All the Sodas, Floats, and Sundaes You Need to Eat at the Country's New-School Ice Cream Parlors
There’s nothing old-fashioned about today’s throwback ice cream parlors, where sprinkles make way for Aleppo pecans, floats get a splash of house-made lemongrass soda, and that cherry on top is pickled. We took a peek inside three of the country's best new spots—Morgenstern's in NYC, Small Batch in Los Angeles, and Cold Front in Minneapolis—to see how the magic happens.
Alex Lau1/21Morgenstern's Finest Ice Cream, NYC
Oh-so-stylish Morgenstern's on Manhattan's Lower East Side is the dream-come-true of owner Nick Morgenstern (pictured here, hard at work), who is obsessed with ice cream and figured (rightly) that other people are, too.
Alex Lau2/21The place doesn't just offer the classics like vanilla and chocolate. The shop offers four kinds of each classic (i.e. chocolate, bitter chocolate, salted chocolate, Szechuan pepper chocolate).
Alex Lau3/21Morgenstern's, NYC
When it comes to toppings, Morgenstern says "texture is super important." Crunchy pretzels, housemade coffee crisp, gooey sesame caramel, and Picosos peanuts sit at the ready, all set for scooping onto a sundae.
Alex Lau4/21Ah, the Picosos peanuts. "They're the best salted peanuts," Morgenstern says. "Everyone eats them like candy. They're always fresh, perfectly roasted and seasoned, and perfect with ice cream."
Alex Lau5/21The parlor is known for crazy collaborations with even crazier chefs. This one is an ice cream sandwich on an actual brioche roll, which comes from the joint genius of Morgenstern and Caroline Fidanza of Saltie in Brooklyn.
Alex Lau6/21The cash register comes from Faerman Brothers in New York, a father-son operation that has been repairing cash registers for more than a hundred years, and the last of its kind in the days of Square-equipped iPads. Morgenstern got the only white register the brothers have ever seen.
Alex Lau7/21How does Morgenstern achieve the ultimate whipped cream consistency? It's shaken, not whipped, agitated like a cocktail in a quart container until thick but still pourable.
Alex Lau8/21Morgenstern worked with artist Jessica Che, who also designed the shops t-shirts and the iconic "Cash Only" sign on the series of pen and ink drawings. Look for the one of King Kong flying on a banana split.
Dylan + Jeni9/21Small Batch, L.A.
L.A.'s Small Batch ice cream counter is tucked inside the mixed-use space Playa Provisions, which also houses a whiskey bar, a steak-and-seafood restaurant, and an all-day café. Photo: Dylan + Jeni
Dylan + Jeni10/21At Small Batch, ice cream floats are made with craft brews.
Dylan + Jeni11/21...And sundaes are served in hand-thrown ceramics.
Dylan + Jeni12/21Nothing like marshmallow ice cream with oatmeal cookies after a big Little League win.
Dylan + Jeni13/21The must-order at Small Batch: Pasty chef Kristin Feuer's riff on kid-favorite Choco Tacos (here, dubbed Waffle Tacos) with a homemade waffle cone, vanilla or chocolate malted crunch ice cream, dark chocolate magic shell, and crushed candied peanuts or sprinkles on top.
Dylan + Jeni14/21Now, that's a flattering angle.
