COLUMN: Hard ice cream can make good shakes
As a child my dad always tried to convince me he could make a shake that was as good as any shake made at the local drive-in. “I’ll even add malt flavoring,” he would assure me. To him malts were 100 times better than shakes.
No offense to my dad and his valiant efforts, but his elbow grease could never beat the creamy goodness of the soft ice cream served at the Iceberg Drive-in.
After much prodding and whining he would usually give in and take me to get the creaminess I desired. No one could convince me that a soft-ice-cream-quality shake could be made from hard ice cream.
This all changed three years ago during my first two semesters of college at my old stomping grounds – BYU.
Like most college students, my roommate and I had hit a point in our studying where we couldn’t move the pen any further. Our brains were fried and we needed something to help us take our minds off the problems at hand. That is when we found out about the beauty of The Creamery. And creamy it was.
The best part about the shakes made at BYU is that they were made with hard ice cream. They had proved my theory about my dad’s malts wrong and had easily surpassed the quality of the shakes found at the drive-in near my home.
So, in search of the perfect shake here in Cache Valley, I set out on an excursion to find something comparable to satisfy my ice cream urges.
No. 5 Hogi Yogi (1010 N. Main St.)
Normally, Hogi Yogi would be near the top of my list, but compared to the other candidates it just didn’t measure up. It is always creamy and the price per quantity ratio is pretty good. I opted for the ice cream ‘yogi’ this time just to stay with the theme. Unfortunately, I found the ice cream left an unusual aftertaste usually not found in the yogurt version of the ‘yogi’. I am also not too fond of the sound the spoon makes when it scrapes the bottom of the plastic foam container.
2 1/2 shakes
No. 4 Charlie’s Supreme Ice Cream (1219 N. Main St.)
I strayed a bit from the shake theme on this one because I thought the brownie sundae looked good and it would be easier to share with the girl whom I was treating. It proved itself correct on both accounts. The sundae certainly did look good, which is where Charlie’s gets most of its points, but I should have gone with the shake. Once I got past the cherries, whipped cream, chocolate syrup and brownies I found the ice cream truly was supreme, but they should have given us more than two scoops.
2 1/2 shakes
No. 3 The Bluebird Restaurant (19 N. Main St.)
I have to be perfectly honest on this one – the shake was about as good as those my dad used to make, but for $2.55 plus tax the price can’t be beat. The thing I fell for here was the ambiance of this restaurant from the early 1900s. Personally, I wouldn’t recommend Bluebird if you are looking for a quick mid-studying snack, but the old-fashioned soda fountain is perfect for a date or a “night out on the town” as my early, 1900s dad would say.
3 1/2 shakes
No. 2 Cold Stone Creamery #132 (505 E. 1400 N.)
It’s store No. 132 for a reason folks. Cold Stone hasn’t been around as a business for very long, and with ice cream like that I can see why stores are popping up everywhere. The prices are a little steep, not ideal for a college community, but you certainly get what you pay for. Go for a pint. It is probably the best value and you can get two flavors with two mix-ins instead of only one of each. The ice cream is smooth and rich, and the workers are friendly and ready to serve. Don’t forget to take advantage of the little trash cans set aside for your ‘dirty little sample spoons’.
4 1/2 shakes
No. 1 The USU Dairy (750 N. 1200 E.)
The dairy offered the closest thing I could find to the ice cream perfection I found at BYU. In fact, I think it’s exactly the same stuff. The ice cream tastes delicious and it doesn’t hurt to have a roommate who is one of the two male ice cream scooping people who isn’t stingy with the servings. As we all know the prices could be a little better, but they don’t call it ‘world famous’ for nothing. Ice cream this good has to come with a price. If you are looking for thick and creamy like me, the large hard-ice-cream shake is the way to go. And just a little hint – tell Kenny I sent you and ask him not to add milk.
5 shakes