I Scream,You Scream, We All Scream for Ice Cream

In an act of sudden liberation The WesFoodie ran out to the grocery store, grabbed a pint of Haagen Dazs chocolate chocolate chip from the freezer, carried it out in a paper bag with a plastic spoon, returned to my house and sat on the couch, alone, digging through the frozen cream and slanted bits of bittersweet chocolate until nothing but a slip of melted dairy remained in the curve of the carton’s bottom.

No one must know about this. Too much sweet; too much cream; too much goodness! No one can see my cacao covered chin. The empty pint will be hidden away, not to be found. Actually, that isn’t true. The WesFoodie made it all up. But I made it up to illustrate a point (so its okay): ice cream occupies a special, important and peculiar place in Americans’ eating habits.

We recognize ice cream as an acceptable way to act out against propriety. Over indulging in ice cream eating is a rare socially sanctioned deviation – an open secret – an okay naughty. The contradictions inherent in such a permitted no-no are irresistible in our always-get-it-right, do-it-right culture. And it tastes really good.

Oddly enough, the very same thing that is such a twisted taboo-too-good-not-to-do when practiced alone, is nothing but uncomplicated good fun when done with the whole family. Nothing beats taking the kids out for ice cream on a hot summer day. It’s a universal rite of summer in the Burbs.

The WesFoodie has done some research into ice cream ‘round haar (hard labor my friends). In addition to the usual chains there are a number of local mom and pop ice cream parlors to choose from (most even let you take, geepers, a pint home with you).

A prominent local ice cream maker is Longford’s. With three locations (Larchmont, Rye and Port Chester) of their own and distribution to independently owned and operated parlors, Longford’s has been serving ice cream to the Westchester masses for over a decade. Their cream is good. Not wrap your tongue in a blanket of seemingly infinite ecstasy good, but good for Westchester good.

The WesFoodie recently took the kids over to Longford’s for hot fudge sundaes. We enjoyed the treats but the hot fudge sauce was thin and saucy, not thick and deep like it ought to be and the whipped cream, while perfectly fine, was nothing special (and frankly it doesn’t take that much to make it a little special – real heavy cream, a sprinkle of sugar and a blender). Now, I will, no doubt, return to Longford’s. But I expected more of a local ice cream parlor up against the big boys of cones.

The post I wanted to write was all fluttering excitement about how much better than the chains the local made ice cream is. I had already prepared this line (based on my memories of local parlors from when I was an eat it with gusto kid): “If you want a little more character to the cream, some unusual flavors and the real parlor experience try out some of the local ice cream shops.”

Unfortunately, I can’t post that – not yet. The WesFoodie will keep eating my way through own-made ice cream in the Burbs though and maybe we’ll find some outrageous cream this summer. Hey, if you know where it’s at – email me (wesfoodie@yahoo.com)!

LongFord's: Larchmont - 1941 Palmer Avenue - 914.834.0207, Rye - 4 Elm Place - 914.967.3797, Port Chester - Biltomore at Bowman Ave - 914.939.5749