Kimball Farm Expands in the ever-changing ice cream market.

Two new activities this year, and expanded food service to come as the grill shacks expands to a restaurant and moves from the former parking lot to the area where the olde sawmill arcade and restroom house located next to the bumper boats.

Kimball Farm added the Soaring Eagle Zipline and the Spinzone bumper cars this past Memorial Day, and ground will break for expanded utility service towards the batting cages.  There's a brick oven and some fryers that are in place, serving fried dough, pizza, corn dogs, kettle corn, Italian sausage, and perhaps a satellite ice cream stand that would hopefully cut the lines at the front.  From there, Kimball Farm plans to add a multi story olde sawmill in place of the current one and add a restaurant.  The restaurant will have everything the grill/seafood shack had, plus some more items, perhaps pizza and is planning to have that year round.  Hopefully, ice cream will be served there in the future, or at least frappes and soft serve ice cream, finally doing what they needed to do...expand the ice cream service to year-round rather then the old-fashioned April to Columbus Day theme.

Hopefully what comes in the building is maybe a smaller spin-zone bumper cars (contains 8 cars and is about a third of the space of the spinzone out near the batting cage, some pinball machines and classic arcade machines.  From there, they can develop winter activities, even selling Christmas trees during December.  Maybe in the fall, they would start haunt weekend during October.

This is the ever changing market of ice cream.  Seasonal stands may be projected to go extinct by 2030 or 2040 (Maybe except these seaside stands on boardwalks, beaches, water parks, and amusement parks) as the likes of Cold Stone Creamery and Ben and Jerry's are taking hold.  Dairy Queen is in the move towards closing down the braziers and opening up year-round grill and chill spots and strop mall stores that sell food.  Sonic also has ice cream that they serve year-round.  Jay Gee's ice cream opened up a Salem NH location and went from seasonal to year round.  It is a nice move that Kimball Farm decides to do another push for year-round by upgrading the grill shacks to restaurants, particularly in Westford and hopefully later on, Lancaster.


Now before I end this, here's what Kimball Farm should do:

Get rid of the tents.  For the past 16 years, they rented tents for use as an eating area, animal adventures, and private events.  Kimball Farm doesn't see that it costs a lot of money to install the tents in the spring and bring them down in the fall past Columbus day.  Not only that, these tents are unsightly and make this place unfinished.  They should put down pavillions for private events (and possibly an air-conditioned enclosure maybe for year-round private events), an animal house for animal adventures, and expand the patio from the side of the farmhouse to the two parking lots.
Pave the parking lots, at the batting cages and in front of the ice cream stand.  Seriously, you spent all the money on new stuff.  Yea we like new activities, but it's time to pave the parking lots.  Yea your rides, activitiy, and food prices are inflated, so invest the money on improving the parking lots.  Because of the lack of parking stripes, many "spaces" are half car widths, upsetting other people who want to park there.
Upgrade the ice cream making machine and make year-round ice cream.  Seasonal is good, only in the 20th century.  But in a 21st century world, it's just uneconomical to run the ice cream seasonally.   You have to pay lots of taxes and liability even in the winter, so if the ammonia part is outside and not weather tight, this is a problem since the expense is high and no revenue is put out of the machine, thanks of it being dormant in freezing weather.  That, and more places going year round, it will be eventually time when you are forced to go year round, simply because people just go to another ice cream place that's open year round, seeing themselves as a missed revenue for the winter.

Now on to the more minor things that Kimball Farm could do.  They should put trails in the wooded area between the mini golf area, private event area, and the batting cage area.  It's could be a nice, inexpensive addition, maybe put picnic tables for the snacks and ice cream so that I can enjoy my banana split out in the woods while taking a good walk in the trails at the forested area.

I also see them adding go-karts in the near future.  Perhaps put one behind the batting cages but also make it hilly and have overpasses.  Put a connecting trail from the back of Kimballs that connects to Nashoba ski area to the watershed trails perhaps Bobby's Ranch, to the Bruce Freeman's trail in Westford/Acton to encourage people to walk or bike to Kimball Farm.  Bike racks should also be installed next to the ice cream stand and batting cages.

This is it for news right now.

