While you’ll almost always find a line at this COVID-pop-up turned regular-weekend-affair, it’s expedited by a little-white-hat-wearing shopkeeper offering samples. The flavors pay homage to the history of immigrants in the Ridgewood neighborhood. For example, the Waldmeister (Germany sweet woodruff, a vanilla-like herbal) and Mak (Polish “poppy seeds”) are available in June, when the Linden trees in the area are in full flower. This micro-shop is a little bit whimsical, with its orange puppet announcing the flavors for Saturday and Sunday on Instagram. —Jessica Sulima
Locations: Chinatown, Lower East Side Kips Bay Flushing Long Island City Downtown Brooklyn
What to order? Soft serve in ube flavors, of course.
The most difficult part about ordering at Soft Swerve is picking which flavor you want—not because there is an overwhelming number of choices, but because each one is so delicious, you won’t be able to choose which is your favorite. The benefit? You can’t go wrong. Although they have a number of delicious hard-packed flavors, I always gravitate towards the soft serve. It is where they excel. They serve a delicious rendition of my current favorite ice cream flavor (ube), which pairs well with black sesame—the almost marshmallowy sweetness and the sesame nuttiness being the perfect complements. While I usually stop to revel in the flavors of the soft serve alone, the red velvet or chocolate waffle cones are decadent add-ons, and there are a plethora of toppings to choose from to personalize your treat, from cereal marshmallows and Reese’s Puffs to bite-sized Mochi rice cakes. —Jamie Spain
Location: Chinatown
What to order? Lá Chuối (Banana leaf)
At this Vietnamese natural wine bar—which comes from the same team behind neighboring Mắm and Greenpoint’s Đi Ăn Đi—you could get really nerdy about which rice wine pairs well with fish sauce caramel ice cream, or you could just enjoy an unlikely scoop with a little bit of a buzz. A chalkboard presents the rotating list of house-made flavors (expect a few sellouts) which can include the Lá Chuối, a pungent banana leaf that’s earthy and sweet, the Hoa Cúc, a chrysanthemum for floral ice cream lovers, and the Phô Mai, a creamy cheese inspired by Laughing Cow, the French provision that became a cultural staple in Vietnam. —Jessica Sulima
Glace, Courtesy
Locations: Upper East Side, Rockefeller Center
What to order? Everything…except their waffle cones, their soft serve brown butter specials or any of their frozen hot chocolates.
