History, The Daily Feed

Smithsonian Snapshot: Good Humor Truck

Photo courtesy of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History

This week’s Smithsonian Snapshot helps us to herald in the start of summer. Good Humor, the well-known “ice cream on a stick,” was created by candy-maker Harry Burt in Youngstown, Ohio, in 1920.

His first candy invention was the Jolly Boy Sucker, a lollipop on a stick. While working in his ice cream parlor, Burt created his own recipe for a smooth chocolate coating that would be compatible with ice cream. His daughter Ruth performed the first taste test. Although it tasted good, Ruth thought it was too messy to eat. To solve this problem, Burt took the advice of his son, Harry Jr., who suggested freezing wooden sticks used for the Jolly Boy Sucker into the ice cream as handles. He named his new creation the Good Humor bar, capitalizing on the belief that a person’s “humor” or outlook on life was related to the humor of the palate. Burt immediately sent the patent to Washington, D.C.

From the beginning, Good Humor bars were peddled in gleaming white trucks by salesmen in white uniforms. By the mid-1930s, Good Humor bars were sold throughout most of the country. The pictured 1938 Chevrolet truck is believed to have operated in the Boston area.

Business and Money, Essential DC, Food and Drink, Life in the Capital, News, The Daily Feed

Georgetown? More Like IceCreamtown.

Photo courtesy of
‘Thirty #115’
courtesy of ‘Chris Rief aka Spodie Odie’

With today’s opening of Georgetown Scoops, the NW neighborhood officially became IceCreamtown with 8 ice cream/froyo shops located all within a .5 mile radius of each other. The question now becomes when can you have too much ice cream? My answer today would be absolutely never.

The Daily Feed

31 Flavors for Just 31 Cents!

Photo courtesy of
‘Baskin Robbins’
courtesy of ‘Dahi(‘-‘*)’

We all remember growing up on 31 flavors…Baskin-Robbins that is, so why not stop in to one of their locations for some good ice cream and an even better cause?  Tonight from 5-10pm participating stores will celebrate 31 Cent Scoop Night to honor our country’s firefighters.  Not only will you be able to grab some ice cream for just 31 cents, but you can actually make a difference too.

The Baskin-Robbins Community Foundation is donating $100,000 to the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF).  The NFFF is an organization dedicated to the memory of fallen American firefighters and the prevention of future deaths of firefighters on the job.  Some locations will even give you the chance to donate to your own local fire charities.  So don’t be afraid to exercise your sweet tooth tonight, it will all be worth it!

Adventures, Business and Money, Food and Drink, Life in the Capital, Special Events, The Daily Feed

Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream Happy Hour

Photo courtesy of
‘mmm…free goo…’
courtesy of ‘philliefan99’

If you missed last week’s Free Cone Day don’t fret, because the Ben & Jerry’s in Georgetown is throwing ice cream happy hours from 4-7pm. The happy hour special is 3 scoops for a mere $3.  That’s an uber steal considering scoops normally go for $2-3 a pop.  With the fantastic sunny and warm weather predicted for the next few days, let’s trade up our HH beers for some HH Cherry Garcia.

The Daily Feed

Free Food Alert: Ben & Jerry’s Free Cone Day is Today!

Photo courtesy of
‘a free scoop can gather a crowd’
courtesy of ‘philliefan99’

You know that spring has arrived when Ben & Jerry’s Free Cone Day is here!  Today from noon to 8 PM, stop by a participating Ben & Jerry’s scoop shop to get a free ice cream cone in your favorite flavor.  All four of DC’s Ben & Jerry’s stores are participating, so head out to one of these locations:

Keep in mind that lines may be long, but that free scoop of Phish Food or Peanut Butter Cookie Dough will be totally worth it!  Let us know in the comments how long you had to wait for your scoop.

Food and Drink, News, The Daily Feed

Serendipity coming to Georgetown

Photo courtesy of
‘Fried Oreo Sundae at Serendipity 3 at Ceasars Palace’
courtesy of ‘joanna8555’

Serendipity 3, that most New York of institutions, is opening a location in DC.  K Street Kate reports that the popular restaurant chain will be taking up in Nathan’s old location on Wisconsin and M in Georgetown.  Prime real estate, to say the least.  If you’re not familiar with Serendipity, it’s an ice cream shop of sorts that is famous for its huge (I’m talking punch bowl size) portions.  They’re particularly well known for their frozen hot chocolate, which is really something that you’ll just need to try.  And yes, it is in that movie Serendipity.  The developers are hoping to have the restaurant open by the end of spring.  I’d wager that it’ll be an instant hot spot.

Food and Drink, The Daily Feed

Sweetgreen Expands: Fourth Location to Open in Logan Circle

Photo courtesy of
‘Tim and the Sweetflow Mobile!’
courtesy of ‘Carly & Art’

Last week, sweetgreen announced that construction had begun on their fourth location in the city. With bustling Bethesda, Georgetown and Dupont stores, in addition to a successful sweetflow mobile truck, the new 15th and P Street endeavor is off to a running start.

