By Hannah Tiller, Editor in Chief
@hannahtcourant
As summer is fast approaching, the season of ice cream is also approaching! The sweet treat is a staple of my childhood and surely something I reach for almost every day of the summer. But, with our ice cream shops being so spread out and so varied, I thought it was necessary to go on a journey to find THE BEST ice cream place to go in Fairfield County when you are craving perfection.
I decided to embark on this journey with my childhood best friend, Shannon Jordan. I knew that she would not tap out at one scoop and would be surely down for the adventure. We started off locally, right in New Canaan.
Gofer Ice Cream New Canaan
In the center of our town, Baskin Robbins used to draw in families from all around with its vibrant ambiance and high value in the New Canaan community. However, when Anna Valente-Krolikowski set down the scoops to retire after many years of dedication, Gofer Ice Cream came in to fill in the empty store. Opening May 20th, 2020, Gofer welcomed in New Canaanites to their store, filling the sad, empty hole of desire for ice cream.
Shannon and I went just days after their opening. With quarantine orders, one party was only allowed in the shop at a time. We waited, then walked in and ordered a classic- vanilla soft serve on a cone with rainbow sprinkles. Looking around, the store was surely not as vibrant as Baskin Robbins, but then again they had just opened. Each cone ended up around 5 dollars, which is expected in a town like New Canaan.
We then dug in! The ice cream was creamy and was a well flavored vanilla. They gave us just the right amount for what we ordered, ample sprinkle-coverage (which Shannon and I HIGHLY care about), and fresh cones. The cone reminded me of my childhood, when melted ice cream all over my hands did not matter. I really enjoyed its classic flavor.
While the ice cream was definitely delicious and classic, I can’t say I was really impressed or surprised about it. Here are my ratings for Gofer’s Ice Cream experience:
Ambience/ Vibe: 6/10
Ice Cream Taste: 7/10
Sprinkle Coverage: 9/10
Would I recommend Gofer? The short answer is yes. I think there’s a lot more for me to explore in terms of flavors and the convenience of Gofer is something I cannot deny!
Scoops and Smiles Ice Cream Shop
Scoops and Smiles Ice Cream Shop is located on 926 Hope Street in Stamford. It really is hidden back there, but nonetheless Shannon and I went into it hopeful. The store was fairly empty, featuring tile flooring, a mural on the wall, and a clean look. My favorite part was a hanging chair that looked like an ice cream sandwich! We had a short wait, then ordered. For me, I was craving mint chocolate chip, which I ordered in a cup with (of course) rainbow sprinkles. Shannon ordered cookies and cream with chocolate sprinkles in a cup.
The ice cream brand they were serving was Hershey’s ice cream. In Ohio, my family and I often frequent the Hershey’s Ice Cream store, so you could say I was a little excited. I got a small cup and paid $4.60 (with tax), which seemed a little high, but then again we are in Fairfield County.
At first glance, I cannot say I was wildly impressed with the sprinkle coverage. In sarcasm, Shannon said, “There’s really like four sprinkles on here.” Tasting the sprinkles alone, they were a little off in flavor, with a more snappy texture than we would usually go for. We moved on, speaking momentarily about the environmentally friendly wooden spoons they gave us (which is a plus in my book).
I took my first bite and was also not as enthused as I thought I would be. Sure, ice cream is delicious… but maybe it was just my flavor? I felt it was a little low on chocolate chips and was mildly reminiscent of toothpaste. The texture of the ice cream was also a little hard as if it had been sitting in the freezer for too long. Shannon’s cookies and cream was good, but she said, “This is not my 10.” Here are our ratings:
Ambience/Vibe: 6.5/10
Ice Cream Taste: 7/10
Sprinkle Coverage: 3/10
I would probably not go out of my way to go to Scoops and Smiles again. They probably have better flavors, but I was simply not wowed.
Mr. Frosty’s Ice Cream Shop
We next ventured out to Mr. Frosty’s Ice Cream Shop, which is at 6 1st Street, Norwalk. The first thing we noticed as we pulled up was that the area was nice and near the water- an undeniably great place to eat ice cream if you’re looking for a view. It was also Coronavirus-friendly, being a walk up store front rather than walk in store. We were also delighted to see outdoor patio seating with 6 foot distance between tables.
