Sebastian Joe's, Take Two.
Sorry I didn't take any pictures. I get really nervous when I eat ice cream in a cone, because I would be devastated if my ice cream fell over. I didn't want my ice cream to start melting during a photo shoot in the summer sun.
I mentioned way back in my intro post that I was underwhelmed by Sebastian Joe's ice cream the first time I tried it. I like that they offered unique/weird flavors like Roasted Garlic Almond Chip (which I had a sample of. It was weird. Not bad, but I wouldn't want more than a bite of it). My first time there, I got two scoops in a waffle cone: one scoop of Cinnamon and one scoop of Mandarin Orange. I probably should have gone with something chocolate-y, but oranges with cinnamon is one of my favorite summertime desserts. I was underwhelmed. I felt the cinnamon ice cream was way too creamy (like, ok, I know it's ice cream and this is a stupid thing to say), and needed a much stronger cinnamon flavor to balance out the strong dairy flavor. The mandarin orange flavor was also not very strongly flavored.
Several of my friends recommended I try the Nicolett Avenue Pot Hole flavor (chocolate ice cream with fudge, truffles, heath bar, and sea salt - yes I use the Oxford comma). This flavor sounds amazing, and I think is one of the things Sebastian Joe's in known for. I really regret not trying it last time, and was really looking forward to trying it this time. Unfortunately it was not one of the flavors offered that day.
I looked through the flavors and the only Ginger was the only one really calling my name. Ginger is one of my favorite flavors ever (if you have not tried a ginger Italian soda, stop reading and go do that). Then I just had to decide what to pair it with. I didn't want to do Vanilla, that would have been too plain. I was hoping for a Green Tea (which Sebastian Joe's does make!) or a strawberry. Alas, neither of these was offered, so I decided to pair it with Cinnamon, even though that flavor was a little disappointing last time.
The Ginger ice cream made me see why my friends like this place so much. It had huge chunks of real ginger in it, and was very strongly ginger flavored with no other flavors mucking it up. I wish it had been a little spicier, but I kind of understand catering to the masses and not making an insanely spicy ice cream. The ginger and cinnamon actually went together really well.
I also tried two other flavors courtesy of my friends letting me try a bite (thanks Kate and Alex!): Chocolate Pistachio and Pavarotti. Pistachio ice cream is divisive. Some people love it and some people hate it. I love it, however I DID NOT like my first bite of chocolate pistachio. It tasted to me like the two flavors were totally disparate and doing their own thing. I did try a second bite and liked that much better. I think my initial reaction was because pistachio is almost never mixed with any other flavors, so I it was a new and different suprise. I think this flavor would grow on me if I had an entire scoop. Pavarotti is caramel, bananas, and chocolate chips. I had a traumatic experience as a child with some absolutely disgusting grocery-store-brand banana ice cream so I have it in my head that I despise banana ice cream, but I don't think I actually do. I like B&J's Chunky Monkey, and I liked this Pavarotti.
Now I will play a fun game where I pick the 15 Sebastian Joe's flavors I most want to try:
1) Basil Vanilla
2) Before Dinner Mint
3) Caramel Cashew
4) Chai
5) Chocolate Coyote (chocolate ice cream with cinnamon and cayenne pepper)
6) Dakota Berry
7) Honey Cinnamon Crisp (honey ice cream with cinnamon and graham crackers)
8) Immaculate Confection (Minneapolis vanilla, ginger, honey, and strudel)
9) Loco Coco (strawberry ice cream with coconut and cayenne pepper)
10) Nicolett Avenue Pot Hole
11) Pears Pernod
12) Surly Bender (Surly Bender beer and a hint of chocolate)
13) When Pigs Fly (Hint of maple, bacon, chocolate chips, and black pepper)
14) Grapefruit Campari Sorbet
15) Lime Basil Sorbet
But actually I just want to try them all.
