Podcast Summary: All Of It (WNYC)
Episode: Summer Fun: Best Local Ice Cream Parlors
Host: Alison Stewart (with guest host Koosha Navadar)
Guest: Melissa McCart, Eater New York Editor
Date: July 5, 2024
Overview
This episode is a vibrant, crowd-sourced celebration of New York City's ever-expanding ice cream culture. With summer in full swing, guest host Koosha Navadar and food journalist Melissa McCart of Eater New York share recommendations, discuss trends and definitions, take listener calls, and reveal insider tips for enjoying frozen treats throughout NYC and its surrounds. The conversation covers everything from nostalgic flavors to vegan innovations, and from Italian ices to Mr. Softee magic shells.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
The Changing Landscape of NYC Ice Cream
- Diverse Offerings: NYC features everything from traditional dairy ice cream and classic sugar cones to vegan gelatos and liquid nitrogen–flash-frozen confections (03:00–04:00).
- Defining “Ice Cream”: There’s now a blurred line between classic ice cream, gelato, sorbet, soft serve, and custard (05:48–06:47).
“There's traditional ice cream, there's gelato, and then there's soft serve… But in general, I feel like we're moving into a period where people fall in one of the genres.” —Melissa McCart (05:59)
- Rise of Vegan/Dairy-Free: Many parlors now feature robust vegan options, sometimes equal to their dairy selections (13:59–15:07).
Standout Parlors, Flavors, & Collaborations
Melissa McCart’s Favorites
- Superiority Burger (East Village): Not an ice cream shop, but lauded for chef Brooks Headley’s dazzling gelato and sorbets. Flavors rotate, with almond joy and butter pecan among them, and a must-try chocolate sorbet for dairy avoiders (04:09–05:48).
- Torico (Jersey City, NJ): Beloved for a broad vegan selection and standards like vanilla, chocolate, ube, and sesame (15:42–16:19).
- Ferrara & Gelateria Gentile: Old-school and authentic Italian favorites, especially for chocolate gelato and refreshing granita options, including cantaloupe (19:25–20:05).
Ice Cream Innovations & Collaborations
- Russ & Daughters × Morgenstern's: A special collaboration featuring Chocolate Babka Ice Cream pop, Sesame Bagel Ice Cream Sandwich, and Chocolate-Covered Halva Bar (all available at their shops or by nationwide shipping; 08:06–09:39).
“They are so delicious…not only delicious, but that one is also vegan. And so we, you know, we supply the base…the babka, the cream cheese, you know, the halva…” —Nikki Russ Fetterman (08:12)
- Malai (Cobble Hill): Celebrated for South Asian–inspired flavors like Cherry Black Cardamom (12:28–13:17).
“They had this amazing flavor, cherry black cardamom. And…the founder is of Indian descent and a lot of the flavors are kind of like that. It was really fabulous.” —Amy, caller (12:36)
Vegan and Soft Serve Highlights
- Morgenstern’s Banana: Vegan-only soft serve shop; flavors include banana, coffee creamer, midnight chocolate (14:00–15:07).
- Seed + Mill (Chelsea Market): Known for oat milk–based soft serve.
- Matchaful: Most flavors are vegan (15:07–15:42).
Listener Tips & Nostalgia
Sourcing Quality and Avoiding Bad Pints
- Signs of Refrozen Ice Cream:
- Fogged or frosted freezer doors (07:26–07:47)
- Frost or “snow” on the outside of a pint, or ice cream on the rim—avoid buying if present (20:32–21:01).
“If it has that layer of frost, do not buy it. That’s a telltale sign it was melted and refrosted.” —Irene, caller (20:58)
Longstanding Institutions & Regional Favorites
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Ralph’s Italian Ices: Staten Island institution, now with shops across the metro area, loved for both ices and sherbets (16:32–17:35).
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Sugar Hill Creamery (Harlem): Lauded for both adventurous “collaborative” flavors and classic vanilla/chocolate (17:41–19:03).
“Those are the basis…in terms of how a place makes ice cream. And those are both spectacular.” —Melissa McCart (18:39)
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Boice Dairy (Kingston, NY): Famed for its soft serve; worth a drive (21:13–21:54).
The Ongoing Quest for Butter Almond
- Listener Don sparks a hunt for the elusive "butter almond" flavor, recalling Howard Johnson’s parlors (10:44–11:38). Many suggest butter pecan as a supermarket fallback, but the city’s collective will to revive butter almond remains strong (13:17–13:59).
“Now I’m going to be on a summer butter almond hunt…almonds are having a moment.” —Melissa McCart (22:05)
Notable Quotes & Moments
- “It is so sad [when you get melted and refrozen ice cream].” —Melissa McCart (07:15)
- “My nostalgic go to [is] one scoop or two on a sugar cone…I know it’s not very dazzling, but…that’s my nostalgic go to.” —Melissa McCart (03:37)
- “Chocolate sorbet kind of kicks ice cream’s butt. It is so good, you would not even know that it’s a sorbet.” —Melissa McCart (05:13)
- “Of course [I’ve gotten Mr. Softee]. …I love anything with magic shell.” —Melissa McCart (22:40–22:48)
Timestamps for Major Segments
- 03:28–05:06: Melissa McCart’s gelato and East Village recommendations
- 05:48–06:47: Debating the definition of “ice cream” today
- 08:06–09:39: Russ & Daughters x Morgenstern’s creative collaboration
- 12:28–13:17: Malai’s South Asian–inspired flavor profile, cherry black cardamom
- 13:59–15:42: Vegan and dairy-free ice cream highlights
- 16:32–17:35: Ralph's Italian Ices in NYC and NJ
- 17:41–19:03: Sugar Hill Creamery and testing “classic” flavors
- 20:32–21:01: How to spot bad pints at the bodega
- 21:13–21:54: Boice Dairy’s legendary soft serve
- 22:40–22:48: The enduring appeal of Mr. Softee and “magic shell”
Final Thoughts
This episode captures the playful, opinionated, and community-driven nature of ice cream culture in New York City. Standout moments include enthusiastic shoutouts to innovative shops, the citywide (and now radio-energized) quest for butter almond, and practical wisdom on finding (and keeping) great ice cream. Whether your taste is classic or adventuresome, dairy-packed or nut-milk based, the city’s icy delights are more diverse—and accessible—than ever.
Recommendation: Explore the episode’s highlighted spots, try a flavor outside your comfort zone, and keep calling in with the new, the nostalgic, and the next NYC ice cream obsession!