Best of the City 2010: four ways that humble ice cream is made magnificent
Banana Split
Oddfellows
936 Queen St. W., 416-534-5244
Diners at the chic communal table struggle bravely to retain an air of ironic detachment in the face of three scoops of rich, smooth house-made ice cream—chocolate, vanilla and strawberry—sprinkled with berries and toasted nuts and perched atop halved bananas and a chewy brownie. $12.
Cream Soda Float
Origin
107 King St. E., 416-603-8009
As pink and frothy as a sweet 16 party, the concoction’s deep blush comes from Crush cream soda and a spurt of grenadine. The float arrives in a beer mug, the soft‑serve ice cream mingling with the soda to create something not quite liquid, not quite solid, and all delicious. $9.
Sicilian-Style Ice Cream Brioche
Xococava
1560 Yonge St., 416-979-9916
A fancy take on an ice cream sandwich, Xococava’s sweet, flaky brioche envelops one of a dozen house-made flavours. Our picks: Ontario strawberry, Madagascar chocolate and a phenomenally intense pistachio. Available Saturday and Sunday. $5.75.
Hot Fudge Sundae for Two
Trevor Kitchen and Bar
38 Wellington St. E., 416-941-9410
A lusty brownie lurks beneath a pile of peanut brittle, caramel-drizzled scoops of house-made vanilla ice cream, hot fudge and a pillow of sweet, vanilla-flecked whipped cream. Eat fast, before it becomes a soupy mess. $13.
(Images: Jay Shuster)
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Best of the City articles:
Best of shopping
Best bathing suits
Best of sports and recreation
Best nighttime hot spots
Best of places for home help
Best beauty services
Best of food
Best brunches
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If you like these ice cream servings be sure to come to the Toronto Hot+Spicy Festival, August 13-15 at the Toronto Harbourfront. Jake Albert’s will be there serving up our delicious Sweet Habanero Glazes, Fuego Rojo (Pomegranate Habanero) and Fuego Azul (Wild Blueberry Habanero) on rich vanilla ice cream all weekend long – samples are free! I promise you will love the combination of hot sauce on ice cream after this.
Stop by and say hi!
For many people in my area of the city, it is quite the distance to travel often for some delicious frozen treats.
In Ottawa we also have a few good places that make ice cream.
I reviewed Malak Pastry for my blog:
http://prettytastyreviews.blogspot.com/2010/07/malak-pastry-gelato-and-ashta-ice.html
At Malak Pastry the owner makes all the fruit sorbets with actual fresh fruits and not concentrates like man other shops around here.
I’ve spoken to the store owner quite a few times as I buy sorbet there weekly.
Truffle Treasures is also on Bank Street.
Their sorbet is good,but some like Blood Orange are too strongly flavored.
I was told they use fruit concentrate and the ice creams are not made in store, but locally made.
One difference I noticed about the sorbet at Truffle Treasures is that it was very fluffy like soft serve almost.
It was still good.
The chocolate gelato at Truffle Treasures was not very chocolaty compared to others I’ve tried.
There is also an ice cream stand at the Lansdowne farmers market on Sundays and the girl there makes all the ice cream by hand and has very exotic flavors like chocolate goat milk.
Urban Pear restaurant also makes their ice cream and sorbet in house and last week they had a strawberry and basil sorbet.
When I go to Toronto this year I will be sure to sample the places in this article.
Look I’m surprised there isn’t an Italian gelato place named??
Sorry this sure is all different than gelato places in Vancouver. Mondo Gelato, and a few others.
The espresso poured over housemade gelato at Libretto needs to be on here. So simple but transports you to an icy hot heaven. Yes, that’s the correct oxymoron.