Best Ice Cream in Central Jersey

[wagyuboy]

I vote Halo, both in their Pub incarnation and the Farm version (how do they still afford to sell their amazing ice cream at $1.69 a pint? how do they make money?). Thomas Sweet is Princeton-expensive and, except for their tasty Small World brewed coffee ice cream, just not as good. Are there any other good ice cream places in the area?

[steakas]

Where is Halo? Thomas Sweet is simply a rip off but their stuff is good!

[wagyuboy]

There's a Halo Pub on Hulfish down by the parking garage and the Gap just off Palmer Square. There's also a few in Hamilton, and Halo Farm itself is in Trenton next to the Farmer's Market.

[John]

Ther's a place that opened on Inman Ave. in Colonia about a year ago called the Country Cow Creamery. It's a combination Ice Cream store and Craft Shop. Ice Cream is the best I've had. Munchmobile gave it their best rating this past summer.

[BrianYarvin]

Does Gelato count?

If so, La Crema Gelato & Cafe in Westfield would be my choice. They have wonderful, intense fruit flavors and can be persuaded to offer free Italian lessons. I would also like to go out on a limb and declare this place Westfield's best eating resource. (maybe tied with Classic Thyme)

La Crema Gelato & Cafe

112 Quimby Street

Westfield, NJ

07090

908.389.9000

I also have a favorite for Indian Ice Cream in Woodbridge, but I've competely forgotten its name.

[Rosie]

Has anyone tried Coldstone Creamery? Is it any good?

[menton1]

Has anyone tried Coldstone Creamery? Is it any good?

There is now a sign in the window of a recently closed Italian in Closter saying that Coldstone Creamery is coming soon. Looks like a Friendly's-type place, but I don't know for sure....

[Rosie]

Has anyone tried Coldstone Creamery?  Is it any good?

There is now a sign in the window of a recently closed Italian in Closter saying that Coldstone Creamery is coming soon. Looks like a Friendly's-type place, but I don't know for sure....

Which restaurant closed in Closter?

[menton1]

Which restaurant closed in Closter?

I think it was called Cafe Sorrento, right next to Starbuck's, just another Red Sauce place.

[wagyuboy]

Coldstone's a franchise, but it's alright...their big thing is mixing your choice of toppings into the ice cream right in front of you. There's a bunch of Coldstone's out on the West Coast, and I know there's one in Times Square, but I didn't know there were any in Jersey. There's a similar franchise down South called Marble Slab--it's not bad, if you're a big fan of toppings.

[Rosie]

Thomas Sweet mixes toppings into the ice cream also.

[m(a)ce]

1. Thomas Sweets vs. Halo: You get what you pay for . . .TS batch freezes on site with a base mix provided from a vendor. The base (it appears as "sweet cream" flavor on their menu) tastes like a higher butterfat content then Halo. TS makes their ice cream in small batches. Halo is a dairy supplying itself with its own base. That saves $. Also, Halo operates on a larger economy of scale -- they (probably) make their ice cream in a continuous freezer (larger scale production). Larger, more mechanized production provides a cheaper product. To me, TS ice cream is creamy and good. Halo tastes less creamy and icy.

2. Coldstone Creamery: I have tasted this a couple times. It has an artificial taste. Fully priced yet quality is not there. Say they "make their own" on-site, and that they make it "fresh". I know after talking to an employee that means taking a mix supplied to them from HQ and just freezing it on-site, not from scratch. We also asked about artificial color and the employee checked out the box-o-mix and said it did have some and artificial flavoring. Yum.

