Ice Cream Favorites

[After Eight]

Posted: 4/20/12 at 12:50pm

Breyers and Haagen Dazs.


Updated On: 6/10/12 at 12:50 PM

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 4/20/12 at 1:21pm

Trader Joe's use to have an amazing tiramisu gelato years ago and it was the best grocery-store ice cream I'd ever tasted. It was wildly popular and you constantly had to check with the staff to see when the next shipment would arrive as it would sell out in a day. I don't know why they stopped selling it.

Talenti gelatos and sorbets are quite good. The only Ben & Jerry's I like is Cinnamon Buns. Since I can't have chocolate, my ice cream choices are pretty limited.

[Jane2]

Posted: 4/20/12 at 1:24pm

ditto about talenti

[Unknown User]

Posted: 4/20/12 at 1:42pm

"Artisanal' is THE marketing word of 2012. It's not a real word. Artisan is a word but "Artisanal" is something they found that makes people think of better quality, special, small batch, etc.

It's amusing that Dunkin Donuts embraced the word fully ("Artisanal Bagels") and then felt the need to make commercials that talk about how their customers have no idea what that means.

You can buy "artisanal" Doritos. Really.

[Reginald Tresilian]

Posted: 4/20/12 at 2:28pm

Didn't we have this exact conversation a few weeks ago, only about soup?

[JbaraFan1]

Posted: 4/21/12 at 2:48pm

^ lol Good point!

I don't care what they call something, I just care how it tastes, and this "artisan" chocolate is some of the best I've ever had. The cinnamon chili flavor is my favorite -
Olive and Sinclair Southern Artisan Chocolate:
http://www.oliveandsinclair.com/

I've had Talenti - double chocolate flavor I think (delish). I'll admit that when it comes to ice cream I usually just buy the store brand (Publix), which tastes fine to me, plus it's still sold by the 1/2 gallon instead of 1.75 or 1.5 quarts or whatever.

Mister Matt, I don't know what I'd do if I couldn't eat chocolate!

Updated On: 4/21/12 at 02:48 PM

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 4/21/12 at 2:56pm

Trust me, if you spend Christmas night in the emergency room, you really don't even want chocolate any more.

[JerseyGirl2]

Posted: 4/21/12 at 3:12pm

We have Ben & Jerry's at about $9 a pint and Häagen-Dazs for around $7.50. I have found most of the Swedish brands to be light and airy and not thick and creamy like I liked in the states. I do, however, love gelato. I live in a tiny little town with one movie theatre that only has one screen, so imagine my surprise when I tried the gelato place and was blown away. The couple that owns it are straight from Italy and they make it all themselves. Each day they have different flavors. Their hazelnut and stracciatella are my favorites, but I have never had anything I didn't like.

[Jane2]

Posted: 4/21/12 at 3:16pm

JbaraFan, I agree-Publix has great ice cream.

[JbaraFan1]

Posted: 4/21/12 at 3:20pm

Fair enough, Mister Matt! I'm sure I wouldn't.

No ER situation but I'm starting to think that I have developed some sort of allergy or intolerance to tomato sauce because the more of it a food has, the sicker I seem to get to my stomach afterward. (I'd say more, but would be TMI. lol) I'm fine eating salsa - hot even - or fresh tomato, but things like tomato-sauce-based spaghetti sauce, or if pizza has a lot of tomato sauce on it, I tend to get sick these days. Never used to from tomato sauce.

[AC126748]

Posted: 4/21/12 at 3:22pm

The soup Nazi becomes The Ice Cream Nazi.

Yes, the word "artisanal" is pretentious, but there are definitely some off-beat, unusual ice cream flavors that are a cut above Breyer's and are worth a dollar or two more. When I was getting my master's degree, there was a wonderful boutique ice cream parlor in the town that made the best ice cream I've ever had, and I'd happily pay the extra buck for a scoop. This is not to say that ALL unique/experimental ice cream flavors work, but plenty of them do, and are worth the price increase.

If Breyer's is your thing, there's nothing wrong with that. But don't unilaterally dismiss everything else.