2015 Ice Cream Season came...and went...FAST

It just seems like Kimball Farm opened up yesterday...Man how time flew by.  From the spring opening rush (Was late for that and was the 4th customer in line to order my first banana split), to the final day on Columbus day when half the flavors were gone, now on a diet to lose all the weight gained by all the ice cream, it seems year after year has gone fast.  Anyways, Kimball Farms already closed for the season, all my ice cream for the off season, and Thanksgiving and the holidays are fast approaching.

Yup.  All Stocked up for the winter...  Bottom: Chocolate Peanutbutter, Peanut Butter Butterfinger

Anyways, long time no see.  WeAllScreamForIceCream is pretty much dead, last time posted was maybe last year in March on to Rota Springs.  Banana Splitsomania may have been dorment, but I just want to let you know that I'm alive!

Some news to show you, Bedford Farms opened up a 3rd location at 3rd Ave Burlington, there has been talks that Rota Springs may sell quarts of Chocolate, Vanilla, and Chocolate Chip during the winter, and some rumors that Gary's Ice Cream may close for good.

Perhaps if I have the will, I will post more reviews in the days to come.

Jim's Ice Cream Barn Closed for good after only 5 years, Future of Ice Cream.

Jay Gee's Ice Cream has seriously crushed Jim Solloway's hopeful of running a successful business up at Salem NH when they opened up a year-round ice cream stand up across the corner from where Jim's Ice Cream Barn has been going through.

But many ice cream stands across New England are endanger of shutting down, thanks to the fierce competition between Ben and Jerry's, Cold Stone Creamery, and Baskin Robins.

Other stands that could be closing in the next 5 to 10 years includes Uhlmans in Marlborough, Dairy Joy in Weston, and Kimball Farms in Westford, Lancaster, Carlisle, and Jaffery NH.

Kimball Farm has been around since 1939 and has expanded to 4 locations since 1989 shortly after Mike and Peter took over.  But signs are that the ice cream equipment there is getting old and out of date, not to mention that rumors of another ice cream parlor opening up at the now "mostly" empty Conant's Store in Littleton where the Littleton Sub Shoppe and Pub is.  Could it be another Jay Gee's (3rd location) or maybe a Ben and Jerry's but who knows, It could be that the Littleton Sub Shoppe maybe expanding again and calling that the Littleton Ice Cream Shoppe.

So how will the ice cream market in New England be transformed by 2030?  We are predicting that about 75 percent of the ice cream stands will be closed for good at that point, as many larger chain ice cream parlors and stands make it's debut.  Dairy Queen has taken notice of it and is now in the process of closing down seasonal braziers and updating them to year-round Grill and Chill fare, eventually fazing out the name Dairy Queen and renaming them as DQ Grill and Chill.  Furthermore, Dairy Queen plans to move more business to the malls and food centers at highway rest stops.  Will Kimball Farm move from the right now 4-location business to become competitive against Cold Stone Creamery and Baskin Robbins?  They may have to, since Jay Gee's is likely to open more stores and compete with Kimball Farms.  But who knows, within the next 15 years, Kimball Farms will likely have 10 to 15 locations open by then, or serve ice cream to restaurants around the area, perhaps opening a few locations at rest stops for travelers to enjoy.

But whatever we say, it is clear that the seasonal ice cream stands are clearly on life support and are being squeezed out by big-name ice cream places, just as Wal-mart is replacing the little downtown guys.

But let's be sure, the ice cream market in New England is here to stay!

Rota Springs Opens for Season, plus more of 2014.

After a disasterous year, we are in a beginning of a new year.  Well, it's a delayed start of spring, anyways, as it was frigid, but Rota Springs braved the cold and opened the place up.

 

As expected, the Indian Pudding was unavailable at the day, as the company that provided Rota Springs stopped making the base.  But the good news, Rota Springs successfully made their own base, so I may be back there in a week or two to have my indian pudding ice cream.

 

Usually, I have a cone with the Indian Pudding on the bottom, and something else or a specialty flavor on the top.  But because there was no special flavors, no indian pudding, and it was too cold for a cone, I instead ordered a brownie sundae with Maple Walnut and reverse chocolate chip.  It was so cold that despite the warm brownie in my hand, my hands were freezing as I ate this.

