what's going on with blue pig in croton?

[i_eat_a_lot_of_ice_cream]

Their phone number has been disconnected and the last few times I've driven by it's been closed. Anyone been there lately (in the last few weeks or so)?

[i_eat_a_lot_of_ice_cream]

Well, I just went over to Blue Pig. I am SO happy they are open again and things seem to be off to a good (re)start there. (On a side note, I have really been less than thrilled with Purple Monkey--some of the flavors are fine, but others have a really artificial taste to them.) Blue Pig has had a makeover inside, painting, new menu, etc., and is looking rather bare at the moment. But the flavors I tried lived up to the old Blue Pig's-- chocolate peanut butter (amazing, puts the artificial tasting chocolate at Purple Monkey to shame), and banana walnut (excellent, true banana flavor). My only slight complaint, and I may be remembering incorrectly, but I found it to be a tiny bit icey, i.e., less creamy than old Blue Pig's. However, the flavors were great, the servers were very sweet. You can get a small for $2.95 + tax, and they will give you two flavors in the small. Yay Blue Pig! I hope they rotate the flavors so I don't have to repeat too many times on my many future trips! :)

[Nancy C]

We had some awesome chocolate on Friday night, along with Ginger and Butterfinger. I agree, tastes were awesome, but texture was not as creamy as I wanted it to be. Happy to see them open again, with friendly new owner and nice youngsters dishing out the ice cream with care.

[lkcoss]

Great News!!
The Blue Pig has opened today under new management . Long time Croton-on-Hudson resident, Lisa Moir, will be dishing out your favorite treats Thursday through Sunday until Memorial Day after which you can stop by for your ice cream fix every day of the week.
Do stop by and wish her well !!

[GIOny]

That is good news, glad to hear they're back in business!! Good luck Lisa!
BTW do you know their hours??

[i_eat_a_lot_of_ice_cream]

Thanks, I think I will stop by this weekend. Will she be using the same recipes? I was at Umami last night and noticed that Coconut Butterfinger was on the dessert menu, but it wasn't the same Coconut Butterfinger that Blue Pig used to have. It was coconut ice cream (delicious) topped with butterfinger chunks. I didn't think to ask where it came from because I didn't know Blue Pig was back in action.

[MisterBill2]

Off topic: how was the food at Umami? I read a couple of recent reviews on iDine that said that it hasn't been as good recently as it has in the past. Was going to eat there tonight but decided to go to the inexpensive Portuguese place in Ossining instead.

[i_eat_a_lot_of_ice_cream]

Over the past few years, I have found the food at Umami consistently good but not necessarily always great. I don't think it's a desination restaurant by any means, but it's one of our go-to restaurants when I don't want to cook and we don't want to travel far since it's so close. I really like their noodle and rice dishes, but I don't think they are anything super-special that you can't get elsewhere. My boyfriend has gotten some more adventurous things that have fallen flat for me (though he's enjoyed them), like lamb and ribs. I also like that they source some local products, such as Captain Lawrence beer and ice cream (Longford's in the winter, and "new" Blue Pig starting soon, according to the lovely new owner of BP).

[Marge]

I noticed there is a sign out in front that the Blue Pig is for sale.

[Elisa515]

Yes, the owner is getting married and moving to Albany. Business is fine. The Blue Pig is for sale including the recipes. I hope someone great buys it!

[Nancy C]

I sure hope so... the Purple Monkey is no competition to the Blue Pig as far as quality goes. I tned to prefer the gelato place in Ossining as a rule, even in comparison to the Blue Pig. Deer Tracks purchased at Purple Monkey yesterday seemed fridge-tasting.

[i_eat_a_lot_of_ice_cream]

What???? I hope someone takes over!

[Sra. Swanky]

Me too! Hey - it could happen! Someone took over MED in Briarcliff (including the recipes) when the owner passed away. The Blue Pig is a great business. Someone will sweep it up - maybe the owners at Umami can pick it up - I think they use their ice cream exclusively.

[i_eat_a_lot_of_ice_cream]

I didn't know that about MED being taken over-- that's great. What a sad story that was. I still have yet to try it. As for Blue Pig, here's hoping. Is it open in the interim?

[Elisa515]

Yes Blue Pig is open. And yes Umami carries their ice cream exclusively. Had coconut butterfinger last night at Umami--yum!!!!!!

[GIOny]

trying to figure out what MED stands for?????

[Sra. Swanky]

I think Marcelo picked Med as a shortening of the name American Empanada -- he said that every culture has its own version of the empanada. I remember one of his menus said, "The new name for the US empanada is MED." I'm so happy his family sold the place to people that will keep his recipes going.

[GIOny]

Thanks Sra. Swanky

[i_eat_a_lot_of_ice_cream]

I went last week and they were open. They had a bunch of new flavors, such as banana bread (yumm), and one of my favorites-- coconut butterfinger. I asked the owner about the phone situation and she said they have been having trouble with it and they're trying to resolve it. It's been like that for weeks now. Especially in less than perfect weather I like to call ahead instead of getting there and being disappointed that they're closed (they can be kind of fickle with hours), so I hope they fix it soon.

