The frozen treat debate: ice cream vs. gelato vs. frozen yogurt.

As an ode to a summer quickly coming to a close, my thoughts have turned to frozen treats. One of my first jobs in high school was at a mom-and-pop neighborhood ice cream shop nestled in an urban village of my hometown. We served homemade ice cream, all the regular favorites and twists on them like strawberry cookies ‘n cream, dirt (chocolate ice cream with oreos and gummy worms), and head in the clouds (blue vanilla with marshmallow swirl). I made brownie sundaes and milkshakes piled high with whipped cream, sprinkles, and cherries.

I had so many good memories at that shop with its marble counters, black and white tile floors, and small refrigerator stocked with old fashioned Coca Cola glass bottles. This probably explains part of the reason why I’m partial to ice cream over other frozen desserts. And yes... that includes frozen yogurt. Arch's frozen yogurt even. (Telling someone you don’t like Arch’s in Charlottesville is like saying you don’t think Thomas Jefferson was really that big of a deal; it’s heresy.) My apologies but when I want something cold and sweet, why not go rich and creamy and with high milkfat content? That’s all I’m sayin’.

I think Chaps serves the best ice cream in town and I would take it over Splendora’s or Arch’s any day. Not only is their ice cream homemade but so are their waffle cones which are buttery, crisp, and light. I usually go with the coffee ice cream and always have it in a waffle cone. (Make sure they’re currently homemade.) Their coffee ice cream is unique and tastes different from most others, though I still can’t pinpoint exactly what it is. I think it’s the coffee granules Chaps mixes in which add texture and different flavor notes than most places which add just coffee which is generally brewed strong and mixed in. I also love their black raspberry and oreo and know people that swear by cookie dough and, depending on how sweet it is, their birthday cake flavor.

If I’m going to do frozen yogurt (which is usually out of convenience more than anything) I would go to Sweet Frog, the new kid in town, which opened just over a month ago at the space across from the movie theater and next to Mudhouse downtown. I like it better than Arch’s because it’s self-serve, you’re able to control your portions of yogurt and toppings, and you’re charged by the ounce which means I can go toppings crazy and not spend 50 cents for each one I order. It also tastes fresher to me and has more options than its competitor. Sometimes I want fruity, cake batter-y, brownie, mochi, and whipped cream. At Sweet Frog, there’s no judgement.

If I’m in a gelato kind of mood I would circle over to Milano at the pink warehouse building next to South Street Brewery on none other than South Street. I actually haven’t been there since they moved from their Main Street Market location, but their gelato always hit the spot for me. They’re not winning in the choices department since they usually only have somewhere between two and five flavors available, but their gelato has a smoothness and creaminess that Splendora’s lacks. They often have interesting flavor combinations (one of my friends a while back got something with lemon and basil I think?) and I haven’t tasted a bad flavor yet so be adventurous and order at least two flavors: one traditional and the other not.

I’ll admit frozen yogurt and gelato serve their purpose but overall the others just don't cut it. Maybe it’s not cool to like ice cream anymore over the age of 13 but I’m sticking to my guns. I want my frozen dessert to be served old fashioned in a glass dish with loads of hot fudge, whipped cream, and a cherry -- 10 to 16% milkfat and all.

Blogging therapy.

It’s time to buckle down and just DO IT. I started this blog over a month ago and have yet to do another entry despite having a few exciting food experiences. I’ve scribbled down tons of ideas for entries I want to eventually write, but really it’s just hard to start. What are the greatest insecurities of a fledgling blogger? There are a series of articles on “blogging therapy” and the psychology of starting a blog that I’m sure many people can relate to. Most of the series is listed here. Please take note of parts 3, 6, and 9. My thoughts exactly.

Why do so many people start blogs yet stop them? Or more generally, why do we fail to start or continue things that we’re at one point so determined to achieve? The more I think about this video I saw last night the more I can see the validity in it. The gist is that mentioning your goals to others can make you less likely to reach them because you’ve already experienced the instant gratification of having someone give you a (verbal) “pat on the back” and thus part of the satisfaction of having reached that goal. Basically, one feels less of a need to achieve the goal because they feel like they already have. I think this probably accounts for part of the reason why I started the blog and left it hanging in the air. Knowing about this social psychological phenomenon will lessen the likeliness of its occurrence, so now I know (or rather, now I remember since I majored in psychology and concentrated in social psychology for my undergraduate studies and learned about this) and I have no excuse.

But enough about me, for now. On to the food. I’m going to start simply with a few lists. A warm-up if you will.

Some of my favorite dishes in town:

- fried tofu green curry at Monsoon (Note: Has been known to turn tofu skeptics into lovers)

- bacon-wrapped dates at Mas (I don’t care if you can make them at home. I can’t. They are worth all the hype and have won a much-deserved Best of C-VILLE “Best Dish” in the past.)

- steak chinoise at C&O (An old favorite and reliable choice at one of my favorite restaurants in town. So far has been featured on all of their Restaurant Week menus.)

- gingerbread pancakes at the Tavern (These are seasonal and available during the winter months. You will soon learn if you already didn't know that I love me some breakfast food, so yes, pancakes made this short list.)

Recent yums:

- pupusas from La Michoacana Deli

I had been wanting to try this place for a while and my coworker and I just decided to do it for lunch one day. I ordered chicken tacos with their homemade guacamole, a cheese pupusa, and rice and beans. We both agreed that next time we would try the beef or pork since the chicken was a little dry. The pupusa on the other hand was delicious. I’m from Arlington (northern Virginia) as well where there is no shortage of places that serve authentic Latin American cuisine. I basically grew up eating pupusas and yucca from the womb. As my coworker said after tasting it, “Oh my god... that’s the best thing I ever put in my mouth.” Yup. It was cheesy, crispy, melt-in-your-mouth pupusa-deliciousness.

- crabcake sandwich from Bizou

I’m going to be honest -- I think this deserve its own post, but I’m going to wimp out. I was with my cousin who was in town about three months ago and we decided to go to Bizou for lunch as a belated birthday treat for her. The crabcake sandwich was one of the specials of the day and I ordered it on a whim. My server actually told me 10 minutes after we placed our orders that it was three more dollars than she had originally said but it was fine. Holy hell I still think about it... I think about it as I’m falling into sweet slumber. A few things I remember though it’s unfortunately become a distant memory: it wasn’t too big, it was flavorful, it had just enough breading (screw that "too much breading, not enough crab" business, breading is what often makes a crabcake for moi) and the aioli served with it was perfection. The sandwich was served with a side of mixed greens that were lightly dressed in a vinaigrette. I now walk by Bizou and casually check the menu and specials hoping that it will make another appearance. No luck yet.

So there’s my roll-up so far. My toes are officially dipped.