In summer, we all scream for you know what
It will happen soon, if it hasn't already: The dog days of summer will send us to the local ice cream stand. If all we truly wanted was the decadent dish itself, we could easily bring home a few quarts and toppings from the nearest grocery store. Yet we seek the stands over store-bought fare for the same reason we watch movies in the theater instead of on TV: to enjoy the classic experience of summer.
There are ice cream stands galore across the northwest suburbs. Here are three of the best.
Kimball's Farm Ice Cream & Country Store (400 Littleton Road, Westford; 978-486-3891; kimballfarm.com) stands out for its history and products, as well as sheer entertainment value.
Co-owner Peter Kimball explains that his grandparents Clara and John Kimball started the ice cream business in a wing off their house in 1939. Peter's mother was also involved in the business, and his cousins, aunts, and uncles are still active in it.
A driving range, which opened in the summer of 1990, was later expanded into a nine-hole pitch-and-putt. Two 18-hole miniature golf courses were added in 2001. There is also a small pond with bumper boats.
But the real attraction is ice cream. Kimball's has about 45 flavors available at any given time, and fond memories of such combinations as mocha almond fudge, and coffee Heath Bar crunch linger decades later. A small cone or dish costs $3.45, and a large $3.80, but words don't come close to describing the huge portions.
The specialty dishes are best consumed by members of a ravenous football team after practicing double sessions. A noteworthy dish is the behemoth Kimball's Special ($5.85), with mounds of ice cream and toppings.
The atmosphere is a lot more bucolic at Carlisle's Great Brook Farm Ice Cream (247 North Road, 978-371-7083), in a secluded state park.
Children can feed and pet the sheep, goats, cows, and pigs. There are also ducks and chickens to watch. The ice cream stand is a bit of a hike from the parking lot, on well-groomed trails.
There are 63 flavors of ice cream, plus sherbet, sorbet, and regular and nonfat yogurt.
My companion ordered the classic banana split ($5.75) with three scoops of ice cream. For the traditional flavors of vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry, he substituted vanilla, coffee (very strong), and pistachio.
Out of curiosity, I ordered a Monday Sundae ($4.25) and received two scoops of ice cream with hot fudge between them, served in a waffle cone. I had the options of whipped cream, nuts, and a cherry. I chose two specialty ice creams: cake batter and chocolate with peanut butter pieces swirled in. It was hard to distinguish the flavors because of the hot fudge sauce, though the ice cream avoided the pitfalls of being too sweet or heavy.
Another stand where location makes all the difference is Heritage Farm (163 Pawtucket Blvd., Lowell; 978-459-0802; members.aol.com/heritageic), which overlooks the Merrimack River.
Owner Bob Howard says Heritage has been in business since 1978. Howard used to run his father's place, Dean Dairy in Waltham, and insists, "There's no such thing as a bad flavor of ice cream."
There are two dining rooms, and young people flock here during the summer for motorcycle nights, classic car nights, and kids' shows.
The price of a medium ice cream is $3.41. Heritage offers two signature sundaes, each $5.75. The Cookie Monster is made with Oreo cookie ice cream and cookie dough ice cream with three chocolate cookies in it, covered by mounds of fudge sauce . The PB&J Split, which includes a banana, "is like eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, except it's all ice cream: strawberry and vanilla, with peanut butter and strawberries and marshmallow on it," says Howard.
Heritage Farm offers an extensive selection of entrees, such as veal cutlet parmesan, and a huge array of hot dogs.
Diligent about comparing ice cream dishes, I opted for a Mississippi Mudslide ($4.50). This item had the consistency of a milk shake rather than the thicker New England-style frappe. The non alcoholic concoction mixed White Russian and Mississippi Mud ice creams with coffee flavoring and milk, piled with whipped cream and a cherry. The shake dribbled all over my hand when I picked it up, though it was satisfying.
My companion chose a small cone ($2.75) of birthday cake ice cream, which was yellow and filled with confetti-like sprinkles. The consistency was smooth and creamy and indeed, tasted like cake batter, which is probably a bit too sweet and rich for most adult palates.
We brought home two pints ($4 each) in other flavors. I preferred Snickers, light chocolate ice cream with small bits of the candy bar mixed in. There wasn't a strong Snickers taste, but there was a pleasing ratio of nuts and solid chocolate to ice cream.
We also tried Maine Bear Creek: a vanilla base, swirled with caramel and chocolate-caramel candies, in which the contrasting swirls were robust.
