Most of you in Austin know Amy's, but for those not from here, this is one of those Austin institutions that subscribes to the slogan Keep Austin Weird in both culinary creativity and showmanship.
I typically head to Amy's thinking about what kind of ice cream and topping concoction I'm going to get, and why not? They are the masters of the marble slab. But it seems that more often than not I'm drawn toward one of their special flavors, which change daily, and to those I don't add a thing, just trying their flavors for what they are. I tried their pumpkin ice cream a few months ago, which could very well be the best ice cream flavor I've ever had, and more recently have tried Shiner Bock, Guinness, Thin Mint, and Mexican Chocolate Cayenne, all fantastic. I also had the pleasure of sampling their Garlic ice cream a couple of weeks ago. I figured this would be a nice roasted and caramelized garlic flavor, more sweet than pungent, but I was dead wrong. May as well have been a frozen raw garlic clove, because that's exactly what it tasted like. I had a tiny sample of it, and it was on my breath for three hours. So kudos to them for nailing it, I just don't think I'll be ordering that one anytime soon.
Tonight I got to thinking back to a combination I've wanted to have, and with the only really out there special flavor tonight being Patron tequila, I opted to go with my creation.
I'll back up a second and tell those of you who don't know a little about the shop. These guys love what they do, and its as much of a show as it is a refreshing snack on a hot day or a dessert to end the evening. I knew tonight was going to be a good trip when I arrived and one of the employees, armed with a scooper with a ball of ice cream on it, was leading a customer, equipped with a small ice cream cup, out and across the street to play a little pitch and catch across three lanes of traffic and a parking lane. One toss, underhand, twenty to thirty feet in the air, across all those lanes, right into the cup. Well done.
Inside they continue the tricks, flipping scoops and scoopers up and around and over and in, finishing by handing you some of the best ice cream in town. Here's what I mean:
And those are just the basics.
Now, back to the ice cream. Tonight I went with Mexican Vanilla ice cream folded and mashed with fresh strawberries and oatmeal cookies, topped with hot fudge. Yes, and thank you for asking. It was every bit as good as it sounds.
Summary
Atmosphere: funky ice cream shop
Food: ice cream, shakes, sundaes
Dog Friendly: yes
When to Go: hot afternoon, after dinner, late
Crowd: everyone
What to Order for the First Timer: Mexican Vanilla
No comments:
Post a Comment