Guest Post by Sarah Coniski, Upper West Side Correspondent
With the summer-like temperatures finally upon us, it is the prime season to think about and eat ice cream. As part of my effort to justify eating all of those delicious calories, I make sure that when I’m going to eat it, it’s from a special spot.
Recently, I took a journey from the Upper West Side to Prospect Heights in Brooklyn to visit Blue Marble, the ice cream shop that has received rave reviews since its debut in May 2008 (a Boerum Hill location opened in 2007). It turned out to be well worth the trip to get “the scoop” firsthand.
My cousin, his friend (a resident of the neighboring Park Slope neighborhood) and I arrived at Blue Marble to be greeted by a not so intimidating line, though we watched that change as we sat outside at one of the few tables available to sit down and enjoy the ice cream. Though typically a purist (vanilla is my favorite!), I decided to be adventurous and order a regular size portion of banana chocolate chip and a special berry flavor. I was not disappointed. The texture of both were creamy, while the flavors were distinctive and rich. I enjoyed each ice cream flavor equally, though by the final spoonfuls I was full and overwhelmed by their richness. With this in mind, I don’t think I could have fully enjoyed the generous portion sizes of the chocolate flavors that those with me ate, though they were certainly a treat to sample.
If you’re looking for quality ice cream, I can confirm that Blue Marble is the place to get it. Location information is included below, though I hear there are now Blue Marble ice cream bicycle carts on the streets of Manhattan. These carts are definitely going to make it harder to avoid those delicious calories this summer.
The Basics: Name: Blue Marble Ice Cream Location: Prospect Heights, 186 Underhill Avenue, Brooklyn, or Boerum Hill, 420 Atlantic Avenue, Brooklyn Who to bring: Friends, Date Cost: $$ (by ice cream standards) - though it does support a good cause and uses organic ingredients Overall: Loved it. 5 stars
Just so you know, Blue Marble offers two sizes of scoops. The smaller ones are called Mini Marbles and for silly folks who can’t eat a whole scoop or just want a wider variety of flavors, they’re the way to go! Of course, they’re also cheaper!!
DO NOT MISS the Culture- it’s natural frozen yogurt- very tart and crumbly so don’t get it on a cone. I almost lost mine but caught it in my ample bosom and carried it back inside for a cup (which is made from something like corn or potato starch).