Hey peeps,
I’m going to experiment on ye olde Substack by throwing in a few newsletters every so often that have little to do with running. I’m inspired to do so by the popularity of my Dallas newsletter, which had maybe three sentences about running.
As we head into the weekend, I want to talk to you about eating ice cream in New York City in the summer. It’s a classic case of reality trampling expectations.
The other night, I went to Van Leeuwen. I find the flavors at VL a little boring, but I go there frequently because it’s the closest ice cream store to my apartment. I had a mini-meltdown (MM) in line because this guy at the front asked for multiple samples and when he finally decided, HE CHANGED HIS ORDER halfway through it being scooped. (I don’t think I could ever be friends with the type of person who orders multiple samples of ice cream flavors when there is literally a line out the door behind them. Could you?) I debated going to another place nearby called Emack & Bolio’s, where it similarly costs $12 for two (small) scoops of ice cream in a cone. The flavors are better though. I ended up staying put because I reasoned that I’d have to wait in line there too, netting more time lost. When I finally ordered at VL, it took 10 minutes to scoop my ice cream (too long). Then my whipped cream topping fell onto the sidewalk and I cried (admittedly, not their fault).
I had a similar debacle at the new Ample Hills in my neighborhood a few weeks ago, where I was overwhelmed by the lengthy flavor descriptions and gambled on the simple-sounding “Kokomo,” a key lime pie-flavored ice cream. No surprise, it was mediocre.
What I’m trying to tell you is that ice cream shops in New York City are inefficient! They are overpriced, underportioned, and get too creative in their flavor profiles. It should not take 10 minutes to scoop ice cream. Related to that, do not get me started on Morgenstern’s.
There are two obvious alternatives: find an ice cream truck (it’s never there when you want it) or just buy your own ice cream at the grocery store.
My problem with the second option is that in the summer, ice cream melts in the time it takes to walk from the grocery store to my apartment. Take Exhibit A, a sad misshapen ice cream pop that lots all of its oomph after 15 minutes of transport.
I just don’t know what to do guys. Should I bring ice packs to the grocery store? Should I move to the suburbs? Should I open a Carvel franchise, and would you come?
What’s a girl who eats ice cream every night gotta do to get this kind of ice cream scoop around here?
I hope you eat great ice cream this weekend.
Elaheh
That’s why I’ve cream in NY is best in the winter. 6 more months!
Ask Amanda about the sampling. Suggestion for a future post in this genre: “can you get 2 flavors in a small?”