Emack & Bolio's Ice Cream Store in NYC, NY

We were walking on the Upper West Side and looking for an ice cream shop when we stumbled upon Emacks and Bolio. I admit that I thought it was some ice cream parlor with innovative creative flavors rather than an established company founded in 1975 in Boston with a concept, three years before Ben and Jerry’s. Its founder, Robert Rook was a music lawyer who worked with Aerosmith, Boston, The Cars, U2, James Brown, and Al Green, as well was an advocate for the homeless, and it is apparently two homeless men who asked him to give his shop their names. The first shop was a sort of underground place where musicians could hang out late at night as the laws in Boston at that time forced clubs to close at midnight. So Robert got the idea to rent a space in a basement, install an ice cream machine, and then ask his friends to come and hang out, listening to acoustic music. Learning this, I understand now why there is a guitar in their decor and the place on the Upper West Side kept a hippie feel.

It’s is a very small place with only few seats inside and a bench outside, but the proximity of Central Park is perfect. As you enter, you cannot not notice the cones that are dipped in various ingredients like rice crispies, sprinkles or choco puffs. The first one I tried had nutella and rice crispies, the second (not the same day!), choco puffs. It looks decadent and creates a thick wall to contain the ice cream and helps me avoid having some of it dripping on my shoes. Decadent but a bit hard unfortunately and you pray that none of your teeth will get stuck. If you prefer regular cones, they also propose them.

Their ice cream flavors are definitely not classic besides the vanilla with vanilla specks or maybe the creamy strawberry ice cream that is probably not that usual. No, they have choices like the Cosmic Crunch that is vanilla with caramel swirl, chocolate chips and pecan crunch or Oreo (original Oreo or even more decadent, the S’moreo that is their take on S’mores).

If you are vegan, they also have few flavors like the vegan toasted coconut Ice cream, made with coconut oil, coconut extract and toasted coconut flakes.

Vegan toasted coconut ice cream at Emack & Bolio's Ice Cream Store in NYC, NY

The ice cream is creamy and decadent but I would not go for the cones beside the chocolate sprinkles. Emack and Bolio is good, but I admit that I prefer Ben and Jerry’s or even Coldstone where you can make your own decadent mix. Mine is vanilla ice cream, Graham cracker, caramel and pecan. What is yours?

Enjoy (I did)!

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Emack & Bolio's Ice Cream Store - 389 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY 10024

Jean-Philippe Gerbi