Let's talk soft serve
After a couple of weeks on the Cape, I was reminded how much I love soft serve ice cream (especially with the chocolate dip, but my waistline definitely appreciates how hard it is to find that around here). On our last ice cream outing back in town (Somerville, to be exact), we went to JP Licks and I was horrified to discover that a soft serve cone is now up to four bucks. Anyone have suggestions for the cheap and delicious soft serve of my youth? Somerville/Cambridge/Arlington or vicinity...
By Weiszguy
on Aug 15, 2011 08:34 AM
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You should search, there was a pretty sizable thread last year or two years ago. My vote still goes to Celebrity in Watertown, where a "small" (substantial) cone is about $3 with tax
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2nd Celebrity...javaberry dipped...
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Here's that thread:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/609332
For close to town, I agree with Luther that Celebrity in Watertown is excellent. But even better than Celebrity (although not as cheap as I'd like) is Kell's Kreme in Revere, a little bit further out Revere Beach Boulevard from Kelly's Roast Beef.
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I haven't tried Celebrity here in Watertown yet, but oh... Kell's Kreme! Delicious - was going to add that there's one in Swampscott, too (used to live near THAT one - took great dedication to keep away, lol) but drove by recently & was surprised to see an entire little block of stores gone (across from Red Rock). We were thinking that maybe there was a fire - I think (not totally sure) that this was where that Kell's Kreme was.
There's supposed to be one in the Square One Mall, but somehow it doesn't seem right to have a Kell's w/out beach & ocean...
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Kell's Kreme
1201 Broadway, Saugus, MA 01906
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Mmmm......Celebrity really rocks! Very rich soft serve!
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The medium may well weigh 1 lb. Plus great flavor choices.
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Going to get over there soon!
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My favorite places to go for soft serve are probably Dairy Joy in Weston (not too far for you) and Dairy Barn in Randolph (maybe too far?). Dairy Joy is generally very expensive for everything there, while Dairy Barn is pretty reasonable.
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I stopped at Dairy Joy this afternoon. I ordered a small Javaberry cone. The soft serve had a sort of gritty texture (ice crystals?) and the cone was very stale. And, it was $2.99 plus tax. I pass by Dairy Joy all the time but I won't be stopping again.
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Dairy Joy
331 North Ave, Weston, MA 02493
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Interesting, I recently had a Javaberry at Celebrity and just the raspberry side also had an unpleasant gritty texture, almost like it was a sorbet instead of soft serve. I wonder if it was an issue with the machine temperature or something?
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No, the raspberry is in fact a soft-serve sherbet or sorbet and does have a gritty texture. I haven't been as thrilled as many folks with the Javaberry because of that.
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It's sorbet or sherbet. Not soft serve ice cream. It's chunky and non-creamy but I wouldn't describe it as icy. Personally I like the contrast with the creamy coffee side.
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I agree. The contrast in texture between the raspberry and coffee is part of what makes it so great.
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Not your exact area, but I'm hooked on the vanilla soft serve at Pizzi Farm in Waltham (never had anything else there because I can't get past the soft serve). It's better than any other kind I've had (including Dairy Joy and Celebrity) -- and I used to think soft serve was all the same. A kiddie (generous) and a small (enormous) are both under $4.00.
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Pizzi Farm
549 Lincoln St, Waltham, MA 02451
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I haven't ever heard of Pizzi Farm but just looked it up and I'm going to plan on taking a road trip there w/my kid before school starts . . . we are dyed in the wool Celebrity Fans (but live very nearby) but always on the hunt for new venues!
GG
http://www.semisweetonline.com
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Pizzi Farm
549 Lincoln St, Waltham, MA 02451
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Oh, good Lord, the bus goes there! I can see I'll be on an ice cream journey soon... How is there regular ice cream? (sorry - meant this for stomachofsteel)
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Haven't tried it. I keep meaning to, but then I just order the soft serve.
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We get excellent soft serve at Ice Cream Works in West Rox, and I also get very good soft serve at Truly Yogurt in Wellesley. Not super close to you, but both less than $3 for what I consider to be a substantial amount of ice cream! I agree - JP LIcks is WAY overpriced (for everything).
