Ice cream is synonymous with summer, so it’s only natural that July would be National Ice Cream month. There are plenty of places to eat your way through on Long Island and in New York City. Here is a handful of our favorites.
Eddie’s Sweet Shop
105-29 Metropolitan Ave.
Forest Hills
718-520-8514
www.facebook.com/EddiesSweetShop
Vito Citrano and his family have been calling the shots since 1968, with all ice cream being made on the premises. Fans of this tasty treat can choose from 20 different flavors that include mint chip, butter pecan and orange sherbet and the more offbeat pistachio pineapple and tutti frutti.
Go-To Dessert
The Broadway
This Citrano favorite combines seltzer, coffee ice cream and home-made whipped cream.
Coyle’s Ice Cream
75 Howells Rd., Bay Shore
631-666-2229
www.facebook.com/pages/Coyles-Ice-Cream
With recipes for 300 different flavors that he’s made on site since opening up in 1985, Marty Coyle has come up with quite a number of offbeat ice cream types that include Crazy Vanilla (vanilla with food colors in it), chocolate raspberry (vanilla ice cream with chocolate and sauce with chocolate chunks and raspberry sauce layered into it) and Holy Cannoli (cannoli cream, vanilla ice cream, cannoli shells and chocolate chips). The Bay Shore ice cream king also has a smaller, second location on Main Street in Islip.
Go-To Dessert
1963 Style Banana Split
Get on board (above) with a pint’s worth of vanilla, chocolate and strawberry ice cream piled with pineapples, strawberries, black cherries, chocolate sauce and nuts all topped with whipped cream, sprinkles and a cherry.
Hildebrandt’s
84 Hillside Ave., Williston Park
516-741-0608
www.hildebrandtsrestaurant.com
A Williston Park mainstay, this dinette has a full lunch and dinner menu with desserts being the crown jewel here. All 15 ice cream flavors are homemade on site and include chocolate sherbet, maple walnut, cappuccino chip and banana with an assortment of toppings available including fruit, marshmallow and wet and dry nuts.
Go-To Dessert
Cookie Dough Sundae
One scoop of ice cream with a cookie dough shell covered by whipped cream, hot fudge and a cherry.
Nana’s Ice Cream And Coffee House
225A Post Ave., Westbury
516-808-6793
www.facebook.com/Nanas-Westbury
Comfy couches welcome patrons while the walls are festooned with the work of local artists. While this is the one shop that uses an ice cream distributor (Hershey’s), proprietors Jason and Tiffany Blair make their own waffle cones, whipped cream, shaved ice, bubble tea and sorbet on the premises.
Go-To Dessert
Salted Caramel Ice Cream
Salted caramel truffle ice cream and coconut milk with tapioca (bubble tea) on the bottom. Topped with whipped cream, caramel drizzle and a caramel macaron.
Krisch’s Restaurant and Ice Cream Parlour
11 Central Ave., Massapequa
516-797-3149
www.krischs.com
A Massapequa staple for close to 60 years, Krisch’s is rightfully lauded for its burgers and breakfast menu. Yet, homemade ice cream with top-of-the-line ingredients drives this culinary ship. Discerning dessert mavens can choose from an array of flavors including dark chocolate strawberry, rainbow cookie, fluffernutter and burgundy cherry.
Go-To Dessert
Massapequa Special
Named for an LIRR train that once ran between Manhattan and Massapequa, this delightful confection consists of two scoops of ice cream, hot fudge, marshmallow, whipped cream and a cherry, an ingredient proprietor Steven McCue insists every sundae must have.
Honorable mentions: Walt Itgen’s Ice Cream Parlour in Valley Stream, Henry’s Confectionery in Glen Cove, Gooseberry Grove in Oyster Bay and Five Pennies Creamery in Rockville Centre.
Read more about them in our 2015 coverage of National Ice Cream Month.