[JbaraFan1]

Posted: 4/21/12 at 3:33pm

AC126748, sure, I guess it depends on personal taste and even someone's budget. Some things I might really like but just not be able to afford on a regular basis.

Where I live there is a locally-made salsa which I purchased recently in a local produce market. It's $5 for a 16 ounce jar. Normally I would not pay that much for a jar of salsa, but since I've had this particular salsa, no others taste anywhere near as good, so it's worth $5 to me. Would I pay $10 for a jar? Maaaaybeeee.... but would probably buy it less often.

(Sorry, thread, I keep getting off the ice cream topic!)

Updated On: 4/21/12 at 03:33 PM

[AC126748]

Posted: 4/21/12 at 3:41pm

I hear you, JbaraFan. Local products usually cost more money on a whole, but they're often worth it, and the level of freshness can't compare. My budget doesn't allow me to buy a $10+ pint of ice cream on a regular basis, but it definitely is an occasional, worthwhile luxury.

[After Eight]

Posted: 4/21/12 at 11:56pm

Updated On: 6/10/12 at 11:56 PM

[Bettyboy72]

Posted: 4/22/12 at 12:51am

My local market charges an arm and a leg for their artisanal cheese. I don't really taste any difference.

Aldi's has the best salsa I've ever eaten. It's fresh (not the nasty ketchup consistency kind) and its under $3.

[JbaraFan1]

Posted: 4/22/12 at 1:08am

Bettyboy72, Aldi is my second main grocery store. Publix is a bit closer, so more convenient, but I'm a fan of both. I mentioned Publix's ice cream. Well Aldi's is pretty good too (though they've gone to the smaller containers). As for the salsa, if you're talking about the kind in the clear plastic tubs stocked in the refrigerated bin, that is indeed very good salsa. I like Aldi's hummus too.

[Bettyboy72]

Posted: 4/22/12 at 1:26am

Jbarafan-yes the kind in the clear plastic tubs. Fresh tasting and some great flavor profiles. Their ice cream is really nice too. We don't have Publix here. I'll have to try the Aldi's hummus.

[AC126748]

Posted: 4/22/12 at 7:58am

After Eight,

I think your subsequent post perfectly illuminates the point of my post. As I state very clearly in my post, we all have different likes and dislikes, and it's all a matter of personal taste. I am not criticizing your dislike of "artisanal" fare, but rather taking issue with your unilateral dismissiveness and tone--basically that anyone who enjoys and is willing to pay extra for such fare is a dupe who is blindly following the latest manufactured trend. And if you don't want people to disagree with you, or offer alternative views to your own, then you shouldn't open up a forum for discussion at all.

Updated On: 4/22/12 at 07:58 AM

[After Eight]

Posted: 4/22/12 at 8:20am

Updated On: 6/10/12 at 08:20 AM

[D2]

Posted: 4/22/12 at 8:31am

And you did get opinions that differed from yours A8, so what's your beef with AC? Especially as he has given you very eloquent and well considered responses.

[After Eight]

Posted: 4/22/12 at 8:39am

Updated On: 6/10/12 at 08:39 AM

[Bluemoon]

Posted: 4/22/12 at 9:35am

A8 - this thread is actually more opinion-oriented than informational. After all, in your original post you ask, "Is it worth it?" If you ask the question, don't blame the answer - even if it doesn't support your thesis.

[Reginald Tresilian]

Posted: 4/22/12 at 11:21am

Right.

You're welcome to like whatever you like, dislike whatever you choose, start a thread about anything you care to--and people get to respond however they respond.

AC's point, and I agree, is that your posts frequently start with a negative. That's fine--your choice of words is up to you--but you can't be surprised if a negative post generates some negative responses.

Because of your choice of words.

[Kad]

Posted: 4/22/12 at 11:28am

It's always other people's choice of words.

[After Eight]

Posted: 4/22/12 at 11:46am

Frankly, I don't care if he likes what I like, doesn't like what I like, likes what I say, doesn't like what I say, and I don't care if he, or anyone else says as much. I don't use certain words.