Results tagged “icecream”

            

Social networking sites can serve a purpose besides hooking up with former classmates or empowering a populace as they protest against a despotic government. Via modern word-of-mouth, about 500 people gathered in an Union Square parking lot on a hot Saturday afternoon to sample (and sample and sample) delicious ice cream from some of the best local purveyors of cold treats.

If you're wandering Harvard Square tonight or this weekend, look for a pink truck doling out free ice cream. Ciao Bella, a new gelato brand that Oprah has dubbed as one of her "favorite things," is taking a get-to-know-you tour across the country, giving out 100,000 free scoops along the way. They'll be stopping in Boston this weekend, where the "Ciao Bella Swirl", their signature neon-colored vehicle, will be serving flavors like blood orange sorbet, coconut sorbet, blackberry cabernet sorbet, pistachio gelato, maple ginger snap gelato and vanilla gelato.

The 26th Annual Jimmy Fund Scooper Bowl began today, offering Bostonians a slight reprieve from the heat with all-you-can-eat ice cream from 11 different creameries. The event runs today until 7pm, Wednesday from 11:30am to 8pm, and Thursday from 11:30am to 7pm, and adult tickets are only $8. All proceeds go to the Jimmy Fund for cancer research and treatment at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

--Sacre bleu! Beamer drivers like finding items at the town dump! [Boston Globe]

--The thought of Massachusetts drivers plus a U-Turn that's open to the public makes us skittish. [WBZ]

We were in Detroit for the weekend, and the most frequently asked questions about Boston were "What happened in the Super Bowl?" and "Is that Big Dig thing finally finished?" The latter is easier to answer: No.

While we assume that not everyone who planned the Big Dig were drinking at the time they did it, the news that the design prevents inspection of the bolts makes us wonder. Casey Ross at the Herald (who is afire lately with the MBTA ride-hide story) reports that not enough crawl space exists around the bolts. Even if inspectors wanted to check the ceiling bolts, they couldn't fit:

It was the rarest of rare occasions: a Beanpot final that didn't involve BU. Instead it was Boston College and Harvard, with the Eagles leading by two midway through the third period. BC almost blew it before taking control in overtime and winning on a Nick Petrecki goal. So two overtime wins for Boston College. And a very relieved Jerry York. BU beat Northeastern in the consolation game.

Valentine’s Day is coming up next week and women everywhere are shopping like crazy to find the perfect outfit for that special date. So what about all of those single girls who have a whole lot of nothing planned for that evening? Many of them will do the generic, sit home in sweats, eat ice cream out of the container, and curse their friends who are part of a couple. Bostonist would like to recommend to the readers to stop being like Andrea Zuckerman, when Kelly asked Brandon out to the spring Dance before Andrea got the nerve to put the spoon down, put the ice cream back in the freezer, and get out there.

The mayors of Boston and New York City, Mayors Menino and Bloomberg, are engaging in the standard "friendly wager" based on the outcome of the Super Bowl. If you compare the two lists, it's pretty clear which city has the better food options, and we're not talking about the Big Apple here:

This afternoon, the Globe reported that Cambridge ice-cream store Toscanini's is back in business. After the state seized the store for nonpayment of taxes, the owners raised enough money online to give to the state and reopen.

Highland Kitchen is a little off the beaten path—it’s situated somewhere in the no man’s land between Davis Square, Porter Square, and Union Square. But with a laid-back vibe, delicious Bayou-influenced food, and a fantastic cocktail menu, it’s well worth the trek. And if you don’t want to hoof it, never fear: There’s parking in the back, if you’re lucky enough to snag a spot. Bostonist went on a recent Saturday night to check out the new restaurant, owned by former Green Street Grill chef Mark Romano.

After much fanfare, Bechtel Parsons/Brinckerhoff has agreed to settle a lawsuit from the state and will pay $407 million. Smaller companies involved with the Big Dig will pay $51 million.

One of your favorite childhood treats is all grown up now.

Gus Rancatore, owner of Toscanini's, which was seized by Massachusetts for nonpayment of taxes, is launching an effort to save the beloved ice-cream store, and he's taking his efforts to the media.

Update: The Cambridge Chronicle hopped right on it and, while they couldn't reach the owner, things aren't looking so good for the burnt caramel: "Toscanini’s Ice Cream, a mainstay for cool treats in Central Square since 1981, may not ever open again, and its owner, Gus Rancatore, owes the state’s Department of Revenue more than $167,000 in back taxes." (Thanks, Ron!)

