The Macaron Parlour’s Care Bear Stare is a delicious reminder of your childhood.
Credit: Provided
For once, the powers that be got it right, declaring all of July National Ice Cream Month. We rounded up some of the city’s unique frozen treats, including gelato and shaved ice in deference to fitting into our swimsuits the next day.
Macaron Parlour
This specialty sweets shop’s delicate macarons also moonlight as the “bread” for ice cream sandwiches, a little known secret. Come for the colorful Care Bear Stare, made with salted caramel ice cream, or the Blue Bottle Coffee ice cream sandwich. 111 St. Marks Place; 560 Columbus Ave.
Sweet Jane’s Frozen Desserts
A rare spot of healthy, alternative eating in Astoria, Sweet Jane’s opened earlier this summer. Vegan, dairy-free and organic fudgesicles (just 120 calories!) change flavor daily, alongside traditional ice creams and Italian ices (hold the high-fructose corn syrup). 27-17 24th Ave.
Crave.it
Selvaggia Pizzetti, a Rome émigré to NYC, just this week opened Crave.it, a modern Italian bakery and café. The small Chelsea space is open for breakfast and lunch, and its Gelato University Carpigiani-trained dessert chef is keeping a rotating roster of 18 seasonal flavors, like strawberries and mint, and peach and saffron. Try them with a piece of caramella di acciughe — an anchovy-caramel candy from the Emilia Romagna region. How much authenticity can you stomach? 545 Sixth Ave.
The Crolato combines a croissant with gelato. Voila!
Credit: Provided
Asellina Ristorante
The Gansevoort Park Hotel eatery gets into a Cronut-inspired dessert business with the Crolato, a small open-faced croissant with a scoop of housemade gelato. Grab one for $5 from Asellina’s outdoor cart, open Monday-Saturday from noon to 8 p.m., with flavors including Italian pistachio and this summer’s hot ticket, Nutella. On Wednesdays, score a free scoop between noon and 2 p.m. 420 Park Ave. S.
Waldorf Astoria
The hotel’s 20th-floor rooftop garden has its own permanent residents: six apiaries, where busy bees create the featured ingredient in honey ice cream. 301 Park Ave.
Buddakan
Why have a drink in one hand and dessert in the other when you can have an ice cream-whiskey mashup, served alongside almond bread pudding. And instead of heavy frosting, the carrot cake is accompanied by cream cheese ice cream with white miso raisins. 75 Ninth Ave.
Bring some friends to help deep-six the Titanic at Carmine’s.
Credit: Provided
Carmine’s
If you want to have an answer ready for the next time someone wonders what sank the Titanic, you can take credit. Carmine’s ice cream sundae is the same family-style affair as its main courses, with five scoops of ice cream covering a gluten-free chocolate torte. You can tell yourself that the three kinds of fruit make it healthy, or just enjoy the ride (while it lasts). Serves 6, so bring friends. 200 W. 44th St.; 2450 Broadway
Amorino
Italian arthouse gelateria Amorino, which has over 100 locations across Europe, just opened its second NYC location last week in Chelsea. Made with natural ingredients, the gelato is served in a signature flower petal shape; one Yelp reviewer described it as the “best gelato I have ever tried in America.” New to this location are macaron sandwiches: a spoonful of gelato served between two delicate almond shells. 162 Eighth Ave.
Bubby’s Snowball chef just returned from honing his skills in Japan, so get in line.
Credit: Provided
Bubby’s
The comfort food mainstay’s second location in the Meatpacking District recently added a soda fountain, serving old-fashioned sundaes, floats and malts with 15 toppings to take on your High Line stroll. If you prefer your frozen fare lighter, chef Ron Silver just returned from a Snowball research trip to Japan (they invented it!), so check out the shaved-ice cart serving Asian-style Snowballs drizzled with syrups made in-house from fresh fruits and coffees. 120 Hudson St.
Follow Eva Kis on Twitter @thisiskis or email eva.kis@metro.us.
