The End

And with that, we're done!

Everybody with much fuller stomachs!

And so, having officially tried the signature products from each and every ice cream and frozen yogurt store in the main part of town, I guess I'm qualified to give my recommendations. Our findings are:

• Most unique flavor experience: Bent Spoon's unusual flavors and textures (esp. the sorbets) will give you something to think about. Runner up is Thomas Sweet's Blend-In, though some might find the texture off-putting.
• Least unique flavor experience: Thomas Sweet's ice cream was pretty unremarkable, though still enjoyable. Twist and Fruity Yogurt have pretty similar taste.
• Best ambience: Halo Pub's rustic feel is very charming, although the family-friendly atmosphere of Thomas Sweet was also pleasant. Between the frozen yogurt places, Fruity Yogurt was more cheery.
• Best deal: Halo Pub's prices are pretty unbeatable. Fruity has a marginal edge over Twist in price per ounce.

But these are far from unanimous opinions. Each person in our group had different preferences, and even when our favorites lined up they were often for different reasons. Really, it all comes down to what YOU enjoy best, and what you might be in the mood for. And each shop has more than enough options within the store to make your head swim. 

Although I hope this blog was enjoyable to read and maybe helpful in providing an idea of what's out there, I encourage you to take a tour of your own--maybe not all in one day like we did, but to give each location a try at some point if you can. You don't know what lines up with you and your personality until you taste for yourself.

Thomas Sweet

Thomas Sweet (often called T-Sweets for short) was our final stop; as a result, we might have been a little sarcastic in evaluating its products:

Still, we enjoyed the experience, starting with the fun-house mirror standing against the wall.

The overall feel of the store actually fit in more with our idea of what a small town ice cream shop should be like: the tiled floor, the painted mural of happy customers, the open lawn and picnic tables right outside. It definitely felt like a place the community could gather around on a Sunday afternoon; Ryan said it felt like being "back home," a sentiment I also felt.

The painted mural. How cheerful!

And here's what it looks like outside on a Sunday afternoon!

And that image is, in fact, exactly what Thomas Sweet's website seems to claim. Founded in 1979, Thomas Sweet has boasted "super premium ice cream on-location, using only the finest local ingredients. " The flavors are varied, the servings are large, and the prices not unreasonable: Ryan purchased a single-cup sized cone of Rum Raisin for $3.75 and was very happy with the quality-cost ratio. But he also said it was pretty "typical" as far as ice cream went.

Thomas Sweet also sells a few basic frozen yogurt flavors, as seen on the menu, but it's signature product is its "Blend-In," a creamed-up combination of an ice cream and up to 3 toppings of your choice. Usually a single flavor and topping costs $4.50, but we were armed with coupons: the Evans got Mint Chocolate Chip blended with Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, and Christie and Michelle shared Chai blended with Heath Bar. 

Lots of choices!

The magic blending machine!

A grey and lumpy Mint Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Blend-In

 To be frank (and also to quote Frank), the Blend-In did not look particularly "appetizing;" Evan C. went as far to liken the color to "concrete." The consistency also caught everyone off guard initially, but once we got over the initial "weirdness" of it, as Evan M. put it, the taste was sweet and smooth. It was a good thing we shared, however, because nobody felt they could have finished one by themselves. While the uniform blended nature makes it unique, there may have been a little too much uniformity for the amount of ice cream in the cup, making it almost tiresome to get to the bottom.

It is also worth noting that Thomas Sweet sells hand-crafted chocolates and cakes, though we tried neither. Thomas Sweet has another location in Palmer Square that only sells these (no ice cream) and several other locations in New Jersey and in Washington DC, making it the only ice shop not unique to Princeton.

Conclusion for the Hungry: Thomas Sweet offers an atmosphere that would make anyone nostalgic for the neighborhood ice cream store of their childhood, even if they never had one. The ice cream itself is not expensive for its quality, but the thing to try here is the Blend-In. It takes some getting used to, and there might be a little too much in even the smallest serving, but the experience is uniquely refreshing. Share a cup with a friend and eat outside!

Check them out here!

Fruity Yogurt and Twist

Fruity Yogurt and Twist both sell essentially the same product: frozen yogurt (often called "froyo") and toppings by the ounce. Being so similar and only three blocks apart, they are most directly in competition and most customers seem to have a clear preference of one over the other; therefore, I thought it'd be more appropriate to consider them side by side in the same post.

