The gridiron at the opening of the annual Jimmy Fund Scooper Bowl was simply grueling. The conditions were bleak, with the temperature in the fifties and a slight drizzle fluttering in from every which way. Most of the competition that fills the fenced-off court in previous years was gone, leaving the pavement at Government Center slick. Despite the uneasy conditions, with potential to lose one's grip, balance, or feeling in one's extremities at every turn, those with guts of steel and gullets of gargantuan strength made it out for all the tough licks and delicious hits at the Scooper Bowl.
Bostonist was one of the few that persevered through the cold infiltrating his body from the outside and in. As the unusually cold-for-June rain fell down, Bostonist felt the need to try and fill his empty stomach with every odd ice cream creation on the field.
And there were any number of odd creations. Chief purveyor of odd ice-cream flavors is the usual offender: Baskin-Robbins. This year the BR vendors featured a neon-colored concoction called Rock 'n Pop Swirl that screamed "nuclear waste - do not eat!" However, Bostonist delved into a cup - for the sake of science - and uncovered a rather non-offensive mix of grape and green apple sherbet. Unfortunately, the inclusion of pop rocks-like candy set of an odd crackling in the back of Bostonist's throat that left a, ahem, bad taste in his mouth. Fortunately, Baskin-Robbins' York Peppermint Pattie hit the spot, a nice minty pick me up that wasn't overburdened with sugar.
Other memorable odds 'n ends flavors came in the guise of Ben & Jerry's and Garelick Farms. The former offered up any number of chunks-of-things crammed into ice cream (or the other way around) that looked enticing. Bostonist enjoyed a little spoonful of "Goodbye Yellow Brickle Road" - which mostly contained a large piece of brickle candy garnished with chocolate ice cream - and Oatmeal Cookie Chunk, a collection of humble oatmeal cookie pieces that offered a nice juxtaposition combined with sugary-sweet cinnamon ice cream. Garelick Farms' Lobster Tail was sprinkled with red pieces of candy that tasted like Whoppers and added an unusually rich flavor to the mixture of fudge, chocolate, and vanilla.
Bostonist sampled only a few more scoops during the course of his tenure at the Scooper Bowl before the cold permeating his body began to affect his ability to stand still. Sure, it was tough, as fellow ice cream lovers shielded their bodies from the harsh weather to reach out and grab that cup of mint chip or coffee ice cream. These ice cream lovers are the gladiators of gastronomical gauntlets, the warriors who would go to extremes to get their ice creams. In the face of rain and stomach pain, they pushed through everything for that last, undiscovered scoop of dairy delight. They were the real winners yesterday, and will continue to persevere through the rest of the summer.
The Scooper Bowl continues through tomorrow, from 11 am to 8 pm at Government Center. Check it out, if you think you're tough enough.
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