Given a huge variety of flavors, many of which were creatively named, Shannon went for the “Brookie Dough” with chocolate sprinkles in a cone and I went for “Swamp” plain in a cone. The flavor I picked really had everything you could want in an ice cream- cookies and cream ice cream with chocolate chips, m&m’s, and (possibly) caramel. I don’t remember the exact price for each cone, but it was approximately $6.50. Then again, Mr. Frosty’s had their own unique flavors and we did get large ice cream cones.
Eating out on their patio with the ambience of palm tree-like plants and pop music was definitely positive on my list. As for the ice cream itself, it was a sugar bomb. I can’t complain though! I did order a jam-packed full candy flavor! I would definitely want to go again and try another flavor as they had a huge variety. Picking apart each layer of flavor in the ice cream was impossible. Shannon also enjoyed her cone and the sprinkles that she got. The employees really helped us out too by giving us a spoon with the cone (it was a hot day so the ice cream was melting).
Ambience/Vibe: 9/10
Ice Cream Taste: 8.5/10
Sprinkle Coverage: 9/10
Let me tell you, we were down to eat the whole cones. The combination of the patio, aesthetic of the storefront, and the large menu really made the experience great. No, it did not get all 10’s, but we both want to go back very soon! We think it is worth the drive and little splurge.
Sunny Daes
On our next journey, we embarked to 30 Riverside Ave, Westport to try Sunny Daes. Many people know this as the ice cream shop with he cow statue in the front, which we were surprised to see wearing a surgical mask! Go Sunny Daes for supporting healthy habits in this pandemic! Anyways, we were there for the ice cream, not the cow. We went in to the store and were welcomed by the sweet smell of ice cream and nostalgic pastel colors of older ice cream shops. The store was modern and well kept, with all ice cream (and gelato) flavors full.
Something I appreciated about Sunny Daes was their array of cones. Not only did they have waffle cones, but they had many kinds that were dipped in chocolate and sprinkles or crushed m&m’s. A sweet young lady took our order with enthusiasm. Shannon got a waffle cone dipped in chocolate sprinkles with mint Oreo ice cream and chocolate sprinkles on top. For me, I got a waffle cone dipped in rainbow sprinkles and moose tracks. We both got the smallest size and were given a cup and spoon with it (at request).
We decided to eat in my car to avoid breaking 6-foot social distance respects, but there was great outdoor seating if that’s what you like. We ate quickly after the anticipation of waiting for ice cream all day. The flavor of Sunny Daes was so rich and the ice cream was so smooth. After finishing the cones, Shannon said, “I think we need to update our ratings because we were talking about it and I think we spoke a little too soon.” I agreed and we re-evaluated. The flavor was beyond great and it was almost a dollar less than the Mr. Frosty’s cone we got. We discussed and agreed on the following scores, noting the flavor of Sunny Daes as the shining star:
Ambience/Vibe: 8/10
Ice Cream Taste: 9/10
Sprinkle Coverage: 9/10
Without a doubt, Sunny Daes ice cream was the best ice cream that we had had so far. We had to put aside our leanings towards Mr Frosty’s for their ambience to really focus on the ice cream to realize that Sunny Daes was most worth it. I’m not even going to lie… we went back in to get more! We got gelato (which I won’t rate for the purpose of focusing on ice cream, but know it was delicious too). I hope to go back to Sunny Daes soon to get a high quality cone. I’ll probably take my friends and family too!
Overall
After synthesizing all of the ratings, Shannon and I decided what we liked best about each place. For those looking for the best tasting, high-quality ice cream, Sunny Daes is likely your best bet out of the local stores we visited. But, if you want an experience and exciting vibe, the trip to Mr. Frosty’s is worth it. As for Gofer or Scoops and Smiles, if you’re craving ice cream and are looking for a convenient place to go if you’re nearby, definitely go. It’s hard to mess up ice cream, to be honest! It’s just the major ice cream lovers like Shannon and myself who would take the time to pick apart each ice cream. But hey, at least you know where’s best for you to go when you want a delicious, cold treat!
Bonus Video
Note that we missed Gofer Ice Cream in this video! We decided to make a more casual video of some of these places to show what they looked like, but did so after our first trip. Our apologies!
