By Megan Bungeroth, Alissa Fleck, Rebecca Harris, Amy Michelle Smith and Amanda Woods

In honor of the scorching heat and National Ice Cream month, we scouted out a half-dozen frozen treat purveyors on the Upper East Side to find out who’s got the best sweet and cold desserts. Going off the beaten path of national chains, our tasters sampled an array of types—ice cream as well as gelato, sorbet and frozen yogurt—as well as flavors both classic and wacky to give our readers the inside scoop. But we want you to decide who’s got the very best frozen treats; vote for your favorite at nypress.com/best-ice-cream-ues.

Golosi Artisan Pizza & Gelato
1304 2nd Ave., 212-772-1169, golosi.com
Blueberry sorbet and cookies & cream gelato; small, $4
Flavor: 4
Inventiveness: 4
Value: 5
Brain Freeze Factor: 4
Melt Factor: 5
Presentation: 4
Creaminess: 3

Golosi is a small Italian deli-style restaurant on the Upper East Side with artisanal pizzas and an array of desserts. We tried the blueberry sorbet and cookies & cream gelato, and were impressed with both. The gelato was not hugely flavorful, but it had a light quality aided by the sparseness of cookie chunks, giving it a virtuous feel. The gelato seemed a little icier, for lack of a better description, than other gelatos, but was still smooth and tasty. The blueberry sorbet was delicious and had a fresh fruit flavor with bits of blueberry, reminiscent of a natural fruit pop. It had a stronger flavor than the gelato without seeming too sweet or artificial. Golosi has a variety of yummy-looking sorbets and gelatos, which makes choosing a difficult task.

Serendipity 3
225 E. 60th St., 212-838-3531,
serendipity3.com
Strawberry Fields Sundae, $15
Flavor: 3
Inventiveness: 3
Value: 2
Brain Freeze Factor: 3
Melt Factor: 4
Presentation: 4
Creaminess: 3

For those of you willing to spend 30 minutes waiting for a slice of a John Cusack movie, Serendipity is certainly for you. We decided to indulge out fruity side and try out the Strawberry Fields sundae. With rich strawberry ice cream, chunks of creamy cheesecake, strawberry topping and a fist-sized dollop of whipped cream, you would think that this would be a heavenly confection, right? Alas, the ice-cream-to-whipped-cream ratio played too far in favor of the latter, and the sticky strawberry topping wasn’t quite the refreshing treat I was hoping for. Considering the wait time and the curmudgeonly staff, this sundae really wasn’t worth the wait.

Emack & Bolio's.

Emack & Bolio’s
1564 1st Ave., 212-734-0105,
emackandbolios.com
S’moreo: One scoop vanilla ice cream with marshmallows and chocolate swirl on a sugar cone with chocolate sprinkles; $4.50
Flavor: 4
Inventiveness: 5
Value: 4
Brain Freeze Factor: 2
Melt Factor: 3
Presentation: 2
Creaminess: 5

This Boston-based parlor is a fan favorite on the Upper East Side, known for its unique flavor and topping combinations and super-premium ice cream free of genetically modified hormones. The shop is fun, colorful and clean, with quick, friendly service and quirky flavor boards. On the downside, its cramped space leaves something to be desired for big families or customers hoping to linger and eat. Emack & Bolio’s offers a wide variety of flavors with mixed-in toppings and wacky names, from Twisted Dee-Light to Space Cake to Grasshopper Pie. The ice cream itself is extra-creamy, and while $4.50 may seem a bit steep for a single-scoop cone, the product has a notably high-quality taste. This spot is definitely worth a try if you find yourself craving a sweet, satisfying dairy snack.

Yogo Swirl

Yogo Swirl.

