New York’s sweltering summer is no joke, but there’s no need to get hot under the collar — keep your cool with our scoop of the city’s most lick-a-licious ice cream shops.
Start your calorific encounter at an oldie but a goodie: Chinatown Ice Cream Factory. This diminutive, family-run, 1975-established perch is famed for its Sino twist on the American classics, using ingredients such as durian, red bean, and lychee.
Behind the gleaming white counter and pristine soda jerk caps at Morgenstern’s Finest Ice Cream lurks an innovative, contemporary spirit that has originated left-field flavours like burnt sage, mango-passionfruit rice, raw milk and French fry. Even vanilla fans will be baffled by a staggering seven different types of the creamy classic. Just add pies, cakes, sundaes, profiteroles and myriad toppings for the real-deal retro diner experience.
Vintage vixens should don their finest (nay, stretchiest) nylons for a visit to gorgeous old-timer Brooklyn Farmacy & Soda Fountain. Apothecary shelving filled with penny candy jars, Bentwood chairs and mosaic-tiled floors set the heritage tone, while modern touches include seasonal pie fillings and ice-cream by artisanal Adirondack Creamery. Top it all off with crumbled pretzels, toasted pecans, or hot fudge.
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And, of course, how could we forget the growing plant-based contingent? Now with a cult following to rival that of L. Ron Hubbard, Van Leeuwen Artisan Ice Cream scoops a cashew, coconut, and carob bean-based vegan ice cream that’s enjoyed even by non-converts. Blueberry pie, oat milk and brown sugar snickerdoodle are some of the seasonals headlining its many NYC locations.
A version of this article was originally written by LUXE for PenCities.
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