Food Website Says Maine Has Best Ice Cream in New England

With the Fourth of July fast approaching, summer is in full swing all across the nation. This means summer camp, fireworks, outdoor grilling and, of course, ice cream. For those living in or traveling to New England this summer, RoadfoodDigest.com has just released its list of the top ice cream establishments in New England, according to a press release on PR Newswire.com.

RoadfoodDigest.com, which bills itself as "the definitive resources for reviews of great regional food from around the country," sent several New England contributors in search of the best creameries in the region. The reporters visited 50 local and independent ice cream establishments over a short two-week period, and determined that the best ice cream in New England was found in Maine.

The writers used several criteria in rating and ranking the creameries, and named the top flavors as well as the top hot fudge. Photos and individual reviews can be found on the Roadfood Digest.com website.

The title of Best Ice Cream Establishment in New England went to Tubby's Ice Cream of Wayne, Maine. "(Tubby's has) the most natural tasting and texturally pleasing ice cream in New England," RoadfoodDigest.com writer Stephen Rushmore, Jr. said in the press release. He went on to say that the tasting team most enjoyed the Tree Hugger Ice Cream, which is "like your mom's apple crumble" consisting of a "velvety textured maple ice cream, pleasantly interrupted by rolled oats."

The runner up was also a Maine creamery, Shaw's Ridge Farm in Sanford, Maine; their signature ice cream is the high-octane Grammy Shaw's Coffee Ice Cream. Third place was awarded to Herrell's Ice Cream of Allston, MA and its outstanding Chocolate Pudding Ice Cream.

The 50 creameries tested were graded on a scale of one through five "cones," with five being the highest and one being the lowest. Only four shops received five cones, the top three mentioned above and Sundae School in Dennisport, MA. According the magazine's website, the five-cone rating was awarded for "epic ice cream and fudge. World class, highly memorable, and only reserved for the very, very best. The kind of ice cream we could lick a bowl clean even if we started on a full stomach."

The full Top 50 list can be found on the magazine's website, complete with reviews of each creamery. The shops that received at least four cones are listed below:

Five Star
Tubby's Ice Cream, Wayne, ME
Shaw's Ridge Farm, Sanford, ME
Herrell's Ice Cream, Allston, MA
Sundae School, Dennisport, MA

Four Star
Buttonwood Farms, Griswold, CT
Dr. Mike's, Bethel, CT
Shady Glen, Manchester, CT
Christina's Homemade Ice Cream, Cambridge, MA
Emack & Bolio's, Orleans, MA
Rancatore's Ice Cream, Belmont, MA
Shaw Farm, Dracut, MA
Soco Creamery, Great Barrington, MA
Toscanani's, Cambridge, MA
Brown's Ice Cream, York, ME
Round Top Ice Cream, Damariscotta, ME
Toot's Ice Cream, North Yarmouth, ME
Bishop's Ice Cream, Littleton, NH

Sources:

PR Newswire, "What Better Way to Celebrate July 4th in New England than to Sample the Best Ice Creams in the Region?"
URL: http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=ind_focus.story&STORY=/www/story/06-26-2008/0004839522&EDATE=THU+Jun+26+2008,+10:12+AM

Roadfood Digest.com, URL: www.roadfooddigest.com