Unfortunately, I only got videos from our trip to Fruity Yogurt:

But that doesn't mean we can't compare the experiences!

As one can tell by the signs outside, both shops appeal to the customer's personal touch with the notions of "self-serve" and pay by the ounce. Both boast a huge array of rotated flavors: on any given day, there are 8 choices at Twist and 12 at Fruity Yogurt. From Twist, we tried Mango, Blueberry Acai, Eurotart, Pink Lemonade, and Peanut Butter; we found them refreshing but the flavors somewhat subdued in taste. Michelle also deemed the Pink Lemonade a little "odd," though she couldn't pinpoint why.

The day's flavor's at Twist

By the time we got around to Fruity Yogurt most of us were too stuffed to eat anymore; however, we got a cup of New York Cheesecake, which was, again, refreshing but not strong tasting. I came back with another friend later in the week and we chose Mango (since it's such a froyo staple), Green Mango, Strawberry, Passion Fruit, Pomegranate, and Honeydew. The flavors were again not particularly strong but still unique, and we appreciated the variety of fruit-based flavors.

NY Cheesecake from Fruity Yogurt, with Oreos, fruit Bobas, and wafer-sticks .

The happy, colorful spoons are a nice touch for Fruity Yogurt!

The toppings are myriad as well, with everything from fresh fruit, granola, nuts, candy, syrups, and most interestingly "Boba balls" which explode juicily in your mouth (Ryan sure was surprised when tried one). Both places offered plenty to pick from, although Fruity had a few more interesting things, like the wafer stick-rolls.

Fruity Yogurt (left pics) also seems to have a sense of humor

Furthermore, Fruity Yogurt offers shaved ice, in both the Hawaiian style (juice flavored) and Asian style (all-you-can-fit toppings), and Bubble Tea. The latter is particularly popular with students, since it comes sealed and can be brought back to campus in a book bag. Evan C., Michelle, and Clement shared their Guava flavored tea and enjoyed it immensely.

Both also try to sell their product's healthiness: Both boast "live and active cultures"--which I suppose must be a good thing, though the idea of living stuff in my yogurt is kind of weird -- and an overall low-calorie, low-fat (thus low-consequence?) experience.

Twist is very detailed about its yogurt's nutrition

Fruity Yogurt goes for a bit more loud generalization, though the sign has more info

 What differs significantly between the two shops is the atmosphere. Fruity Yogurt is brightly colored and modern-looking, with high seats that encourage small groups and couples to sit down for a few minutes and enjoy their frozen treats. However, the "open" feel of the store also encourages the average passerby to walk in, get what they want, and walk right out again.

Twist, on the other hand, boasts a long, cavernous layout with plush lounge chairs, board games, and even a piano. Walking in to get your froyo, however, seems like more of a commitment because of how far you seem to walk to get to the actual yogurt. The furniture, while "hip," seems less amenable to the younger, more fleet-footed customers. As the sign in front says, the place also offers free Wifi and a few students were definitely taking advantage of that, curled up with books and a laptop in a corner seat. Still, the overall vibe felt more appropriate for a sports bar, and less for a store that sells light, summer-weather desserts.

So long!

Twist seems to want us to stick around for a while...

Conclusion for the Hungry: In terms of yogurt taste and variety, there is little to differentiate the two shops, although Fruity Yogurt has a couple more froyo machines, and thus a couple more options per day. But Fruity seems to boast a slightly better price per weight, and the Bubble Tea and shaved ice are nice non-dairy options. Fruity Yogurt's environment also seemed more open and cheery, though Twist's spacious chair space might make a good place to hang out or work for a long period of time. Overall, it seems, Fruity Yogurt has everything Twist can offer and then some--including its famously colorful spoons.

Check out Fruity Yogurt here, and Twist here.

Halo Pub

After Bent Spoon, we walked a couple blocks down Palmer Square to Halo Pub. Halo Pub is part of a small set of "ice cream taverns" owned by Halo Farm, a local dairy established in 1975.  Walking in, I felt like I had been transported back half a century; it had a rustic, "small-town general store" look and feel. In addition to a good deal more space to stand, the connected "Halo Fete," which sells ice-cream based cakes and such, has several old-timey booths and tables. This time, we stayed inside and drank in the atmosphere while enjoying our ice cream.