I mentioned way back in my intro post that I was underwhelmed by Sebastian Joe's ice cream the first time I tried it. I like that they offered unique/weird flavors like Roasted Garlic Almond Chip (which I had a sample of. It was weird. Not bad, but I wouldn't want more than a bite of it). My first time there, I got two scoops in a waffle cone: one scoop of Cinnamon and one scoop of Mandarin Orange. I probably should have gone with something chocolate-y, but oranges with cinnamon is one of my favorite summertime desserts. I was underwhelmed. I felt the cinnamon ice cream was way too creamy (like, ok, I know it's ice cream and this is a stupid thing to say), and needed a much stronger cinnamon flavor to balance out the strong dairy flavor. The mandarin orange flavor was also not very strongly flavored.
Several of my friends recommended I try the Nicolett Avenue Pot Hole flavor (chocolate ice cream with fudge, truffles, heath bar, and sea salt - yes I use the Oxford comma). This flavor sounds amazing, and I think is one of the things Sebastian Joe's in known for. I really regret not trying it last time, and was really looking forward to trying it this time. Unfortunately it was not one of the flavors offered that day.
I looked through the flavors and the only Ginger was the only one really calling my name. Ginger is one of my favorite flavors ever (if you have not tried a ginger Italian soda, stop reading and go do that). Then I just had to decide what to pair it with. I didn't want to do Vanilla, that would have been too plain. I was hoping for a Green Tea (which Sebastian Joe's does make!) or a strawberry. Alas, neither of these was offered, so I decided to pair it with Cinnamon, even though that flavor was a little disappointing last time.
The Ginger ice cream made me see why my friends like this place so much. It had huge chunks of real ginger in it, and was very strongly ginger flavored with no other flavors mucking it up. I wish it had been a little spicier, but I kind of understand catering to the masses and not making an insanely spicy ice cream. The ginger and cinnamon actually went together really well.
I also tried two other flavors courtesy of my friends letting me try a bite (thanks Kate and Alex!): Chocolate Pistachio and Pavarotti. Pistachio ice cream is divisive. Some people love it and some people hate it. I love it, however I DID NOT like my first bite of chocolate pistachio. It tasted to me like the two flavors were totally disparate and doing their own thing. I did try a second bite and liked that much better. I think my initial reaction was because pistachio is almost never mixed with any other flavors, so I it was a new and different suprise. I think this flavor would grow on me if I had an entire scoop. Pavarotti is caramel, bananas, and chocolate chips. I had a traumatic experience as a child with some absolutely disgusting grocery-store-brand banana ice cream so I have it in my head that I despise banana ice cream, but I don't think I actually do. I like B&J's Chunky Monkey, and I liked this Pavarotti.
Now I will play a fun game where I pick the 15 Sebastian Joe's flavors I most want to try:
1) Basil Vanilla
2) Before Dinner Mint
3) Caramel Cashew
4) Chai
5) Chocolate Coyote (chocolate ice cream with cinnamon and cayenne pepper)
6) Dakota Berry
7) Honey Cinnamon Crisp (honey ice cream with cinnamon and graham crackers)
8) Immaculate Confection (Minneapolis vanilla, ginger, honey, and strudel)
9) Loco Coco (strawberry ice cream with coconut and cayenne pepper)
10) Nicolett Avenue Pot Hole
11) Pears Pernod
12) Surly Bender (Surly Bender beer and a hint of chocolate)
13) When Pigs Fly (Hint of maple, bacon, chocolate chips, and black pepper)
14) Grapefruit Campari Sorbet
15) Lime Basil Sorbet
But actually I just want to try them all.
We MUST go to this place when I visit you next week!!!
ReplyDeleteI mean ... let's be honest. Eating ice cream is ALL we'll be doing when you visit.
DeleteDo you remember the Jamaican Ginger Ale at the Gourmet Penquin in North Attleboro?
ReplyDeleteWas it soda or ice cream? Even if I don't remember it, it has had an effect on me: I won't drink ginger ale unless it's insanely spicy
Delete