 

Kimball Farms opens their ice cream stand in about four weeks, with the activities shortly afterwards.  As far as Jim's Ice Cream Barn is concerned, it's on life support.  They are adding new ice cream dishes out there and recently added a balcony.  The problem they are facing today is the Jay Gee's ice cream place accross the street that has it's customers that know their place in Methuen, and that place, unlike Jim's place, is open year round.  Speaking of which, Moe's Deli restaurant has recently closed up shop there, and was replaced by a pizza parlor.  But unless Jim appeals to Jay Gee's ice cream customers, or even knocks on the doors and yells to the customers eating Jay Gee's ice cream, they may become like the deli place and lose business.  Oh, well, maybe go to Blake's ice cream north of here.

 

Speaking about Jay Gee's, it was so cold, that they delayed the Methuen's opening daye for a week.  Oh, well, but Salem is open anyways, and they have Jake's Wayback Burgers and other stuff around, unlike the Methuen location, which has nothing.

 

As for posting, I am doing less of it here, and more on Facebook.  But maybe I will post a few new ice cream places.  Likewise, I haven't been to Crescent Dairy or Bliss Bros. Ice Cream, but I know that Bliss Bros is the one supplying Great Brook Farms.  Hey, if Great Brook Farms can't sell ice cream, I go to Bliss, because it's the same ice cream.  It's like, if they close Mad Willies or The Ice Cream Lady at Douglass, I go to Richardson's.

Season 2014 Preview...

[[IT HAS BEEN COMFIRMED: AS OF FEBRUARY 14TH, JIM'S ICE CREAM BARN HAS CLOSED FOR GOOD AS JIM SOLLOWAY HAS SOLD IT'S BUILDING TO THE HOCKEY COMPANY]]


Long Time No See.  Ice Cream winds down, Rota Springs extends their season to Thanksgiving, Kimball Farms may close Labor Day next year, Signs that Rota Springs may do year round service, and more ice cream stands to open, and talks of Jim's Ice Cream Barn to have it's final season next year before closing permanently.

As Sad as Kimball Farm closed this ice cream down so early this year, there are now rumors that Kimball Farm may not want to go much after Labor Day weekend.  That means no more Indian Pudding from Kimball Farm, and may only have a chance to have a serving or two of apple crisp, as opposed for aiming for 10 apple crisps per fall season.  This shortens the season, and puts an opposite that many people want to lengthen the season.

Rota Springs are doing the opposite that Kimball Farm has been doing...Extending the season till Thanksgiving.  That does about right for an average seasonal ice cream stand.

Bedford Farms, Richardsons, and Jay Gee's (Salem only) remains a year round service.

Now, here's the kicker.  There may be words that Jim's Ice Cream Barn may be closing for good after the next season.  Words may come out, that the reason behind the potential closure of that place may be that Jay Gee's Ice Cream may be blame for the reason.

As it appears, Jay Gee's is clearly visible from this place, which is across the street.  But more people are checking out this place, since Jay Gee's is a more recognizable place, due to it's original fans from the Methuen location.
Of course, sometimes, more recognizable ice cream stands opening up in a location may bury another nearby ice cream stand to the back burner for ice cream fans out there.  But season length and more can also matter, since if there's enough demand on that area and they go year round, this can put a nearby seasonal place out of business.

But also, if Kimball Farms is indeed shortening the season next year to Labor Day, they are just killing themselves out of business.

Banana Splitsomania Quickies 2

Another round of a few ice cream spots lately that I just go through.  Let's just spit out a few more.

SPRUCE POND CREAMERY: Franklin
Open Year Round, it's actually a Pizza and Ice Cream Parlor in one.  It's got about 20 to 30 flavors of ice cream, open year round (Ohhh, are you reading this, Kimballs)?, and even features some fall-like flavors that are also actually served year round.  How about Apple Cream Pie, kind of like Rota Spring's Apple Pie and Indian Pudding.  Now here's something striking: This is a SMALL brownie sundae.  A Large one is three scoops.  That's another excuse for Kimball.  Why do Kimball Farm restrict you with one flavor despite putting three flavors.  Oh well, but in a growing trend of ice cream stands that are opening year round, I do believe that it can have a market.  Oh, and they did a nice paint job making the columns and the parking space stoppers different colors.

