Ok. I am not 10 years old. I am a husband, father, and successful and fairly serious businessman. But as the old saying goes, " You scream, I scream, we all scream for ice cream." So on a sunny Saturday afternoon, when my youngest daughter is begging me to take her out for an afternoon ice cream, I can only pretend that she is begging me. So I play hard to get, act as if it is a sacrifice that only a true loving father would do for his child, and we hop in the car and head to the newest ice cream place...Let's be honest, a new ice cream place is about as much of a novelty as a lemonade stand in the summer. However, this one is different.
I have to admit, this was not my first visit to Scoops. Yes, I named the name, I gave the plug, because, well, they deserve it. Friendly staff, and a mixed smell combining salty/sweet caramel popcorn, freshly made waffle cones, brownies, and a list of artisan flavors that make choosing one about as hard as your day job. And, while those that know me know I could normally care less whether something is organic, vegan, gluten-free, or anything of the sort, I just care about flavor...but apparently, no artificial ingredients, just the good stuff. Cake batter, New York Cheesecake, Salted Caramel, SIBU artisan chocolate, vanilla bean, to name a few that come to my head...try them all, not one will disappoint. If you are simplistic, you just get the ice cream and go...but if you get sucked in, they will gladly add any number of ingredients to your ice cream on the cold plate, and mix for a custom flavor.....and if that was not enough, if you have the self discipline not to order anything like me, and make it down the line to the reigster just to pay for your daughter's ice cream...Then it happens. You know, the ever-so-subtle cake display right in front of the register...and it is gleaming with what in my childhood I knew as an apple crisp, or as most people know it, an apple crumb cake.
The owner, who is from South Florida, smiles and says, it will not disappoint...Frankly, I did not doubt it would; it was that internal battle that lasted all of 3 seconds. Yes, heat one up with a ball of ice cream. Needless to say, when she heard me from the other side of the room, gasping, Wow. Wow, she just laughed (not yet sure if she was happy, or just laughing at me), and it was so enjoyable I did not care. My daughter devoured her salted caramel flavor, and when she realized I was too busy eating, she popped over to the floor-to-ceiling chalkboard and started some unique artistry to mark the occasion. Overall, an excellent ice cream, fantastic apple crisp, and a great environment. Classic tunes play in the background, a true family atmosphere, and a fun place to spend a snapshot of your afternoon with family.
Good job, Scoops. We'll be back.