It's hard to imagine a city that loves ice cream more than Boston. Even during these frigid days of winter, weather-toughened Bostonians wait in line for a scoop or two of their favorite dairy dessert. Whether it's a casual first date or a culinary cure for the breakup blues, a trip to the ice cream parlor is a timeless and delicious indulgence. Here is a brief compendium of Boston's best ice cream.
Outside of Tedeschi's freezer case, J.P. Licks is one of the few options in Davis Square for students. Named after its original location in Jamaica Plain, J.P. Licks has since expanded to nine more locations. The conventional menu features several noteworthy flavors, such as the ever-popular Oreo Cake Batter. For something a little more exciting, check the flavors of the month. These seasonal options include Manischewitz wine sorbet and avocado ice cream. However, J.P.'s biggest appeal remains its heated interior — there's no better place to wait for the Joey on a cold winter day.
The best-kept secret of Davis Square can be uncovered at the Somerville Theatre, where the real star isn't the movie — it's Richardson's Ice Cream. This humble and unassuming ice cream can be purchased at the concessions stand even without a movie ticket. For a true Richardson's experience, take a trip to the "cow-to-cone" facility in Middleton, Mass., where visitors can explore the operational dairy farm as well as the minigolf and batting cage.
Christina's Homemade Cream, located in Inman Square, shares its storefront with a savory spice shop, leading to a variety of interesting flavors, such as Khulfi and Ginger Molasses. Other highlights include the Mocha Explosion and the Burnt Sugar. Best of all, the prices ($2.95 for a generous small) are the some of the lowest in Boston. Other than the 15-minute walk from the Central Square subway stop, the only flaw comes from the staff's indifference to its customers. At a place like this, the coldness should come from the ice cream, not from its scooping staff.
If you are willing to throw down a couple more bucks, then visit Toscanini's — the hands-down winner for Boston's best ice cream. While this Cambridge parlor has the steepest prices, you get what you pay for. The wildly inventive flavors, such as B3 (Browned Butter, Brown Sugar, and Brownies), Goat Cheese Brownie, Salty Saffron, and Bourbon Black Pepper, befit the eccentricity of the MIT surroundings.
For those seeking a guilt-free treat, there's always frozen yogurt. Boston's froyo scene has exploded in the past four years with local company BerryLine leading the pack. What makes BerryLine so successful? The proof is in the pudding, or in this case, the toppings. In addition to an array fresh fruit, BerryLine features homemade mochi — a Japanese confection made out of a rice paste — think of less-cloying marshmallow. BerryLine bakes their mochi on site, resulting in a satisfyingly chewy texture that pairs perfectly with the silky-smooth yogurt. Locavores and chocoholics alike will appreciate BerryLine's use of the Somerville-based chocolatier Taza Chocolate.
Of BerryLine's four locations, the Harvard Square outpost is probably most accessible, if only because the Porter Square location is equidistant from the two T stops. Since only three flavors are available at a given time, check the website or Twitter page for updates.
If frozen yogurt is the hot cousin of ice cream, then frozen custard is the unabashedly obese uncle. The only place to get it is at Arlington's The Chilly Cow, located 10 minutes off-campus via the 86 Bus to Arlington Center.
Required by law to contain at least 1.4 percent egg yolks, this Midwestern staple pushes already-decadent ice cream to sinful new heights. The higher fat content helps prevent crystallization — that icy consistency associated with hard frozen yogurt and low-fat ice cream. Less crystallization translates to a velvety texture and a richer taste.
Furthermore, frozen custard is very dense due to a low overrun percentage. Overrun is an ice cream industry term used to calculate the amount of air whipped into the ice cream — the higher the overrun, the airier the ice cream. Most ice cream is churned in such a way that the final product's overrun is 100 percent, meaning that its volume is almost 50 percent air. Frozen custard's overrun is between 15 and 30 percent resulting in a density that rivals that of any dessert.
The truncated name for Frozen Custard — FroTard —sounds nowhere near as sexy as froyo. While it lacks the supposed salubrious effects of froyo, FroTard more than makes up for that deficiency with its consistency.
After clam chowder, ice cream is the perfect Boston treat. And ice cream has one distinct advantage: it can be served in either a cup or a cone!