FRESHENS: Cambridgeside Galleria Mall, Cambridge
Located at the Duplex Kiosk, this is like an ice cream-yogurt combo place.  About 14 flavors of ice cream, some frozen yogurt, and smoothies.  Generally they sell cups and cones, and it's about it.  A run-of-the-mill mall ice cream kiosk.

THE AMAZON BAR: Natick Mall, Natick.
It's an indoor ice cream stand with about 16 flavors of ice cream, smoothies, and more.  It's got like a tropical Caribbean-type look to the stand.  Serves Banana Splits as well as some other sundaes.

SUNSHINE FARM: Sherborn, MA
It's an Ice Cream/Farm at Sherborn, Massachusetts, where they sell Bliss Bros. Dairy ice cream, plus fruit picking.  The Portions are strikingly actually like 4 to 8 ounces like they serve you a serving of ice cream in a world when ice cream stands serve you big portions.  They are open May through October, which actually they start later in the season and the hours are short..  However, they DO serve strawberry shortcakes there, which are actually better then these served at the Strawberry Festival at Westford.

MEOLA'S WAYSIDE ICE CREAM: Sterling, MA
Located on route 12, this place has 60 flavors of ice cream.  Now it claims to say: "HOMEMADE", but as I notice, it's like a combination of different ice cream places like Richardson's and Bliss Bros Dairy.  In other words, just another run of the mill stand selling Richardson's in the form of banana splits, brownie sundaes and cones.

FROYO SHOP opened down the street from Kimballs.

In a latest string of froyo shops, a new shop, called Sweet Kiwi has opened up down the road from Kimball Farms.  I wander what the reaction Peter Kimball has.  Jay Gee's also demounced the froyo shops when they opened up around that area.

Maybe Kimball Farms could go self serve and maybe try a year-round something.  But yea.  You just can't go to Kimballs from exit 32 without passing up a froyo shop now.

 

[UPDATE] PHOTOS OF SWEET KIWI

 

Help Bring a Farrell's Ice Cream Parlor and Restaurant to New England, especially Eastern Massachusetts.

New England is the capital when it comes to Ice Cream.  Massachusetts has the most per capita ice cream consumption in the entire country.  But after looking at Farrells in California, many people even on FaceBook was begging to put a Farrells in their area.  Certainly, I haven't been there as a kid, but I've been there like...once during my California trip once.

That's one of the central parts of Farrell's.  You eat the trough, and they give you a ribben.  That's a big banana split there, with two bananas, six scoops of ice cream, and three toppings, along with whipped cream and nuts.

Yea, we do have Kimballs, Richardsons, Jay Gees, Rota Springs, and Bedford Farms.  But these top five places now just doesn't cut it, especially after you see this video:

I wander how many people is going to challange the trough or a family of four is going to challange the Zoo or the Volcano.

But anyways, go to Facebook and go on Farrell's Ice Cream and Restaurant and vote to bring it into Massachusetts.  I know it's a long way from California, but Boston needs one.

Oh, yea.  Here's a video on the ZOO!  "SIREN" "SIREN" "SIREN" "SIREN" Now I really want to say: "Yo, Behold!  the Ziggy Pig!  The Greatest Ice Cream Spectacle know to man!

Why DairyQueen Sucks: Kimball Farm vs Dairy Queen, compared with McDonald's

Big name ice cream places are that.  Now, I must first admit that not all big name ice cream places are bad.  Cold Stone Creamery serves up in a way where you can mix one or a combination of base flavers with a bunch of mix ins to create your fantasy ice cream.  That's what cold stone creamery is.  But I want to point you out that people go to dairy queen and are fanboys of it.  Now to bash this up, I want to compare this to Kimball Farm's ice cream, and then followed by McDonald's ice cream.  Perhaps soon, McDonald's will expand their ice cream line to compete with Dairy Queen, in which they are already taking on sub sandwiches.

Dairy Queen has been viewed as an ice cream stand, while McDonald's was viewed as a burger stand.  But now, they are just two joints of fast food places that you mind as well just call them just two competitors, since McDonald's and Dairy Queen has gone to a point where they really blur the line between an ice cream parlor and a burger shop...and a wrap shop...or whatever.

