Closing of a Season

At last, Fall is here for real! How do I know? Not only because the weather has finally dipped down to the 50s and 60s ( yay!) and I now get to use my heated seats (yay again!) but also because a local tradition is shutting down for the close of the season.

When I moved out to Suffolk I was introduced to Ralph's Famous Italian Ices. Now, I don't believe that everything that claims to be famous actually is, however, these ices certainly deserve their fame. Overall I'd say ices aren't particularly high on my list of crave-worthy desserts, however my opinion has certainly changed since trying Ralph's.

I thought there was just one little ice shop, but I soon discovered that they are all over the Island, not to mention Queens, Manhattan, New Jersey ( not near my parents) and Staten Island. Ralph's proudly displays their story in each store of Ralph Silvestro, who came to the US from Italy and started the first store in 1928.

You can buy the ices in 3 different sizes or take home a pint. In my opinion, they are far better "fresh" from their freezers than if they sit at home in my freezer for a while. The flavors are truly awesome. I started with a simple cherry, which might be the best cherry ice I've ever eaten, then tried some other more interesting flavors. Currently my favorite is the peanut butter cookie dough. The ices with dairy in them, like that one, have a unique texture somewhere between ice and ice cream. Many of the fruit flavored ones have actual bits of fruit in them, as the cherry does.

This weekend was the last open weekend of the year so I stocked up with mint chocolate chip and PB cookie dough. Other flavors include cantaloupe, sour cherry, root beer, bubble gum, island punch, java chip, lemon, chocolate, canoli, black cherry cheesecake tons more. According to the flavor list, the ices with dairy are considered sherbert. So long Ralph's! Maybe I'll see you next year!

Mint chocolate chip

Peanut Butter Cookie Dough