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Food Issue: Ice Cream Food Fight — T-Sweet vs. Halo Pub vs. Bent Spoon

In this “food fight,” contributor Jacqueline Levine tries to determine the best ice cream in Princeton. The truth: It’s not easy.

Ever since freshman year, I have always shied away from participating in the Thomas Sweet versus Halo Pub versus The Bent Spoon debate. Ice cream is by far my favorite dessert. I have therefore enjoyed these three shops immensely over the past three years, never wanting to choose a favorite. However, formulating an evaluation of the strengths and weaknesses of each store’s particular specialty this week has been an exciting endeavor.

As I live in Holder Hall, I decided to make my way west on Nassau Street beginning with The Bent Spoon, continuing on to Halo Pub and finishing big with T-Sweet.

The Bent Spoon, known for its edgy flavors and thick hot chocolate, is situated in Palmer Square across from a park with a few picnic tables and benches, perfect for sitting down to enjoy your ice cream on a beautiful day. The servers are very willing to indulge you in tasting as many flavors as you desire, which is definitely necessary, as you probably have never before tried kale or ricotta-flavored ice cream. I am always very adventurous when it comes to experimenting with different cuisines. However, kale ice cream just doesn’t appeal to me. I decided on dark chocolate (ice cream, not sorbet) and stepped out of my comfort zone a bit with the ricotta flavor after a taste left me craving an entire cup. The ricotta was very thick and rich and tasted like a refined mixture of vanilla, eggnog and cream cheese frosting. The dark chocolate complemented the ricotta wonderfully, tasting more chocolatey than sweet.

The texture of The Bent Spoon’s gelato is perfect — not heavy, but not too light or airy either. The portions, although they seem petite at first glance, are actually quite large, especially when served with a tiny spoon, allowing you to savor each and every bite. The Bent Spoon’s strength is the excellent quality of the ice cream’s flavor and consistency, even if it’s a bit pricey.

On the way to Halo Pub, I let my friend finish my cup in order to save room for what was to come. Halo Pub is slightly hidden on Hulfish Street, right next to the Princeton Public Library. The shop has two sections: one where you can grab your ice cream and another where you can plop down and eat. Halo Pub’s selection is tremendous, including many classic flavors like chocolate chip cookie dough, butter pecan, chocolate peanut butter, toffee crunch and mint chocolate chip, to name just a few. My two go-to flavors are chocolate chip cookie dough and chocolate peanut butter. One scoop is a reasonable size, but if you’re looking for quantity, definitely splurge and go for two.

The best thing about Halo Pub is experiencing your favorite flavors done right. I always feel that chocolate chip cookie dough never has enough cookie dough and chocolate peanut butter never has enough peanut butter. This is not the case at Halo Pub. The vanilla and chocolate ice cream bases overflow with their respective toppings, which is always a wonderful surprise. Halo Pub presents classic flavors the way you always imagined them, and they even accept credit cards now!

Thomas Sweet was my final stop. If you’re looking for quantity, T-Sweet is definitely your best bet. Their signature is called the “blend-in.” Like Cold Stone Creamery, T-Sweet mixes toppings of your choosing directly into your made-to-order ice cream. I decided on cake batter ice cream with brownie bites. This is my typical order, and I love it every time, as T-Sweet’s cake batter is unparalleled. If you like your ice cream to have a firm texture, the “blend-in” is definitely not for you. The consistency is almost soupy. However, the “blend-in” is only one of the many options T-Sweet has to offer. If large quantities and the ability to create your own customized ice cream/toppings blend-in is appealing, T-Sweet is your spot.

Comparing these three ice cream parlors is like comparing apples, oranges and kiwis. It really depends what you’re in the mood for on a given day. However, if someone were visiting me at Princeton, I would absolutely take them to The Bent Spoon. If you’re looking for amazing quality, gourmet flavors mixed with more mainstream options and surprisingly large serving sizes, check out The Bent Spoon in Palmer Square.
Winner: The Bent Spoon

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