1585 2nd Ave.
Self-serve: chocolate and cookies & cream with mini M&Ms, cookie dough, banana slices and hot fudge; $0.49 per ounce
Flavor: 3
Inventiveness: 1
Value: 3
Brain Freeze Factor: 4
Melt Factor: 4
Presentation: 3
Creaminess: 3

If you’re looking for a light alternative to ice cream, the Upper East Side is home to a handful of popular frozen yogurt joints. Unfortunately, this particular local shop boasts neighboring storefronts Pinkberry and 16 Handles, both of which—unlike Yogo Swirl—consistently have customers lined up out the door. Yogo Swirl offers extremely limited, traditional flavors and minimal toppings; plus, the banana slices were browning and the cookie dough was chalky. The store has comfortable, colorful, abundant seating, the yogurt itself tastes as good as any and you get your money’s worth at a decent price. Not to mention that if you want to avoid throngs of yogurt-crazed teenage girls, the place offers a far more relaxed environment than its neighbors. Still, with quality self-serve alternatives just next door, Yogo Swirl would not be our first choice.

Lexington Candy Shop.

Lexington Candy Shop
1226 Lexington Ave., 212-288-0057,
lexingtoncandyshop.net
Vanilla sundae with chocolate sauce; $7.95.
Flavor: 4
Inventiveness: 2
Value: 2
Brain Freeze Factor: 5
Melt Factor: 4
Presentation: 5
Creaminess: 3

This old-timey drugstore is about as authentic as it gets—they’ve been serving up sundaes, floats and shakes made with a vintage Hamilton Beach mixer at their Formica counter since 1925. It’s a great place to take kids, as they can watch the friendly staff put together sundaes in glass dishes and revel in the hot fudge of it all. We tried a classic sundae with vanilla ice cream and warm chocolate sauce, topped with a cherry (they were out of whipped cream). The ice cream, while a bit frosty, held up incredibly well against the hot sauce, melting just enough to make a delicious concoction. It’s a bit pricey for basic ice cream, but considering that you’re helping an outstanding Upper East Side establishment stay in business and absorbing a slice of old New York in the process, it’s well worth it.

Sedutto
1498 1st Ave., 212-879-9557,
sedutto78.com
Medium birthday cake ice cream with crushed Oreos; $6.25
Flavor: 5
Inventiveness: 3
Value: 4
Brain freeze factor: 4
Melt Factor: 4
Presentation: 3
Creaminess: 4

Sedutto calls its birthday cake ice cream one of its most popular choices, and it’s no wonder why. The ice cream, loaded with multicolored sprinkles and small pieces of white cake, will satisfy any sweet tooth. We stepped it up a notch by adding a pile of Oreo cookie crumbs on top, and if we closed our eyes, we thought we were eating cake and cookies. This is a hard ice cream selection, but that didn’t prevent it from being creamy. The ice cream stays solid for a while and didn’t melt significantly, even when we were almost finished with it. Other popular flavors at the shop, which also has a branch in Staten Island, include chocolate mint chip, cookies & cream, chocolate peanut butter hard yogurt and mocha chip fat-free hard yogurt. Sedutto even has an option for its older snackers: wine ice cream.

Don’t forget to vote at nypress.com/best-ice-cream-ues!

by Megan Bungeroth, Annie Denes, Whitney C. Harris, Jon Lentz, Adel Manoukian and Amanda Woods

In honor of the scorching heat and National Ice Cream month, we scouted out a half-dozen frozen treat purveyors on the Upper West Side to find out who’s got the best sweet and cold desserts. Going off the beaten path of national chains, our tasters sampled an array of types—ice cream as well as gelato, sorbet and frozen yogurt—as well as flavors both classic and wacky to give our readers the inside scoop. But we want you to decide who’s got the very best frozen treats; vote for your favorite at nypress.com/best-ice-cream-uws.

