Taste test: ice cream

From our first visits to Nassau Street as prefrosh, we could tell that Princeton’s dessert options would never let us down. Since then, a dozen stores have dazzled us with a variety of sweet temptations, including Italian ices, chocolate, pastries and the ultimate college staple: fro-yo. Still, there is one classic dessert choice that can never be replaced: ice cream.

Over a period of one week, I set out to review each of Princeton’s ice cream shops in terms of flavor, creativity and decor. I sampled two of the most interesting flavors at each store. Needless to say, it was the most enjoyable and fattening writing experience I’ve had to date.

Halo Pub

With its vintage furnishing and energetic ambiance, Halo Pub seems like a cross between a bar and a classy ski lodge. The store has a cozy seating area inside, as well as several tables outside that easily accommodated our group of six. Most of the Halo Pub’s ice cream options are generic, but the occasional creative flavor, such as Strawberry Heath Bar, is popular with customers. The most notable aspect of the ice cream is its richness, and my small portion left me completely satisfied. The fruity flavor of Strawberry Peach seemed a tad too tart, and the chunks of peaches were still slightly frozen. I highly recommend the Amaretto Toasted Almond, which offers a mouthful of crunchy almonds in each bite.

Thomas Sweet

T-Sweets has a quaint, family-style feel that draws a younger crowd. The funhouse mirror is admittedly out of place, and the image it displayed of me bore an uncanny resemblance to Miss Piggy, an unwelcome reminder of my calorific task this week. Although the ice cream’s consistency is creamy, it does not seem overly indulgent, which is the mark of a top-notch recipe. T-Sweets touts its “blend-in,” a feature which allows customers to combine original flavors with finely blended nuts, fruits and cookies. Although the option allows for creative combinations, be careful with your topping selections. My friend was unenthusiastic about the blended chocolate chip cookies, which left a “dry and crumbly” taste in her mouth. Ice cream flavors here are very strong, and I enjoyed both of my unorthodox choices: Rum Raspberry Cordial and Coffee Heath Bar.

Uncle Louie G’s Italian Ices and Ice Cream

Uncle Louie G’s is the underdog of the Princeton ice cream scene. Although it is better known for its Italian ices, the store also sells over 25 flavors of ice cream. The solid blue color of the walls is bland, but the image of Uncle Louie wagging his finger while smiling indulgently might make it worth a visit. The ice cream tastes quite good, although it lacks the homemade feel of some of its competitors. Perhaps due to storage temperature, the ice cream here is physically harder and more solid than at the other locations, so if you prefer that texture, Uncle Louie is your guy. My friends and I have the sneaking suspicion that more ice cream is served in the cones than in similarly priced cups, so the cone is recommended. I was pleased with both of my flavors, Apple Pie a la Mode and Dulce de Leche.

The Bent Spoon

The Bent Spoon certainly lives up to its legendary reputation. The store prides itself on the use of local ingredients in its sorbets and ice creams, and the employees enthusiastically educated our group on the origins of their Meyer lemons, red raspberries and coffee beans. I ordered the Coconut Streak and, to dive wholeheartedly into my week’s theme of gluttony, Sour Cream. The perfect combination of bold flavors with a silky consistency left me scraping the bottom of cup with my tiny spoon. The streak of dark chocolate in Coconut Streak serves as a delicious complement to the fresh coconut milk. Despite its name, Sour Cream tasted like an incredible vanilla ice cream with a slightly tangy sour cream base, making it my favorite flavor of the week.