Now, let's compare Dairy Queen vs Kimball Farm.

BANANA SPLITS:

KIMBALL FARM

DAIRY QUEEN

 

Comparing these two, I could rest assured that the Kimball Farm one is much better, as you can select from a total of 50 different flavors, though the default flavers are vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry.  They also show specials which are the splits without the banana.  The other thing is that you can choose any three toppings while not relying on the three toppings (Strawberries, pineapples, chocolate sauce).  Now, comparing the volume of ice cream, Kimball Farms is the winner.  Furthermore, they now serve Split Juniors with maybe the future times where they are going to serve Jr Specials.

 

OREO BROWNIE SUNDAES

KIMBALL FARM

 

DAIRY QUEEN

 

That's as much flex you can get with Dairy Queen.  Let's hope you can add some toppings, cause the one above is Brownie Sundae with Cookies and Cream ice cream.  Vola!  A Better sundae with creamier ice cream, and best of all, unlike Dairy Queen which the only brownie sundae you can get there, you can customize your brownie sundae at Kimballs with tons of other flavors.  Hey, make it coffee with Mocha Almond Assult or even a Brownie Sundae with coffee oreo.

 

Now, off to the sundaes themselves.  Compare to Dairy Queen's sundaes, Kimball Farm offers your choice of ice cream as well as toppings.  Dairy Queen?  One ice cream, which is soft serve vanilla.  They used to have chocolate, but they took that away.  Yea, a step back.  You get a choice of like one topping, from bananas to chocolate to peanut butter.  Same thing with Kimballs, but you get to choose an ice cream as well, giving us flexibility to combine the flaver of ice cream to the toppings.  Try coconut almond chip with Hot Fudge.

 

As far as blizzards, I am sure you could create your own custom extra thick frappes at Kimballs with your choice of ice cream, while at Dairy Queen, blizzards are actually just vanilla ice cream with mix ins.  Yea, don't be deceived by it, because they just take vanilla ice cream, mix it with mix ins, and then...well...you just create a gimmick of a menu.

 

But let's put McDonald's versions of the ice creams.  Sure McDonald's don't sell banana splits as of yet (though Sonic does),  but they do serve a few sundaes (Hot Fudge, strawberry, and caramel sundaes), and McFlurries.  Going to burgerking, they do serve brownie sundaes as well as chocolate, caramel, and strawberry sundae, but no blizzard-like treats.

 

However, when I compare them, you could see that you can just get most things at McDonalds then at Dairy Queen.

 

So, I am baffled to why Dairy Queen is the number one place for ice cream.  Maybe is that they grew up as Kids and became fans of Dairy Queen due to intensive advertising, but let's get real.  People who just go to Dairy Queen all the time for ice cream just doesn't know the real deal of Ice Cream is.  A Banana split with nothing but vanilla ice cream?  Blech.  It's just equivlent as this:

 

Yea, mind as well just order a Kimball Farm's Banana Split or a Special with all vanilla ice cream.





Great Brook Farm closed for the second time!

As for how Great Brook Farm went, the stupid DCR closed this place once again.

I did make a couple of trips here last year, and found nothing wrong with this place.

According to the DCR, the public restrooms issue came along.

Public restrooms?  First of all, if that's the case, why don't they just shut down Rota Springs Farm or Kimball Farms Carlisle then.

Stupid pricks.

But the good news, it since reopened...again.

Good, let's hope they start getting off their backs.

Kimball Farm Open for the 75th season!

With a little snow on the ground, that didn't stop this place from completing the 5 ice cream stand opening for the year.

With Kimball Farms finally opened for their 75th anniversery, let us say that the only thing we need is now some lobster rolls and some bumper boats.

But anyways, the Specials are here!  Now some news though.

The prices has gone up quite a bit.  The small or large regular ice creams were $3.90 and 4.45 last year, are now $4.25 and $4.75.  Sundaes are now $5.80, Doubledaes are $6.50, Tripledaes are now 6.85, and banana splits are now $7, up 25 to 35 cents from last year.  But I do believe that because of the drought that has impacted the dairy farmers.

The special was Maple Walnut, Pistachio Nut, and German Chocolate Cake.  It was a bummer that they didn't have any easter themed or any Irish Coffee, so it was as close I can get to a Spring or St. Patrick's Day thing.