Screme Gelato Bar
2030 Broadway, 212-362-2111,
screme.com
One scoop coconut gelato; $5
Flavor: 4
Inventiveness: 3
Value: 4
Brain Freeze: 5
Melt Factor: 1
Presentation: 2
Creaminess: 4

This gelateria uses whole milk instead of the usual cream gelato is made with, a good note for those conscious about their weight. The tiny café holds a minimal amount of flavors that occasionally change and are all unique. If you want a refreshing mojito, look no further: The place has a virgin mojito sorbet. It tastes identical to the drink, with flecks of spearmint leaves. Other interesting flavors include butter cookie, chocolate chip cookie, Snickers and Madagascar vanilla. Screme’s most popular flavor is the chocolate sorbet, probably because it tastes like ice cream but with fewer calories. Their coconut flavor had a nice hint of vanilla. Better save this place for a hot day, as the ice cream is very chilly—yet still creamy as it melts in your mouth. Take your gelato to go; the place has limited seating and no tables.

Emack and Bolio’s
389 Amsterdam Ave., 212-362-2747, emackandbolios.com
Small salted caramel chocolate pretzel ice cream; $4.50
Flavor: 4
Inventiveness: 5
Value: 5
Brain freeze factor: 3
Melt Factor: 4
Presentation: 4
Creaminess: 5

Emack and Bolio’s is a tiny shop, but that didn’t stop many customers, young and old, from stopping in on a Sunday afternoon to grab a few bites of their award-winning ice cream. Emack and Bolio’s has received a Best Dessert in New York City title and a Fruit Smoothie of the Week designation, among others. We tried the salted caramel chocolate pretzel ice cream—though it may seem unusual to combine the sweet and the salty, this is a must-try. The flavors of the chocolate-covered pretzel and the caramel swirl mix well together, and the creaminess of the ice cream doesn’t take away from the pretzel’s crunchiness. No need to worry about melting—this ice cream remained solid and cold, yet perfectly creamy, several minutes into eating it. Try the shop’s popular “Sundae in a Slice,” which looks like a pizza slice, made with a brownie crust, vanilla bean ice cream, hot fudge and marshmallow. If you’re visiting with a group, be sure to try the Emack Attack, a gigantic 20-scoop sundae.

Grom.

Grom
2165 Broadway, 212-362-1837, grom.it/eng
One scoop each of dark chocolate, tiramisu and espresso bean gelato; one scoop of pink grapefruit sorbet; $8.25
Flavor: 4
Inventiveness: 4
Value: 4
Brain Freeze: 5
Melt Factor: 4
Presentation: 3
Creaminess: 5

The stark, clinical aesthetic of this Italian gelato emporium stands in odd contrast to the earth-hugger vibe the company brags about on the wall, proudly proclaiming their organic farm sourcing and recyclable and compostable materials. The flavors, too, belie the cold setting in their ingenuity and similarity to their namesakes. The dark chocolate gelato tastes exactly the way a premium chocolate bar would if it were somehow melted and frozen at the same time, with just a hint of bitterness. It’s best enjoyed along side a creamy, sweet flavor like tiramisu. The espresso gelato delivers a welcome jolt, and the egg-custard-based Crema di Grom flavor is delicious, if a bit too rich for a whole heaping cup. The sorbet selection is fantastic if only for its verisimilitude—the pink grapefruit is spot on and incredibly refreshing.

Épicerie Boulud
1900 Broadway, 212-595-0303,
danielnyc.com/epicerie
Pistachio-black cherry swirl, one scoop; $3. Dark chocolate and blue lemonade, one scoop of each; $6
Flavor: 5
Inventiveness: 3.5
Value: 4
Brain Freeze Factor: 5
Melt Factor: 4.5
Presentation: 3
Creaminess: 5

Start to finish, Épicerie Boulud is everything you would expect from Daniel Boulud. The décor is clean and modern, with the sleek gelato counter accessable from the sidewalk. The staff was friendly and, most importantly, the gelati were well-executed—creamy, flavorful and made with fresh ingredients. The pistachio-black cherry swirl, one of the most popular options, had the right balance of sweetness and nuttiness. Most surprising was the value. At $3 a scoop, you receive a sizeable portion of excellent gelato at the same price as an ice cream bar from a street vendor, making Épicerie Boulud well worth the trip.