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Truly Yogurt
35 Grove St, Wellesley, MA 02482
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My favorite is Michele's drive through on 3A Weymouth. It's about a mile after you go over the Fore River Bridge going towards Hull. I also like the soft serve stand on Adams St in Quincy just over the East Milton line about a 3/4 -1mile from 93. It's called Dairy Freeze.
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Dairy Freeze
635 Adams St, Quincy, MA 02169
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Just tried Michele's recently, it was decent and had a ton of flavors if you wanted something besides a twist. That place in Everett on Rt. 99 is pretty cheap and good. Louie's Ice Cream on E. Broadway in Somerville had a broken soft serve machine last I knew but usually has soft serve. And of course any fair you go to usually has soft serve, Marshfield is this week I think.
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Louie's Ice Cream
Somerville, Somerville, MA
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I'm happy with McDonald's $1 cone.
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It's not truly soft serve but Abbott's is excellent frozen custard. Not a great variety of flavors. The most famous is the chocolate almond. Abbott's is a fixture around Rochester, NY with scattered franchised locations here, FL and somewhere out west. There's one in Needham center and one in Brighton Center.
Of the local stuff, I'd rank Kell's above anything else, though it also barely qualifies as soft serve because of its richness. Dairy Joy is very good but you need to take out a 2nd mortgage.
My wife dislike Celebrity. Soft serve is her thing. I can usually bribe her with Dairy Queen.
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Kells Restaurant
161 Brighton Ave, Allston, MA 02134
Dairy Joy
331 North Ave, Weston, MA 02493
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No DQ's near me. Haven't actually been to one since I was a kid, as a matter of fact.
Interesting that we have a place w/frozen custard! That I didn't know - went to the Abbott's site, but they don't put prices on their online menu. Annoying. Do you remember the prices for the cones, by any chance?
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You know, as much time as I've spent in Brighton Center, I literally only JUST noticed that Abbott's last week. I have to admit, I have never understood the distinction between soft-serve and frozen custard: somebody here want to take a shot at explaining it to me?
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Custard has more eggs (yolks) and higher fat content I believe.
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where did you love Soft Serve on the Cape?
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We did go to the DQ a couple of times, and we enjoyed the soft serve at Kreme and Kone the most. I recently took my son to camp and was tempted by the side-of-the-road place off exit 16 on Rt. 2, but sadly did not stop... that one is in my future, I think.
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And the onion rings at Kreme 'n' Kone are not to be missed . . . just a junk food fest over there - totally worth the splurge, though!
GG
http://www.semisweetonline.com
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There is pretty good soft serve at a number of places on the outer cape, all serving the Hood version. They sell it at Mac's stand on the water in Wellfleet, at the mini-golf place in front of the Wellfleet Drive-In, and the place nextt to Rookie's on Rte. 6. All of them will hit the spot.
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Finbar's in Orleans has great soft serve (and good food, too).
GG
http://www.semisweetonline.com
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There's Louie's in East Somerville, on Broadway just east of McGrath highway. Very good soft-serve, reasonable prices. Check hours before you go, they tend to be limited.
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I don't even like soft serve that much, but I really like Celebrity. Had a small javaberry there recently -- totally refreshing! What's the deal with javaberry, anyway? Is it just a Boston thing? I mean, nothing about it makes sense: it looks freaky, it sounds freaky. But the taste really works! Creamy coffee cut with icy tart berry..... mmmm.
I actually prefer the tang of frozen yogurt, and my absolute favorite place to go was Luscious Licks. If there is anyone who remembers LL, do any of the nouveau fro-yo places match up?
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I'm not big on soft serve either, but as I mentioned above I was not a fan of the unusual texture in the javaberry at Celebrity. I was expecting something more like Kohr Bros. frozen custard that I used to get on the Jersey Shore. The Kohr Bros. I went to had a coffee and dulce de leche swirl that was good. As far as I know all their flavors are creamy and smooth even though some of them are fruit flavors. Apparently there is a Kohr Bros. in the South Shore Plaza these days.
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I think Javaberry is a Dairy Joy invention, more than "just a Boston thing." Celebrity seems to have some historical connection with Dairy Joy. I had certainly never encountered it before folks on this board started raving about it at Celebrity and DJ.
I'm afraid I'm with nickls - tried it once but decided it was not for me, mostly because of the texture.
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