Well, guess I stocked up too much, since I have lots of ice cream still leftover from the winter.  But Kimball Farms is now open for the season...well...in 2 weeks when they are fully open.

Is WeAllScreamForIceCream dead?

I have visited the We All Scream For Ice Cream page during some time, and have not received a new blog in a long time.

The last stop for them was Jim's Ice Cream Barn up at Salem NH.  It was there for the last 5 years, and has been to places from Kimballs to Cherry Hill, and lots of other places.

Well, I love you, WeAllScreamForIceCream.  This is my insperation to do my own ice cream stops.

But we hope that WeAllScreamForIceCream would make more stops later on.  If not, then farewell and rest in peace.

SPRUNG! Rota Springs Eternal open for the season!

Wow!  Time went fast.  After 4 short months, Rota Springs opens again for the 2013 season.

It's still winter with snow all over, but this doesn't stop Rota from open up again!

Meatball sub?  CHECK!

However, no indian pudding as of yet.  Blaaah.  Hopefully, they will have it up again soon.

I chose these two specialty flavers, whcih is a Taste of Tuscan (well forget what the real name is, but it's a vanilla base with pretzels, peanut butter cups, and some caramel), and a new Red Velvet Cake ice cream.  Although the description is like chocolate ice cream with red velvet chunks, it looks more like to me a red velvet base.

But anyways, Rota Springs is open for the season...and this ice cream stand has been, believe it or not, open for 15 years!

Kind of interesting to see an ice cream cone with snow in the background...

Anyways, Kimball Farms is slated to open in about 3 to 4 weeks from now!

March means ice cream stands opening up again!

February means ice cream openings just around the corner.

February!  Valentines day!  The great ice cream for this year would be strawberry, chocolate truffle raspberry swirl, or anything that includes cherries, or raspberries.

But it also means that ice cream lovers could count the days now on when the ice cream stands would open.

As far as the great 5 ice cream stands are, Bedford Farms, Richardsons, and Jay Gees are open year round, with the origional Methuin location reopening up on February 22nd (Maybe if Salem NH sells well, they could move the ice cream location to the Family Fun Center and have ice cream and arcades all year round.

Anyways, Rota Springs is opening in just four weeks and Kimball Farms will open shortly afterword.  I've allready made up my mind on what I'm going to have.

At Rota Springs, it's Maple Walnut (Maybe Bacon if they have any) and Indian Pudding (if they still have some), as well as a meatball sub there.

At Kimball Farms, it's a Kimball Special consisting of Maple Walnut (or Bacon), Pistachio, and Irish Coffee, with Hot Fudge and Peanut Butter.

But it's still has a feeling that before you know it, we would be serving Peach ice cream as well as sorbet and then, pumpkin, gingersnap, indian pudding, and before you know it, off season again.

Well, happy last days of the dark days of ice cream!


ICE CREAM SCHEDUAL:

Kimball Farms:
Late March through Columbus Day (leftovers for sale afterword at Westford only)

Rota Springs:
March 2nd through November 3rd

Jay Gee's Ice Cream:
Year Round (Salem, NH), February 22nd through October (Methuin MA)

Bedford Farms:
Open Year Round

Richardson's Ice Cream:
Open Year Round

The Boom of Fro-yo, and what would it mean for Ice Cream

Lots of ice cream stands that are seasonal may be going the way of the blockbuster corner or the bowling ally.  Sure, Kimballs, Richardsons, and other more highly reconized stands may stay and may be like the modern bowling ally today, but that small ice cream stand, maybe even a Dairy Queen ice cream stand may start posting signs saying: "We are closing forever after this season.  Thanks for XX years of service".

:( I will miss you, ice cream stand.

 

Let's face it.  Frozen yogurt is healthier than ice cream.  And with the boom of self serve frozen yogurts, you have more flexibility then the ice cream stand counterpart.  As for ice cream stands, you only have a choice of a fixed size and a few toppings to choose from.

 

However, does it mean that the ice cream days are over?  Not quite.  Ice cream will be here to stay, but certain catagory of ice cream stands, especially seasonal corner stands, may be the ones to worry.