16 Handles.

16 Handles
325 Amsterdam Ave., 646-861-1281, 16handles.com
10.7 oz of a Chocolate Love Affair-Coffee Break-Cookies & Cream blend, topped with brownie bites, cheesecake bites, chocolate-covered pretzels, cookie crumbs, Reese’s Pieces and milk chocolate caramel chunks; $6.05
Flavor: 4
Inventiveness: 4
Value: 3
Brain Freeze Factor: 4
Melt Factor: 3
Presentation: 5
Creaminess: 2

If you’re a control freak when it comes to frozen treats, rest assured: 16 Handles allows you to be the master of your own dessert destiny. This self-serve, pay-by-the-ounce frozen yogurt paradise lets you decide what, how much and in what delicious design your cold concoction is prepared. Not one to normally mix and match, I flew “off the handle” and combined three froyo flavors with myriad toppings, creating a symphony of chocolate, caramel, peanut butter and beyond. If you’re a fruit fanatic, 16 Handles offers green apple tart and pomegranate raspberry, begging to be topped with blackberries, kiwi, mango and more. But the urge to indulge needn’t be tempered—nutrition info is displayed above each flavor. Plus, without having to wait for some college kid to muscle your scoops into a cup or cone, you’re in and out of the store faster than you can calculate the calories.

Momofuku Milk Bar.

Momofuku Milk Bar
561 Columbus Ave., 347-577-9504,
milkbarstore.com
Pink lemonade soft-serve; $4.50. Pretzel milk shake; $6.
Flavor: 2
Inventiveness: 4
Value: 2
Brain Freeze Factor: 4
Melt Factor: 4
Presentation: 4
Creaminess: 3

Momofuku Milk Bar, known for its inventive baked goods and addictive pastries, also serves a limited menu of soft-serve ice cream and milk shakes. Sadly, the Upper West Side outpost of the much-talked about East Village original did not live up to the hype. The pink lemonade soft-serve was far too sweet and tart, tasting more like a powdered mix than real lemons and sugar.
The pretzel milkshake, made with cereal milk soft serve, pretzels, salt and chocolate, was too thin and tasted like a melted fudge pop, with just a hint of the cereal milk flavor.

Don’t forget to vote at nypress.com/best-ice-cream-uws!

The Jersey Shore may have gained planetary recognition thanks to the infamous MTV reality show, but the world has yet to hear about Jersey’s latest trashy celeb. I am referring of course to Governor Chris Christie, whose latest stunt involved a testosterone-filled altercation with a passerby.

Gov. Christie, who was casually enjoying an ice cream cone along the Jersey Shore on Thursday, apparently lost his temper after a man made a negative comment about his stance on education.

Christie, who was surrounded by his family and what appear to be bodyguards, called out the unfortunate passerby, screaming “You’re a real big shot running your mouth off.”

“Just take care of the teachers,” the man replied. Christie, who did not want to see this insolence go unpunished, turned around and aggressively walked towards the man, shouting “Keep walking away! Real good, keep walking…”

Someone recorded the scene and the video was made available on TMZ the next day.

This is not the first time that Christie’s explosive temperament makes headlines. A week earlier, the New Jersey Governor had insulted a reporter by calling him an “idiot” after being asked an off-topic question.

While part of the public appreciates Christie for his honesty and outspokenness, many see this latest stunt as taking it a step too far: A poll held by nj.com found that over 80% of respondents thought Christie’s tirades made New Jersey look bad. A similar poll has yet to be held for Snooki.

The exhibition chronicles the history of the Grateful Dead, and features original artwork, documents, performances and much more from their archive housed at the University of Santa Cruz.

Admission to the exhibit is $12 on 2-for-1 tickets, and will run until September 5.