Spumoni
So I have a confession to make: I don't like spumoni. Now wait, all ye olde Brooklynites, hear me out. I've never had spumoni before, and I'm 30. So unlike a lot of people whose introduction to spumoni was at age two on a hot day in Brooklyn, mine was at age 30 on a hot day in Brooklyn.
First, let me describe the iced beast itself. Spumoni, at least the large bonbon sized one we purchased at Court Pastry, is sweet, almost sickeningly sweet. It's like eating a big mouthful of frozen sugared cream. This particular spumoni also had a rather strong flavor of cinnamon (and not rum as apparently some spumoni contains).
My two tasters and I immediately imagined sugar-cracked-out-children at a birthday party jumping around with glee before and after servings of spumoni. Maybe it was that image alone that caused me to cringe as I dug into the encased candied fruit and nuts. Whatever it was, call me a hipster-yupster-grupster-newbie, but I will take a good neighborhood Italian ice or gelato any day over another serving of spumoni.
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I totally agree. I bought my first piece/hunk of Spumoni from Court Pastry last week and was really disappointed. Living in Carroll Gardens/Cobble Hill, I probably shouldn't say this, but it was way too sweet and crammed with disgusting cinnamon candies. I think I'll stick with gelato and Italian ice.
Wow, I do remember spumoni from when I was a kid. I've never been one for super sugary sweet things, but I remember liking (or at least getting very excited about) it. It seems that now, after it vanishing from my life for 20-something years, the taste left in my mouth is just horrible though - or maybe it's just because of that photo. :P
If you want that sugary rum taste, a scoop of Zuppa Inglese gelato is much better.
Thiis post reminds me of Neopolitan ice cream, which my grandmother called, and still calls "Napoleaon" ice cream.
I had it at the right early-childhood age, yet never took to the clown-colored candied fruit inside.
I like spumoni. You just have to get it at the right place. Go to L&B Spumoni Gardens on 86th Street in Bensonhurst.
and while you're there, don't forget to try the pizza. i hear it's great!
I owe it another try I guess. I've been meaning try Spumoni Gardens for their supposedly incredible pizza - I'll be sure to get a side of Spumoni and re-think my first impression.
... and make sure you don't order the Spumoni Gardens' pizza with any nonsense fancypants toppings.
lol... yeah, and make sure you don't blog about it ;)
spumoni gardens' pizza isn't as amazing as it's rumored to be. the standout factor is that on the sicilian (square) slices, there's almost no mozzarella - it's all sauce and parmesan cheese and very doughy (but yummy). as for the spumoni, it's really a tricolor (chocolate, pistachio, vanilla) gelato. actually, more of a tricolor ice. but it is tasty. what i enjoyed most there was the house salad - very fresh, and the vinagrette was delicious.