 

If you are a typical ice cream stand today, serving ice cream April through October, you could be facing a so-called "frozen treat" competitor nearby that may be open year round serving healthier frozen yogurt that people can customize themselves.  However, bigger chain ice cream places like Dairy Queen may still be here, but confined to malls and food courts.

 

But ice cream fanatics don't despair.  Not all ice cream stands will be going down and out.

 

Small ice cream stands like Uhlman's and Erikson's ice cream may be facing a rocky future, especially on though who rely on another place for ice cream...

...but Kimball Farms, Richardsons, and other high profile places may be here to stay.

 

So, while minor season April-though-October ice cream stands may face a bleak future, the ice cream as a product will still be around.  It's just that the stands left standing will be the ones that has other things like mini-golf and other foods as well.  It's just that frozen yogurt will replace to some extent ice cream as a regular sweet splurger, while I may still go out sometimes to have some ice cream.

 

Now, I do like frozen yogurt.  It's just that the new concept of self serve fro-yo may finally re-shape the frozen treat industry.

 

Return Engagement - Putnam Pantry - The Battle of Bunker Hill

A Week later, I gave a challenge of the Battle of Bunker Hill sundae at the Putnam Pantry.  Now, I got this, so you can have an idea of what this is.  It's basically a 17-scoop sundae, and with the toppings that I can add from the smorgasboard, this is comparable to the Vermonster.

Oh, yea.  Let's say this again.  Yo!  Behold!  The Ziggy Pig..Ahem...The Battle of Bunker Hill.  The Greatest Ice Cream Specticle known to man kind.  "Eat the pig.  Eat the pig.  Ziggy Ziggy Ziggy Pig." (High Five!)

And Yo and Behold, This Sundae is gimornous!  I can't really tell the flavers, but what you see here is practically the ENTIRE flavers that the Putnam Pantry on the list.  Not to mention that this Sundae will cost you 19 dollars.

Needless to say, I couldn't finish this sundae.  Not even half the sundae.  Now if I compare to the size of the Kimball Special, I say, this is Kimball Special times 3!

Shot Cakes - Burlington Mall - Burlington MA

Cupcakes shot with Ice Cream.  Well, Maybe some people will get the new stuff here, but if you are a true ice cream fan, then you may know that you can order a small ice cream with the cupcake, mix it up, and get something better.

Please note that this image is directly from Shot-Cakes.com website, as there's no cameras allowed in the mall, and I used my iPod Touch to take a pic of my shotcake, which was a chocolate fudge cupcake filled with vanilla ice cream.

You go up to the counter, order a cupcake, and then shoot yourself a choice of chocolate or vanilla ice cream into the cupcake, and there's your dessert.  Seems great, but did I had cake and ice cream before?  Certainly.  The Phantom Gormet may make it look good, but in reality, it ends up as something that I had before, where I know that I can have something better like going to Crumbs and ordering a cupcake, then going to an ice cream place, order a small ice cream, mix it up, and get something many times better then this.

But while we've seen this "somewhat before", it does demonstrate that bakeries and ice cream parlors can go together well.  Maybe I can go to Kimball Farms, order a cupcake from the country store, then go to the ice cream stand and order myself a kiddie or a small ice cream, and have something just as good.

My final thoughts of shot-cakes: Is it good?  Yea, it's not a bad place.  But is it overrated?  Yes.  For ice cream lovers who go across New England, a true ice cream experience may be instead Richardson's ice cream, Kimballs, or Putnam Pantry.  Now if only they added a bakery section, then you can make your own cupcake sundae.

Shot-Cakes - Burlington.
Open Year Round

See Burlington Mall hours.

Website: www.shot-cakes.com

Happy Holidays. Dieting after New Years.

Well, the holidays are about an escape from the harsh lifestyles.  Missing out on the treats and goodies and going to work.

New Years Day is Tuesday, Jan 1st.  Wednesday is the real Labor Day.  Back to work, back on a diet, and doing taxes.

The new years resolution: Yup, of course to go back to where I was during the summer.  Well, that's what I usually do.  Lose in the spring, gain in the fall.  But also is to support local business.  Am I crazy about big chain parlors?  No.  There are planty of ice cream places that are open year round.  Bedford farms and Jay Gee's is one of the few that are open during the year.  Not that I'm going to go there every day, as I am going to eat a low carb diet with nuts, veggies, and fish.