Fact that the Big Dig was considered "over" last month: Priceless

The pumpkin was amazing - the flavor was very strong with just the perfect amount of spice. It was certainly a nice seasonal departure from standard ice cream flavors. Next we tried the White Russian which was decadent and creamy; we would be seriously surprised if anyone could discern that it was non-dairy without being told. While the Pina Colada flavor was not our favorite of the bunch it had a nice bright tropical flavor with chewy bits of coconut. Finally, the Chocolate Chocolate Chip is one of their most popular flavors and we can certainly see why. The ice cream tastes wonderfully rich with just the rich amount of thick crunchy chocolate bits.

If Elvis Presley were still alive, he’d be turning 73 today. In honor of the King, one of J.P. Licks' flavors of the month is banana ice cream with hand-swirled peanut butter, inspired by the ingredients in his favorite deep-fried sandwich. Never ones to turn down an excuse to eat ice cream, even in January, Bostonist tried out "Elvis’ Favorite." We have to hand it to J.P. Licks: Their ice cream impersonations are always dead on. (Sometimes with frightening results.) The banana flavor is strong, and perfectly complimented by the sweet, salty, smooth ribbons of peanut butter. The only way it could be closer to Elvis’ famous sandwich is if it was deep fried. But it’s great as it is, a perfect high-calorie tribute to the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll. Photo by Lisa Scanlon.

The Big Dig began in 1991. 14.8 billion dollars, hundreds of besmirched reputations, and one casualty later, the Big Dig is finally wrapped up. Well, at least officially. We'll be feeling the repercussions for a long time. To borrow a phrase from Rob Corddry's visit to Boston, we've earned our merit badge for corruption.

Beauty and the Geek: For the next-to-last episode, the teams traveled to wine country for an "I Love Lucy" challenge. They had to pick grapes, stomp them, and bottle grape juice--while tied to each other. Despite the disturbing sight of Big Dave and Little Jasmine hunkered over each other while stomping grapes, the pair won the challenge, prepared three bottles of grape juice laced with Eau de Foot, and guaranteed themselves a spot in the...

MUSCLES Jokers Of The Scene @ Hearthrob Middlesex Lounge 315 Massachusetts Ave. Cambridge, MA 9pm - 1am 21+ / $5 MySpace: Muscles MySpace: Jokers Of The Scene MySpace: Hearthrob The UK-based Modular Records is fast becoming one of Britain's most important electronic music exports on a global level. Now, Klaxons are one of the biggest indie bands to carry the dance party torch, uniting it with the rock venue atmosphere and audience. Stepping up...

The seemingly invincible Ted Kennedy has left Mass General after his surgery to repair a partially blocked artery in his neck. His recovery sounded a lot like what Cindy of the Brady Bunch went through after she had her tonsils taken out: "By Friday afternoon, doctors said Senator Kennedy was sitting up, eating ice cream and drinking ginger ale. He planned to watch the Red Sox game Friday night." Even though they won Friday night,...

When Bostonist heard that J.P. Licks’ October flavors include not just predictable seasonal favorites like pumpkin and caramel apple, but also a whole series of Thai-food-inspired ice creams, we had to give them a try. The Thai iced tea had a nice consistency—perhaps from the addition of condensed milk—but it had a milder tea flavor than we hoped for. If you hadn’t told us it was Thai iced tea, we might have mistaken it for...

Honest-to-goodness Nobel Laureates, along with a few non-Laureates, indulged their silly sides on Thursday night when Harvard University hosted the 2007 Ig Nobels ceremony. The Annals of Improbable Research magazine (that sounds like something Dave Eggers would have thought up) grants the "Ig Nobels" for achievements in "unusual and imaginative scientific discovery." Here's a list of this year's winners in all the Ig Nobel fields from the Guardian UK: Medicine: Brian Witcombe of Gloucester and...

For a town that has a good number of vegetarians, Boston has surprisingly few vegetarian restaurants. Luckily, some of our favorite restaurants have veggie options that make even the most devoted carnivore think twice about their order. Chief among them is Mediterreanean- and Arabic-influenced Oleana’s six-course vegetarian tasting menu. Bostonist has tried it out several times, and it is never exactly the same twice—it varies from night to night with what’s fresh and best, and...