Let's face it-there are a lotta' choices for ice cream these days. And they are all pretty much good too.
But Ben & Jerry's has always been, for me, the cream of the crop (ouch....sorry).
So, I was delighted last night when I saw that they had a scoop shop next to the lobby in Hoyt's Norwood cinema. We were on our way to a free promotional screening for a new movie and made immediate plans for a post-movie scoop.
I had been to other Ben & Jerry's in Australia, and even the Ben & Jerry's movie night at Glenelg (Uh Oh, movies + Ben & Jerry's--I see a pattern). But they had never had my favourite: Cherry Garcia.
Named in honour of Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead (another favourite), it has large flakes of chocolate fudge and big chunks of dark cherries that flavour the vanilla base. But alas, it seemed nowhere to be found. My wife even said she thought they had discontinued it. "No," I protested, "Jerry may be discontinued, but Cherry Garcia will live forever!"
And last night, up there on the menu in big sweet letters, there it was.
Now, if you've never had B&J ice cream before, I'd recommend picking a flavour that suits you and just getting a small or regular serve. The ice cream, in any flavour, tends to be rich, thick and full of flavours and sweetness. You won't find the pre-packs on the diet aisle, kiddo.
After you have tried one or two flavours, you're ready to graduate to one of their larger desserts, but those are often best split with a friend.
So how was my Cherry Garcia. Like most things great in the world, it lived up to my expectations in every way and was every bit as good as the memory. Few things can stand the test of time like a Ben & Jerry's scoop.
The service was cheerful and the scoop shop neat and tidy. There's a large group table and more seating in the theatre lobby. And it's all air conditioned, so your scoop doesn't turn to soup before you finish.
So if you're in Norwood, treat yourself.
Eat, drink and be merry--but not too much. JD read more