3. Why do I know this/care about it? In another forum, I hinted to Rosie about a new business we are opening in the central jersey area. My wife, a kitchen manager & grad of the FCI (french culinary) and me (long-time cafe mgr) are opening the bent spoon (artisan ice cream and good ingredient bakery) in downtown princeton. A better/more in-depth post to follow, but to give you an idea of what to expect: we'll be making 12 flavors of ice cream (hybrid of american, italian & french) & sorbet. It will be made fresh from scratch (all on site) using non-growth hormone cream/milk, local organic farm eggs. The ice cream will be served closer to italian style (we think the traditional gelato temperature allows you to taste more and tastes better). We'll infuse the ice cream with great chocolate and natural flavors/ingredients. Expect to taste classics and more unique flavors (think cardamom and the like). Limited toppings (homemade real hot fudge, etc). The sorbet will be from scratch using real fruit and when in season, local/organic produce.

I know this is an ice cream topic so I'll only mention the from scratch/real baked sweets, granita and specialty beverages (read euro-style hot chocolate with homemade marshmellows).

As far as pricing, we are finishing up costing but we'll be more on the TS realm of pricing than the Halo side. Just like anything, real & good ingredients (real nuts, real vanilla, organic fruit, etc) cost more than shortcuts (artifical flavoring, etc ). Moreover, making our ice cream fresh (not just freezing it) is a labor of love. We think that you can taste the difference and knowing that its made with better ingredients is worth it.

We'll post when we open so anyone in the area can check it out.

[The Little Blue House]

1. Thomas Sweets vs. Halo:  You get what you pay for . . .TS batch freezes on site with a base mix provided from a vendor.  The base (it appears as "sweet cream" flavor on their menu) tastes like a higher butterfat content then Halo.  TS makes their ice cream in small batches.  Halo is a dairy supplying itself with its own base.  That saves $.  Also, Halo operates on a larger economy of scale -- they (probably) make their ice cream in a continuous freezer (larger scale production).  Larger, more mechanized production provides a cheaper product.  To me, TS ice cream is creamy and good.  Halo tastes less creamy and icy.

I must preface this with saying that while I did work at Halo Pub for a chunk of my senior year of high school, it was 1996 and I am sure that things change within a business in that amount of time. And, I truly, truly hated working there. However, pretty much everything about Halo Pub is better that TS. Even if working At Halo Pub made me bitter and angsty ,I still go there when I go back home for a visit for the coffee heath bar with hot fudge. Or a milk shake, because man, those are a pain to make. Or a banana split. Or a hand-packed pint.

In no particular order:

1. Last I knew, TS uses anti-freeze in their ice cream scoops. Halo Pub does not. (I still have trouble with my right wrist after all of that scooping!) It makes for a better scoop, and well, who wants anit-freeze that close to their food?

2. Halo Pub ice cream is made in small batches, one flavor at a time, at the dairy. This is why you shouldn’t eat any of their ice cream if you have a peanut allergy.

3. Let’s see if I remember this correctly. Say you take the ice cream base. That same amount of ice cream base is pumped up and diluted to make 100 gallons of Breyers Ice Cream, 10 gallons of TS, 1 gallon of Halo Pub ice cream. It is thicker than anything else (see #1 about my poor sad wrist.)

4. I remember being told to polite turn down people who tried to order rocky road. Halo Pub wouldn’t make it because that marshmallow goo doesn’t grow anywhere. It’s chemically, and they were focusing on natural ingredients. I more than once had to explain this to kids who freaked out because the mint chocolate chip wasn’t green. You try explaining crème de mente to a stranger’s 6 year old.

5. You were right, they have control from beginning to end. Cow to scoop. It’s pretty amazing, and should be rewarded. Not to mention that they really did focus on quality, with their employees, the ingredients and the product.

6. At the time, TS paid $5.25 an hour and Halo Pub paid $6.00. A manager (there was one and sometimes two on every shift) made $15.00 an hour. A serving was $1.00 at Halo Pub and I think it was about $2.25 at TS. At some point it seemed to me that they were not trying to make much of a profit above what they needed to keep going and pay a living wage.

Thinking about it, I really hope that I didn’t sign a non-disclosure agreement! Who can remember these things?

