General Greene Ice Cream

After reading in Grub Street today that, "General Greene is following in the footsteps of Jacques Torres and opening an ice-cream cart… Five flavors will be on offer at any one time, rotating throughout the summer (‘Additional flavors will be added as we come up with them!’). There may be a test run as early as this weekend —look for scoops of burnt-honey vanilla, pistachio mocha chip, pretzel salted caramel and chocolate banana with peanuts," I just so happened to be in the neighborhood and sampled some. $3 bought me two scoops in either a cup or a cone. In an attempt to compare them with two well-loved Haagen Dazs flavors in my house, I went for one scoop of pretzel salted caramel and another of burnt-honey vanilla in a cup.

The pretzel salted caramel was a little too heavy on the salt and a little too light on the caramel and I wish the pretzels had been crunchier. Between it and Fleur de Sel Caramel, Haagaen Daz wins hands down. I mean their version has chocolate! I don't think I'd get this General Greene flavor again.

The burnt-honey vanilla, on the other hand, was a dream! Rich honey flavor, but not too sweet. There was a subtle distinction between the honey bites and the vanilla bites, unlike in Haagen Dazs' Vanilla Honey Bee, which all tastes like honey and vanilla and is a little too sweet for my liking. Aside from the General's lightly powdery texture (Emily liked it, thought it tasted homemade), I call it the winner.

So we're at a draw.

I guess I'll have to go back (if I'm in the neighborhood, not worth going out of my way) to try the other flavors. Matcha pistachio was on the menu tonight and Haagen Dazs makes a mean Pistachio and Green Tea!