One of the sweetest holidays of the year is quickly approaching: National Ice Cream Day! Several spots in and out of Manhattan will be celebrating this tasty day on Sunday, July 21, with amazing specials that will allow you to indulge in your love of all things ice cream.
Dasher & Crank: 18 9th Avenue
The Miami-based Dasher & Crank recently opened up a pink pop- up location outside the ritzy Gansevoort Hotel in the Meatpacking District. Here you can enjoy unique flavors on a hot summer day including their Zak the Baker Babka N Cream, Hazelnut Crunch, Lemon Speculoos, and a fun purple Ube vegan flavor – courtesy of the #1 ice cream shop in Miami. I tried all four yesterday and was blown away by how they individually tasted, particularly the Lemon Speculoos as you don’t see lemon in ice cream that much and it was refreshing to try amid the awful heat.
To celebrate, the Dasher & Crank pop-up at Gansevoort Meatpacking will extend a second complimentary scoop to anybody purchasing a single scoop. More information can be found here.
Carvel: Multiple Locations
Carvel always evokes childhood memories for me and thousands of other people in New York City and beyond. Their cakes and treats were a way to celebrate a victorious baseball game, a stellar report card and so much more that made this particular writer ecstatic whenever we pulled up to one of Carvel’s many locations.
Carvel is celebrating the holiday by offering customers a BOGO Free Cup or Cone of Soft Ice Cream from open to close at all Carvel shoppes nationwide on July 21.
Ice cream lovers can choose from any of Carvel’s traditional soft ice cream flavors, including vanilla, chocolate, twist and the limited-time special, Snickers! Additional flavors may vary by shoppe, such as Carvel’s popular Oreo cookie, mint, pistachio and more. More info here.
Heath Ice Cream: Available At Your Local Supermarket
You don’t have to go out for National Ice Cream Day to enjoy all it has to offer. A first ever Heath Ice Cream Cake has hit stores for National Ice Cream Month (not just day) for you to devour and enjoy!
This new premium ice cream cake delivers consumers’ favorite HEATH taste with a signature toffee crunch. The dessert features crushed pieces of real HEATH Milk Chocolate English Toffee Bar layered between smooth vanilla ice cream, and is finished with chocolate whipped icing and HERSHEY’S chocolate syrup drizzle.
Made by Rich Products, the leading maker of ice cream cakes sold in grocery stores nationwide, the HEATH Ice Cream Cake is priced around $15.99 and serves about 9. Shoppers local to the Tri-state area can find it at Shop Rite and Stop & Shop. To find the cake at a store close by, visit the Product Locator at ILoveIceCreamCakes.com.
Ohio Favorites Available in The Big Apple
I visited Butler County, Ohio last year and am aware of what an amazing culinary state it is. One thing that they are known for, outside of the delicious BBQ i devoured every single day, is the variety of nationally-known ice cream treats that are available. See below:
Velvet Ice Cream
One of the most popular national brands in the United States is Velvet Ice Cream, made in Utica, Ohio. It was started by Joseph Dager, shortly after he moved to America, in 1914 when he sold his first batch of hand-cranked vanilla ice cream. Today, the company is run by the fourth generation of the family – Luconda Dager. Luconda oversees all aspects of the 103-year-old Velvet Ice Cream, which has 125 employees and produces and distributes more than five million gallons of icecream each year that is sold throughout the entire country.
Velvet is known for their traditional, as well as unique flavors. Some of the favorites include their Buckeye Brownie, Campfire S’mores, Elephant Ear, Italian Spumoni, Seasonal Pumpkin Pie, Seasonal Summertime Peach and All-Natural Toasted Coconut Fudge. Velvet also just recently held its annual ice cream festival at Ye Old Mill – which is a summer favorite – http://www.velveticecream.com/visit/festival.
Whit’s Frozen Custard
This other national brand that comes out of Licking County that first opened in 2003 in the charming New England-like town of Granville. Chuck Whitman has a passion for frozen custard (a twist on traditional ice cream) and developed a mouthwatering recipe that has helped the company grow from just a few stores in the Columbus area, to a nationally recognized brand across the Midwest and southern part of the US. It also is available in retail stores.
Using local ingredients, Whit’s make their custard fresh everyday using premium fruits, nuts and chocolates. Whit’s has a variety of unique flavors they offer regularly, as well as seasonal flavors that change each week and reflect the time of year. Some of the standard favorite flavors include the Mud Pie and The Red Velvet Cake. Some of the unique flavors Whit’s offers through the year include Key Lime Pie, Peanut Butter and Jelly and Candy Cane –https://www.whitscustard.com/flavors-at-a-glance.
Van Leeuwen at Gurney’s Resorts in Montauk
Beloved ice cream company Van Leeuwen has officially hit the Hamptons. Gurney’s Resorts in Montauk, NY has teamed up with the brand to launch its first hotel shop at the new Gurney’s Star Island Resort & Marina. To kick off the partnership, they’ve created a custom flavor called “Weekend at Gurney’s” which guests can grab a free scoop of at The Beach Club at Gurney’s Montauk in celebration of National Ice Cream Day this Sunday, July 21.
Available as of July, the bespoke flavor, named “Weekend at Gurney’s” features all the makings of the ultimate s’more (with a twist). The Van Leeuwen’s custom creation for Gurney’s Resorts is a decked out peanut butter base with marshmallow bits, chocolate fudge swirl and a house made graham cracker crumble – the perfect treat for a beach bonfire, or a moment of cooling down in the warm summer sun. “Weekend at Gurney’s,” along with all other Van Leeuwen classic and vegan ice creams, are made from scratch using a handful of fresh ingredients in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, from some of the world’s best local and global artisan producers and farmers. More info here.
Cantina Rooftop: 605 W. 48th Street
Cantina Rooftop, NYC’s hottest Mexican rooftop is celebrating National Ice Cream Day with their Hella Helado for 2 from Chef Saul Montiel.
The immense ice cream sandwich ($20) is composed of two giant elephant ear cookies, filled with vanilla & chocolate ice cream, topped with roasted marshmallows, caramel popcorn, chocolate sauce and rompope sauce. More info here.
Dylan’s Candy Bar: Multiple Locations
Dylan’s Candy Bar is offering one free scoop of ice cream to customers who mention “National Ice Cream Day” at the ice cream counter at the following store locations: New York City (Third Ave Flagship, Union Square, Hudson Yards, Madame Tussaud’s Times Square). Oh, and they have an endless amount of candy that is nothing short of extraordinary. More info here.
BIVE: 95 Orchard Street
BIVE, located in the Lower East Side, serves ice cream unlike any other. While many ice creams claim to be healthy, for BIVE it’s not just about reducing the sugar and fat contents. Bive uses superfoods that are actually good for you, turning ice cream a wholly positive experience with real health benefits.
A few flavors highlights and their benefits include:
- Boost Me Up – Pasion Fruit, Collagen, Chia Seeds, Coconut Water and Amaranth that together provide an extra boost of protein with a dose of collage that improve skin, joints, and gastrointestinal health.
- Sooth Me Up – Valerian root, Toasted Coconut, Almond Milk, Coconut Cream, Dark Chocolate Chip and Vanilla that aids anxiety while helping with sleep.
- Keep Me Strong – Echinacea and Soursop that boost the immune system, improve eye health and enhance gastrointestinal health by removing toxins and salts from the body.
BIVE is located at 95 Orchard Street in the Lower East Side and can also be ordered via GrubHub Postmates, and UberEats.
For National Ice Cream Day on July 21 they will be offering an extra scoop + cone upgrade added to any purchase.