Summer is almost officially over.... but there is still plenty of time to indulge in some ice cream! I recently completed an exhaustive search for some of the best ice cream for Fairfield Magazine. It was a tough job, but someone had to do it! Here are some excerpts from that article, which appears in full in the current issue of the magazine (Summer 2008, p. 10).
When it comes to homemade ice cream, Timothy's Ice Cream at 2974 Fairfield Avenue in Bridgeport, is a winner. Named "Best Ice Cream" in the Fairfield County Advocate an astounding twenty-two times during its twenty-four years of business, and also chosen as one of the "Top 10" best ice cream parlors in the country (yes, the country!) by Epicurious.com (run by Bon Appetit and Gourmet Magazines), it's no wonder I love it so much. Timothy's has twelve flavors of hard ice cream, six of which are standard favorites like chocolate and coffee, and the other six specialty flavors rotate on a daily basis. Black Rock (French Vanilla ice cream studded with chocolate covered almonds), Caramel Crunch, and Peppermint were among the tempting specialty selections on one of my recent visits. Because all the ice cream is made in small batches, customers are always assured of the freshest product imaginable.
For a heaven-sent dessert experience, head to Caffe 4 Quattro (1603 Post Road, Fairfield) for some fantastic gelato! Gelato is, hands-down, my all-time favorite dessert, and Caffe 4 Quattro gets my vote for the best around. Caffe 4 Quattro hits the nail on the head with their perfectly creamy, velvety smooth, completely authentic gelato. It is made fresh on the premises almost every day, using imported Italian ingredients. The most popular flavors include Panna Cotta, which translated literally is "cooked cream", but is similar to vanilla, Ciocolatto, made with fine Belgian chocolate, and my mother’s favorite, Stracciatella, which is an Italian version of chocolate chip. Gelato is served at the cafe year round, but in colder months, try having your gelato "affogato" style, which is a shot of espresso poured over the top of a scoop of your favorite flavor, and then topped with freshly whipped cream. It may be one of the most simple but delicious "grown-up" desserts on earth!
For fantastic, hand-packed pints of homemade ice cream and sorbet, The Pantry (1580 Post Road, 259-0400) has you covered. Yes, there is ice cream at The Pantry--- and it is wonderful. The owner states, "we use a base that has the same percentage butterfat as Haagen Daaz, so it is really good.” All the traditional favorites are available, like mint chocolate chip, cookies and cream, and chocolate, but if you’re looking for something different, try the pina colada or mango-lime sorbets, or the coffee with peanut butter cup ice cream. There’s something for everyone.
Check out Fairfield Magazine for more Fairfield-area favorites, including Sunny Daes and Helado Vasquez!
Photo above by QuintanaRoo.
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