The just-released New York City Food Lover’s Guide is packed to the gills with reviews and lists covering 1,970 food shops, florists and party sites, including 73 online shopping resources, at every price point. And with summer in high gear, what better time to take a look at the Top Ices/Fro-Yo around town?
52-02 108th St., Queens; 718-699-5133
“Long live the King” chant the fervent fans of this Corona “treasure”, where “nuttin’ – I mean nothing – beats” the namesake lemon Italian ice, though there are a “zillion” other flavors to choose from too, all fabulous enough to make it “worth the wait”, especially on a “hot summer night”; “may it be there forever.”
Multiple Locations
“Summer wouldn’t feel like summer” without a trip to the original 1949 branch of this Staten Island institution – or one of its ever-multiplying offspring – where “people flock” to enjoy “the best Italian ices” in the warm-weather months and the “line spills out to the street”; there are “so many flavors” (even no-sugar options for dieters) you’ll “want to try them all”, so “buy pints for home” while you’re at it.
152 Fifth Ave., Brooklyn; 718-398-3671
Solar panels on the awning out front are the first clue that this Park Sloper isn’t your usual pinkberry knockoff: from its “easy-on-the-eye” interior constructed with “green” building materials to the “biodegradable” cups and spoons, it has a seriously eco-conscious bent; “oooh, so good!” is the verdict on its “tart” fro-yo made on-premises with Greek yogurt and crowned with “assorted fruit, nut or candy toppings”; N.B. it also pours 18 kinds of organic, Fair Trade tea and recently added a line of baked goods.
1000 Third Ave., 7th fl.; 212-705-3085
Bloomie’s shoppers “stop to refuel” on “heavenly” fro-yo at this ’70s “original”, now “relocated to the seventh floor and expanded” into a full-service eatery but still best known for “beyond-generous” servings of its hallmark “creamy” “refresher” (the “tangy” “plain yogurt has no rivals to this day”); the sandwiches and light bites are likewise “perfectly decent”, though “spotty service” and “long lines” can make your “break” “a bit chaotic.”
Multiple Locations
The “frozen yogurt that foodies like” is how devotees describe the goods from this member of the fro-yo fray, calling it a “great riff on the classic” stuff that’s neither too “sour nor too sweet”, has a “very creamy texture” and can be topped with virtually “anything”; the company “boasts of probiotic benefits”, but most are more focused on the “delicious” flavor and under-the-radar “buzz” that has meant “half the lines” of the competition.
4. Peaches*
2543 Broadway; 212-222-6228
A peachy addition to the Upper West Side dessert scene, this newcomer appeals to lo-cal locals with “delicious” fro-yo – tapped in “creative” fruity flavors and heaped “with fresh toppings” – supplemented with smoothies and coffee; a bright, “relaxing environment” with some casual seating, it’s sizing up “better than the rest” when pitted against the nabe’s big-name chains.
153 Second Ave.; 212-260-4414
A “compulsive’s” “dessert dream”, this “DIY” East Villager supplies all the fro-yo you can handle via “self-serve” taps dispensing 16 “high-quality” flavors (“fruity, tart, sweet – you name it”) and a “topping bar” with options to “fit every taste bud”; it’s a “favorite” among “young” folk who “love” the “gimmick” but warn “exercise a little self-control” or it gets “expensive real quick.”
Multiple Locations
Aka “crackberry”, this “genius” LA-based fro-yo chain has gained a cult following – and inspired a multitude of imitators – with its “addictive, tart, refreshing goodness”, topped with the “freshest fruit” or other “fun” offerings (“Fruity Pebbles, Cap’n Crunch”) and served in “creatively designed”, “mod” spaces; skeptics cite “sour taste”, “lax” service and “kinda pricey” tabs, but those “insane lines” that form “no matter what the weather” speak for themselves.
* indicates a tie