudge brownie (Forbidden Chocolate ice cream mixed with brownie chunks, hot fudge and Swiss chocolate toppings. Finished with whipped topping, sprinkles and a cherry). Lickety Splitz, 2252 White Mountain Highway (Route 16) North Conway 356-0790. Featuring an outdoor playground and a make-your-own sundae bar, Lickety Splitz features soft serve and Richardson's hard ice cream. Inside you'll find historical memorabilia on the walls and even an old Wildcat Ski Area gondola from the 1950s. Molly B's Ice Cream, 2888 White Mountain Highway (Route 16, North Main Street), North Conway. 356-3165. Named after the Brillard family's golden retriever pet, it's only fitting that in addition to an extensive array of Gifford's ice cream flavors, Molly B's also offers an ice cream flavor known as Dogbone. Molly B's offers soft serve and hard ice cream. Located next to Elvio's Pizzeria. Picnic tables outside. Mountain Dawg Cafe, 2633 White Mountain Highway, North Conway Village, 356-3294. Burritos, wraps, soups, cookies, fruit cups and Bobby-Sue's homemade ice cream. Banana splits, hot fudge sundaes, apple pie a la mode.CONWAY Conway Cafe - Main Street, Conway Village, 447-5030. A great cafe featuring sandwiches, pastries and now ice cream, the Conway Cafe offers Gifford's ice cream and such treats as brownie sundaes. Located at the Majestic Hometown Theatre on Main Street, Wednesday night open mic folk music sessions. Fire 21, West Main Street and Route 16, Conway Village. Pizza, salads, grinders and soft serve ice cream! Frappes, cones and dishes. Smitty's Ice Cream, Main Street, Conway 447-3221. Featuring Blake's hard ice cream and soft serve, this Conway Village Main Street attraction offers cones, sundaes, shakes and smoothies. Order the Mount Washington if you dare! It's got four scoops of ice cream, topped with hot fudge, whipped cream, cherries and nuts. It took four of us to eat one, but if you can eat it by yourself, we'll give you a Smitty's T-shirt no one's done it yet, said one of the servers the night of our visit. Also try a banana split or Waffle Bowl Sundae. The shop features 42 hard serve flavors and 27 soft serve. Located across the street from Pequawket Park, site of Tuesday evening band concerts.TAMWORTH Bobby-Sue's Homemade Ice Cream, Tamworth, 323-8855. Bobby-Sue's Homemade Ice Cream opened in the summer of 1988 in West Ossipee. The original owners were Bobby and Sue, hence the name Bobby-Sue's. Since Sept. 1, 1989, Kenny and Patty Dumas, have been the proud owners of Bobby-Sue's Homemade Ice Cream. The business was pretty well established and doing very well at the time, which is why they chose to keep the name. At that time, they made all of their ice cream, frozen yogurt, sorbet, sherbet and their famous waffle cones and bowls at this one location daily.Other locations for Bobby-Sue's include Bobby-Sue's Homemade Ice Cream, Freedom (539-5050), Mountain Dawg Cafe in North Conway and Trails End Ice Cream Shoppe in Bartlett. Kelli's, Route 16, Tamworth, 323-9200. Kelli's sells Shanes of Maine ice cream and all the specialties one would expect of a family run ice cream stand. Rosie's, Route 16, Tamworth. 323-8611. Serving soft-serve ice cream, along with Gifford's hard-serve, Rosie's is the place for ice cream treats as well as slush puppies, cheeseburgers, fried clams and more. Try the Crawford Notch Banana Split (ice cream, bananas, whipped cream, chocolate sauce, pineapple, cherries and more).OSSIPEE Deer Cap Ice Cream located at Deer Cap Campground Route 16 Ossipee. 539-6030. Open 6 to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday, 2-9 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Serving Bliss Ice Cream of Attleboro, Mass. for well over 30 years the best around, according to the proprietor! MAINE Froagie's Ice Cream, Bridgton Road (Route 302), near Jockey Cap, Fryeburg, Maine (207) 935-2669.Over 30 soft serve flavors and over 30 Blake's hard serve and Dell's Frozen Lemonade, a real specialty served with ice. Soft serve flavors include Oreo and Mint Cookie, and tons of toppings. Nachos, hot dogs and chili dogs are also offered.