Cones - scooponcones.com

the scoop on cones

This ice cream shop on Bleecker Street is a West Village institution, and it’s easy to see why. It offers 32 flavors of hand made ice cream, including lots with a Brazilian flair: Mate tea, Andean Blackberry, and Corn, which is advertised as a Brazilian favorite.

On a recent visit, we were tantalized by a new flavor: Kumquats with Johnnie Walker Black Label. A sign on the display case warns that the liquor is so expensive and the process of macerating the kumquats in whiskey is so laborious, that this flavor costs twice as much as the others. Even a sample taste costs $1.

We couldn’t resist.

The pleasant woman behind the counter steered us toward having a taste first — it is exploding with Johnny Walker. This is truly a 21-and-over ice cream.

More reflective of our drinking tastes, we actually preferred Cones’ other boozy flavor, Zabayone. It has Marsala wine (a sweet Italian white wine), egg yolks and cream, styled after the dessert of the same name. The wine flavor really shines in this delicious ice cream.

And we absolutely loved the Corn ice cream, which had lots of kernles mashed in. If it’s hard to imagine, think of how corn bread is sweet and lovely. Our scoop was topped with a dash of cinnamon at the suggestion of our helpful server -- we never would have thought of it, but it was fantastic.

Our only criticism is that they give only two samples, so choose wisely.

Hours: 1 p.m.-11 p.m. Sunday-Thursday; 1 p.m.-1 a.m. Friday-Saturday

Price: $4.36 small cup (one flavor)

Special Diets: Sorbets are nonfat

Phone: 212-414-1795