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!