But that's here it goes.  Work and diet in the spring (well, don't forget valentines day), go to Kimballs just for a kimball special late march, depending on when they are open (Can't believe that Kimball's dont even sell ice coffee during the winter, which is kind of bazarre), maybe enjoy an ocassional lobster roll on a few weekends during april or may, then the summer flys through, before you know it, Kimball's and Rota Springs sells apple crisp starting late August through october (November 3rd in Rota), and before you know it, fall and winter vacation...again.

This year is Kimball's 75th season by the way.  But I will still enjoy an occasional ice cream at Jay Gee's or Richardsons.  The key is: diet during the weekdays, and every other weekend, enjoy a nice sundae.

But yup.  January is the worst month of the year.

Well, just think about these Kimball specials before Kimballs opens up perhaps March 30th.

Putnam Pantry - Danvers MA

Located at the route 1, 62 intersection in the cloverleaf, this place may be known for the candies (I did purchase a few for the holiday break, I also went in for the ice cream, which was visited by the Phantom Gormet.

As soon as I entered the house, I can hear the floor creek as soon as I walked in.  It's been here since the 1700s, making this an oldest chocolate place in New England, as far as I know.  It's got some Christmas related chocolates, as well as other stuff like chocolate covered Coconut clusters, peanut butter cups, and fudges.

But the ice cream is a first.  24 flavers of ice cream (Well, I didn't ask where the ice cream came from).  The question is, did I order the battle of bunker hill?  No.  Maybe I will challenge it one day.  Instead, I ordered a banana split consisting of cookies and cream, moose tracks, and Dino crunch.  They just put the ice cream and bananas on the plate (Yup, that's right, they give you a dish for your ice cream to put on).  That's where the fun begins.

Right after you pay, you go to the toppings bar, which is called the Smorgasboard there.  Well, not as much as Hebert Candy Mansion, this thing has a few liquid toppings including marshmelows, butterscotch, and chocolate, and several other dry toppings.

Now, another unique experience is, you leave your trash on the table.  Wow.  I wander if someone is paid extra for being maid for these customers, but that's some unique service.  Meanwhile, after my ice cream, I did purchase a few chocolate items before I left, including a few peanut butter santas, fudge, and a few other chocolate pieces.

Again, sorry if the photo was bad, but anyways, it's what consumer's capabilities of creating a banana bliss out of a banana split.  The problem?  It's located right at the cloverleaf, so I had to miander my way around to finally get in the place.

Putnam Pantry - Danverse MA

Open Year Round
Hours: Unknown.

Hebert Candy Mansion - Shrewsbury, MA

Well, it's more of a chocolate shop then an ice cream parlor, but this place does sell ice cream, along with chocolates, ranging from truffles to chocolate santas to seasonal stuff.  Because it's near Christmas, they had chocolate sculptures.  Of course I didn't buy them, but I did bought a couple of chocolate peanut butter cups from that place.

With Christmas lights around, it's sure is a nice place to go during December.  Anyways, as far as Ice Cream is concerned, they have about 15 to 20 flavers from Bliss Bros. Dairy in Attlborough, right near Rhode Island.  You can't miss it up, if you are going on Route 20 west going off route 9 westbound.

The Toppings bar consists of several dry toppings like M&Ms, oreo, and other stuff, along with several different types of chocolate toppings, peanut butter, marshmellow, and caramel.  The toppings bar could very well set the bar on other ice cream places around to try out.  It's the old saying: "If you set up for consumers to make, consumers sure have creativity powers when it comes to ice cream.

However, wanna banana split?  Sorry.  They only have one, two, or three scoops of ice cream in a cup.  Maybe they have cones, but I just ordered a cup of three scoops of ice cream, and then slap on some peanut butter and chocolate based toppings for my sundae.

Yup, It makes me a new idea of my own ice cream shop.  Perhaps maybe I could find a self serve ice cream parlor and I could create myself a Sundae bliss.

HEBERT CANDY MANSION- Shrewsbury MA

Open year round.

Monday through Thursday: 10am-7pm
Friday, Saturday: 10am-8pm
Sunday: 11am-5pm