Best Ice Cream

Tuesday, July 06, 2010

David Dadekian, GoLocalProv Contributor

I so love ice cream. It’s possibly genetic. My dad would tell us how his father would come home from work and eat an entire half-gallon like it was a Hoodsie Cup. There is yet to be a hot fudge sundae or banana split built big enough that my dad couldn’t conquer - and there wouldn’t be much melted stuff left behind. I can only confess to polishing off pints, but they’re usually pints of really premium

stuff, much more substantial than the Sealtest my grandfather was spooning down. As for my daughters, time will tell. But so far, every time we’ve bought our two-year-old a cup of ice cream, she’s begging for more when it’s empty.

So how great a hardship was it to consider the state's ice cream stands (the ones that make it onsite, uniquely), and pick my favorites? Let's just say a good time was had by all.

Brickley’s Homemade Ice Cream

921 Boston Neck Rd, Narragansett, 789-1784; 322 Main St, Wakefield, 782-8864
Brickley’s makes all its own ice cream at the Narragansett location and is regularly voted best in the state by several different publications. As a chocolate-lover too I happily go for their Chocolate Brownie or Chocolate Chip. But for RI ice cream nostalgia they have Maple Walnut and my favorite

which is Chocolate Walnut, though in my head I’ll call it the only real walnut fudge ice cream around.

Gray’s Ice Cream

16 East Rd, Tiverton, 624-4500; 259 Thames St, Bristol
Gray’s has been a staple at Tiverton Four Corners for around eighty years. All their ice cream is made on-site there. Honestly, it should be a crime if you drive through Tiverton and you don’t stop at Gray’s. Try their Pistachio or Black

Raspberry, or if you’re really looking for something tasty go for Grapenut. Their Coffee ice cream is one of the best.

Brown Cow Café at Ekonk Hill Turkey Farm

227 Ekonk Hill Rd, Sterling, CT, 860-564-0248
Ice cream at a turkey Farm? Yes, and possibly my favorite ice cream of the entire bunch. I say possibly because Ekonk Hill has a very limited flavor selection, but what flavor! They don’t make their own ice cream, but get it from a nearby dairy farm. The farm makes 16% butterfat ice cream, which is much higher than usual for ice cream. I love the Chocolate Chip because the vanilla is crazy rich and they use big square chips. My wife swears by Narragansett Cookie—coffee ice cream with chocolate wafer cookie chunks. (And I know it's across the western border, as is Buttonwood, but they're barely outside RI, and western RIers will love these chances at some truly great ice cream.)

Buttonwood Farm Ice Cream

471 Shetucket Turnpike, Griswold, CT, 860-376-4081
Buttonwood is a dairy farm that claims to make the best ice cream anywhere and while I can never pick just one, there are always crowds at their very expansive stand. Situated on their picturesque farm, it’s a perfect lazy summer day stop because there’s plenty of area to lay out on the grass or relax on one of the many wooden benches and eat your ice cream. I’m a big fan of their Forbidden Silk Chocolate or their Chocolate Brownie Batter, but if you’d like something less-chocolate-y their Peach is so good.

The Inside Scoop

30 Ten Rod Rd, North Kingston, 294-0091; 1105 Scituate Ave, Cranston, 944-0707; 576 South County Trail, Exeter; Wickford Marketplace, 70 Brown St, Wickford, 667-5940
Always good for a stop when you’re shopping farm stands in Western Cranston or coming home from a beach in South County, The Inside Scoop makes all its ice cream at the North Kingstown location. I’ve rarely been at one of their locations when there wasn’t even a small line, though don’t worry, it usually moves quickly. I like their Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup and Heath Bar flavors, though they have so many more.

Did David not choose your favorite stand? What's your favorite flavor at these standouts? Let us know by commenting, below. Or email us at info@golocalprov.com

Photos Stephanie Ewens, David Dadekian

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Comments:

Chez Us

11:52pm on Saturday, July 17, 2010

I cannot decide which one I like the best from this article but I have to say Brown Cow and Buttonwood really caught my taste buds after reading your descriptions. Adding them to my E. Coast must try list.

Patrick L

1:10am on Friday, October 15, 2010

The list is definitely incomplete if it is missing the Ice Cream Machine at Diamond Hill in Cumberland.