[shoekittykat]

i agree about the issue with the fickle hours. there are days when i need to satisfy my ice cream fix and then I get disappointed. Have you ever tried the ice cream place in tarrytown

[Marge]

I agree also....a day or two ago I NEEDED ice cream, and Blue Pig was closed in the afternoon. The ice cream place in Tarrytown is really, really good.
edited to add--if you happen to be in Tarrytown...closer to Croton I love the gelato place in Ossining.

[GIOny]

Where is the Purple Monkey?? There is a new ice cream place opening in Croton in the shopping plaza where Chase Bank/Memphis Maes/Coach Nails is. Not sure what the name will be but I saw them working in there and it looks like it should be done within a month or so.

[Marge]

That's the Purple Monkey.

[ltlevy]

The Purple Monkey is in Arcadian Shopping Center in Ossining. They are also opening another one in Croton, which is the one you mentioned in your post. I haven't gotten to the one in Ossining yet, as I usually hit Main Street Sweets in Tarrytown to satisfy my ice cream fix.

[GIOny]

Thanks for clarifying that, I didn't think they were opened up yet in Croton so I was confused.

[shoekittykat]

i just went there . they are open!

[Marge]

I passed by the blue pig earlier today, and it was open! Curious though, why would desperation drive you to try the purple monkey--what's wrong with it??

[i_eat_a_lot_of_ice_cream]

Thanks for the update. I guess I should try Purple Monkey. For no good reason (other than it's not homemade, but that doesn't keep me from Baskin Robbins when there's no other optioN!) I've been averse to trying it. How is it?

[Marge]

I haven't tried it yet--I am an afficianado of the gelato joint for my Ossining ice cream fixes.

[i_eat_a_lot_of_ice_cream]

So I finally tried Purple Monkey last night, at the urging of my sister, and I have to say it was pretty good! According to the Journal News, it is not made in the store, but it is homemade by a family in Maine.

It is cheaper than Blue Pig, but Blue Pig has those enormous fresh waffle cones drenched in chocolate and sprinkles which I cannot resist. (Overheard at Blue Pig: "Mommy, why can't I get one of those sprinkle cones?" -whining kid "Because I'm the worst mother ever!" -mom) Blue Pig has fewer flavors, but they do have interesting ones in the rotation. Purple Monkey definitely has more flavors, and they do biggggg scoops.

My loyalty will remain with Blue Pig, but I'm glad I tried Purple Monkey and I'd definitely go back.

ETA:
Unrelated to ice cream-- Okinawa, a hibachi place, is slated to open where a teen clothing place used to be in the same shopping center. I'm skeptical.

[GIOny]

Seems like alot of hibachi places have been poping up in the last couple years. Is Okinawa going in the Arcadian Shopping Center? There is another one going in on Central Ave in Hartsdale and I think I saw another one just opened up (can't remember where), I saw an ad in the Clipper or one of those magazines.

[i_eat_a_lot_of_ice_cream]

Yep, Arcadian, that's it, I couldn't remember the name.

[MisterBill2]

There's another Okinawa in Yorktown. I ate lunch there once and was not impressed. I really like Tengda in Katonah, their lunch menu is particularly reasonably priced (and huge portions).

[MisterBill2]

My daughter went to Purple Monkey today and said it was good but the flavors were not as interesting as Blue Pig (or at least what they used to be, we have not been there in a LONG time, since they were sold).

[GIOny]

I went to Purple Monkey over the weekend and I thought the ice cream was good. It was creamy and it had taste (some places serve ice cream that tastes like ice milk). I had the heavenly hash and I enjoyed it, I also loved the decor, very cute.

[MisterBill2]

Well, that does not sound good. We haven't been in years, since the original owners sold the place and got rid of what we considered to be the interesting flavors, like coconut.

I still remember the first time I had their ice cream, at a benefit performance of Baby at the Irvington Town Hall Theater. It was a week or so before they opened.

[i_eat_a_lot_of_ice_cream]

I never went until about 2 years ago, and their dam dark chocolate is reason enough for many repeat visits. Yum! I really hope it's temporary. We ended up going to Quimbaya, and their ice cream isn't homemade, so it just wasn't the same. I might even be forced to try Purple Monkey if I get really desperate.

[Nancy C]

Haven't tried it, but Purple Monkey sounds less than great. Try the gelato place in Ossining, opposite Milwood Lumber. YUMMY!

[i_eat_a_lot_of_ice_cream]

Oh yeah! I totally forgot about the gelato place in my ice cream fervor.

[elleinthecity]

I know they usually close for the winter, but shouldn't they be open by now?

[i_eat_a_lot_of_ice_cream]

I went about a month ago, after they had reopened from being "away at ice cream university." She had only a few flavors.

[Marge]

Why does Purple Monkey sound less than great? We tried it the other day, and really enjoyed it--we had Maine blueberry, rum raisin and moose something or other...the ice cream was fresh, creamy, served by a pleasant person, and less expensive than Blue Pig. On more than one occasion, I have had icy, mediocre ice cream at Blue Pig. I was recently turned off by some internet postings ostensibly by Blue Pig owners/employees/fans complaining about Purple Monkey...among other laments, was how dare they take on the name of a colored animal!?!? Puhleez....I think competition is good...so far, my experience is that Purple Monkey has delicious ice cream, gives a generous portion, at a more reasonable price, and they're not open at erratic times.

[GIOny]

I also enjoyed it very much Marge. I agree, competition keeps everyone on their toes.