Pics taken from a Sunday when it was more crowded, but its clearly a popular place!

The Halo Fete

 According their website, the ice cream is "made from our own milk and cream. We believe it is better than any other super premium in the world, and at half the price. We offer more than 45 flavors of our all natural ice creams ... no stabilizers, colors, artificial flavors, gums, preservatives!" Indeed, the main thing that students and townies seem to like about Halo Pub is its reasonable prices. After coming from Bent Spoon, I was shocked by how much ice cream was in a one "scoop" container (4 oz.) at the price of $2.00. ($4.95 gets you three (!), and if you don't need much $1.50 gets you half) And perhaps it was just the way it was packed into the cup, but the ice cream was so dense I had trouble scooping it out with my spoon.

Clear Prices: 1 Scoop $2.00, 2 Scoop $3.75, 3 scoop $4.95

Toppings

Chocolate Butter Pecan!

There were also way too many choices, but we finally ended up getting a small Chocolate Butter Pecan, a small Coffee, and a(nother) chocolate milkshake. The ice cream was rich and substantial, and the chocolate shake was remarkably light but still extremely flavorful. At the same time, the experience was not particularly revolutionary. The Chocolate Butter Pecan tasted just like chocolate ice cream with an infusion of pecans; coffee yielded no surprises either. And on a side-by-side comparison of the chocolate shakes from Bent Spoon and Halo Pub, James found them equally enjoyable but the former more unique.

Conclusion for the Hungry: Halo Pub's ice cream is unfairly good for the price. While the flavor selection is not as exotic as The Bent Spoon's, there is more than enough to choose from and the combination of quality and quantity should leave no customer unsatisfied with their visit. Plus, Halo Pub itself is a joy to sit down in and drink in the scenery!

Check them out here!

The Bent Spoon

This place has a cult following.

The line goes out the door! (Pic is from a Sunday, though)

If you ask any student here where the best ice cream is, most will say The Bent Spoon, or at least give it an honorable mention. first opened in 2004, it has a reputation for exotic flavors, exorbitant prices, and tiny (but perfectly straight and functional) spoons. In addition to their ice cream and sorbet, they also sell a handful of home-baked goods as well as apple cider from the local Terhune Orchards (www.terhuneorchards.com). 

Located in Palmer Square in a tiny little building that has enough customer room for two chairs, a bench, and tiny table, The Bent Spoon is "cute" (as Frank says) and cozy. The lines frequently go right out the door, and after we walked in a good dozen piled in behind. That was a little too cozy for our 9-person group, so we sat right outside in Palmer Square itself, which most customers do anyway. 

The extent of the indoor seating right here.

Marscapone and Black-Raspberry-Plum. Mmm!

 The flavors are novel and change from day to day: among them, we tried Mocha Chunk, Creme-Fraiche, Black Raspberry-Plum, Pistachio, and Mascarpone (an Italian cheese, pronounced \mas-kär-ˈpō-(ˌ)nā\ and nicknamed "Master Pony" by Evan C.), and James got a Dark Chocolate milkshake. The ingredients used are mostly local and organic ingredients, and we could really taste and feel them: actual fruit and nuts and mocha wafers in the ice cream, adding zing and zest and crunch and cringe (the saltiness of the pistachio bits caught me off guard). Ryan tried good ol' Vanilla too, and declared it "just what you'd expect." But all other flavors surprised us with their "richness" and "intensity," expanding our idea of what ice cream could actually taste like.  

The price tag, though is steep: $4.50 for a "small," which is two clementine-sized scoops (of one or two flavors).  James' shake was $5.75! We ended up splitting smalls in pairs, which was a good strategy, since it allowed as to try a ton of flavors. And as Frank noted, the small spoons actually help you enjoy the ice cream better and longer.

Conclusion for the Hungry: This place is unique and deserves the hype. Pricey though it may be, this ain't Edy's: making the most of The Bent Spoon means trying their unusual and ephemeral flavors in small quantities and savoring them with that tiny spoon. The shop's homey decor is a plus for dates, but if you've got a big group make sure you go on a sunny day--there's no room inside at all!

Check them out here!