M(a)ce: As a note, on a visit home a few years ago, I noticed that the price went up and that the ice cream was a bit more icy. I have no explaination at all. I've been back a few more times and generally, the ice cream has been fine. And of course, Good luck with your adventure!

Edited March 28, 2004 by The Little Blue House (log)

[Rosie]

m(a)ce--Best wishes with your new place. Do keep us informed. And are you going to have an eGullet flavor?

[menton1]

Thanks for the input, Mace, it looks like we will NOT look forward to the opening of Coldstone in Closter, and head over to Ben & Jerry's in Englewood instead!!

[laurenmilan]

Thanks for the input, Mace, it looks like we will NOT look forward to the opening of Coldstone in Closter, and head over to Ben & Jerry's in Englewood instead!!

Stay the HELL outta ColdStone Creamery... I tried to go into 2 locations, one in NJ, one in PA, and both had the same problem... they have obnoxious perky-as-hell hosts that greet you on your arrival, foise a menu into your hand and push the specials on you. Suddenly Cheesecake Factory has a genteel, old-world air by comparison...

I've heard their quality is poor, but frankly I may never find out for myself. Being jumped on by employees is a supreme turnoff, and indicates a need to "overcompensate" for poor quality with pure hype.

[Kim WB]

Halo pub is for locals, TS is for...tourists.

Mace, good luck selling cardomom flavor ice cream in this town...its just liberal vanilla! Serously, there isn't even a progressive restaurant in town, let alone a progressive ice cream flavor!

I hope you chose a location with onsite parking...I have a number of aquaintances who I'm sure won't visit the library once it relocates from the shopping center! LOL..but really.

PS..bakery with bread and patisserrie? Princeton proper needs a Badger Bread co, IMHO.

Edited April 1, 2004 by Kim WB (log)

[Allura]

If so, La Crema Gelato & Cafe in Westfield would be my choice.

La Crema Gelato is really good, but a bit pricey for the serving size. Worth it, though.

I grew up on Holstein's in Bloomfield, but I don't know how it is these days. They used to make a chocolate chocolate chip that had *slabs* of chocolate in it. And, they made their own hot fudge and whipped cream. Really good ice cream isn't worth it if it has canned whipped cream & commercial hot fudge.

[menton1]

indicates a need to "overcompensate" for poor quality with pure hype.

I think you've just voiced one of the major strategies of American marketing!!

[wagyuboy]

Kim WB, you don't like the new bakery next to the Record Exchange? I never see anyone in there, but the two times i went, their pastries were good.

[Seinfeldaddict]

I'm going to have to say that to me there is nothing better than Ben & Jerry's. I go to the one at Forrestal Village in Princeton or Megamovies in E. Brunswick.

Although they are now larger, they are still kosher and their flavors are out of this world. The reason why I care about this is I found that my daughter has allergies and that I now have to investigate lots of foods. My daughter got sick at a Coldstone and after watching, I see why. Their operations has them mixing all kinds of flavors and toppings on the same Stone slab. What then happens is that if you are allergic to nuts or something in one of the other toppings, you can get sick because the oil residue touches that ice cream.

I also saw that they don't cover their ice cream at night which I think is a bit of a health hazzard. Even Baskin Robbins does this.

For my money, Ben & Jerry's and Haagen Dazs are the best ice cream unfortunately I can't find a Haagen-Dazs ice cream parlor. In the recent AOL poll Ben & Jerry's was rated the #1 ice cream in the country at 44% and H-D at 24%.

As a wine lover, I've really figured out what makes ice creams different. If you can, you should weigh your ice creams. You'll see that H-D and B&J weigh more although their scoops are all the same size. The reason is that Baskin Robbins and Places like Coldstone whip too much air into their ice cream and charge you for air. Although there is nothing like the local parlors here in Central Jersey, I think B&J does a great job making ice cream the old fashioned way with a twist.

I'll see you all down at Cape May this summer!