The former Georgetown students who created the “fast-casual dining” concept have high expectations for “the coolest sweetgreen yet!” In just a few months, they’re making it easier than ever for us to get our daily dosage of their all-natural salads and frozen yogurts.

Now all we need is an organized walkathon between the four stores. Load up on veggies and yogurt. Walk to the next one. Repeat. Unless we can catch a ride with that truck?

Essential DC, Food and Drink, Life in the Capital, The District, The Features

Frozen Treats: DC’s Best Creameries

Photo courtesy of
‘Saturday Road trip’
courtesy of ‘gregoirevdb’

They tell me the first step is admitting you have a problem. So here it goes: I am shamelessly, hopelessly, horribly in love with ice cream. Now, I say ice cream, but in actuality, ice cream is a pretty generic term for what I really mean – frozen treats. I don’t care if it is gelato, custard, actual heavy-cream ice cream, or even italian ice. As long as it is sweet, and frozen, it qualifies. My partner in crime for ice cream loving is my friend Melissa, who has the genius idea to host an ice cream bar at her wedding. She’s the only one who truly understands my love. We’ll talk about going to a Nat’s game, and the first thing out of our mouths will be “OOOOH DIPPIN DOTS!” It’s a passion, not just a hobby, people.

So when I was informed that July is National Ice Cream Month, well, then, fine. That sealed it. I had to share with you, my dear We Love DC reader, my favorite ice cream (loose term) eateries in the city.
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Food and Drink, Fun & Games, The Daily Feed

Ice Cream > Taxes

Photo courtesy of
‘Maggie Moo’s’
courtesy of ‘Marusula

I’m not sure I’ve properly shared my obsession with ice cream on this blog. I adore ice cream. I worship at the house of Moorenko’s, specifically the salted praline. Boccato Gelato on Clarendon is a close second. In fact, I’m even a fan of ice cream on facebook. So free ice cream is even more exciting to me than other free food items. (Chop’t salad, I’m looking at you. You wilt in comparison.)

I’m happy to share with you that on Tax Day, you can be the recipeint of  one free single-scoop of ice cream at Maggie Moo’s. DC has more than our fair share of “treateries” so find one near you and head on over April 15. I’ll be right behind you.

Alexandria, Arlington, Food and Drink

We Love Food: Summer’s Last Stand

Ice Cream Desert, taken by Lotus Head (Creative Commons)

Ice Cream, taken by Lotus Head (Creative Commons)

I love this time of year.  The chilly evenings go really well with the beautiful warm days.  The leaves are about to turn colors.  And, just about any week now we are going to get another famous DC Indian Summer.

When Indian Summer hits all I can think about are all the summer things I want to do one last time.  And that means only one thing:  I’m going to be jonesing for some Ice Cream.

So, to help out everyone in DC, I’ve compiled a short list of three great places where you can get your fix.

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Adventures, Alexandria, Business and Money, Food and Drink, Fun & Games, Special Events, The Daily Feed

Ice Cream (Anti) Social

DSC_0444
courtesy of Ben

So Tom points me to an announcement on Cold Stone Creamery’s website, regarding their promotion of two new flavors and their partnership with the Make-A-Wish Foundation during the month of September. And apparently, tonight is also the 7th Annual World’s Largest Ice Cream Social at all CSC locations from 5-8 p.m, where they’re giving out free ice cream. (Icecreampocalypse, anyone?)

I totally don’t have anything against M-A-W; my sister was a recipient of theirs a year before she passed away. I do, however, continue my lingering grumpiness with the Alexandria CSC location. (They’ve still not sent coupons or called to apologize!) If I could have a wish resolved from M-A-W, it’d be “I wish this CSC would have a faster line!

Food and Drink, The Daily Feed

Durian Ice Cream Recipe to Beat the Heat


Durian by US Pacific Basin Agricultural Research Center

Okay, so it’s not quite a scorcher today but you should make this recipe now in preparation for the big heat wave that is surely on the tail of this cold front. My friend Grace of Fearless Cooking TV asked me for the recipe after hearing that I was so brave as to make durian ice cream. What? You don’t like durian? Shame on you! You can use any other fruit instead, but not with the same unique flavor and scent.

You will need to follow your ice cream maker’s instructions on how to do it precisely, but here are the ingredients I used to make a quart of ice cream:

  • 2 eggs
  • 2/3 cup sugar
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla
  • 2 cups cream
  • 2 cups durian pulp (substitute other fruits if you can’t hang with durian)

Beat together the eggs and sugar until it’s good and creamy. Then mix in everything else, put it in your ice cream maker and when it’s done, just freeze it for a day or so. It’s easy and delicious. Want to try durian ice cream? Just let me know. I have a quart of it and my lovely wife won’t go near it.