As we march toward July 4, summer’s bounty of mouth-watering, frozen treats are on display. Who doesn’t love the house-made, churned ice cream you might find at spots like Ice Cream Social, Ice Cream Chick, Mann’s Homemade or Smusht, all of which can be found on Newsday’s Best Ice Cream list? There’s the array of colorful, icy delicacies found around the world; think Korean bingsu, Filipino halo-halo, Indian lassis and Mexican paletas, at Fly Me to the Moon, Guiradelco, Varli Street Indian Kitchen or Mexicandy, respectively. But for this cold dessert collection, we’re going straight for the supreme of ice cream indulgences, the sundae.
Siblings Rocco and Angelina Imbriano, of New Hyde Park, have the Cookie Dough Bathtub Sundae at Manny’s Sweet Treats. Credit: Linda Rosier
An American creation, the sundae is said to date back to the late 1800s when religious parameters forbid eating ice cream sodas, or drinking soda in general, on Sundays. As a workaround to that rule, parlors began serving ice cream scoops with an array of toppings from syrups to whipped cream to rainbow jimmies, or sprinkles … on Sunday. Unsurprisingly, the idea quickly caught on, and by the 1900s the ice cream sundae — changed to a new spelling to distance the treat from any religious affiliation — had become an entrenched part of American dessert culture.
For many Long Islanders, mention ice cream and they immediately conjure up the counter at Hildebrandt’s in Williston Park, a traditional ice cream parlor that dates back to 1927, for a scoop or a float. For others, the local Friendly’s served the stuff of our ice cream dreams. Multi-scoop confections in five-scoop glass goblets topped with gooey syrups, fluffy whipped cream, nuts and sprinkles, come rushing forth.
Whatever your sundae fancy, Long Island is teeming with shops waiting to deliver a cold summer serving — be it soft serve or scooped — of everyone’s favorite. Nowadays, like many things American, the more over-the-top the creation — the more mix-ins, more toppings, more scoops, more colors, more flavors, more candies — the more social media capital its shop receives. After perusing the options, we went out and tried some of the Island’s most Insta-worthy, crave-worthy ice cream sundaes. And while there may not be a such things as a “bad” ice cream sundae, here were our favorite over-the-top spots to get the goods.
The ‘Kitchen Sink’ at Krisch’s Restaurant and Ice Cream Parlour
11 Central Ave., Massapequa
The kitchen sink sundae at Krisch’s. Credit: megan schlow
Nostalgia runs deep at this ’50s-style diner where the kitchen and dining spaces are undergoing a complete renovation and menu upgrade. A Massapequa original since 1955, now-owner Scott Cackett and his family have decided to give the beloved diner a facelift. But we’re happy to report that both the two-pound burger challenge, aka the “Massapequa Monsta,” and the “Kitchen Sink Challenge,” the 10-scoop banana split served in a portable kitchen sink, remain on offer.
The ultimate sundae, choose 10 scoops of ice cream flavors, then add up to three toppings — sauces like fudge and marshmallow, gummy bears, M&Ms, cherries, pecans, wet walnuts and more — two bananas, waffle wedges, whipped cream, sprinkles and cherries. Priced at a whopping $80, you better be hungry. If you finish in under an hour (yes, there’s a time limit…) you get a T-shirt, your photo on the “wall of fame” and your bill comped. Alternatively, up to five people can share this beast of a sundae.
If binge-eating isn’t your thing, Krisch’s two-scoop sundaes, of which there are nearly 20 varieties ($9.99 to $19.99) from mocha almond to s’mores to Oreo and peanut butter, are equally massive, and loaded with generous toppings. More info: 516-797-3149; krischs.com
The ‘bathtub’ sundae at Manny’s Sweet Treats
156 Jericho Tpke., Mineola
The Strawberry Banana Split Bathtub Sundae at Manny’s Sweet Treats. Credit: Linda Rosier
Manny’s, quite literally, offers every kind of sundae your sweet-toothed brain can manage to concoct. It’s almost overwhelming, the sheer volume of sugary choices on gluttonous display.
Its Mineola location, which opened in 2016, delivers packed desserts made with their daily made gelato, which comes in a variety of flavors. Its menu is chock full of breakfast sundaes — think pancake and waffles smothered with ice cream and toppings from whipped cream to mango crème to Oreos to cookie butter. There are s’mores and Nutella French toast sundaes, plus creations like choco-tacos, Nutella flowerpots, stuffed crepes, cookie skillets and churro sundaes.
We’re partial to their version of Krisch’s kitchen sink — the “bathtub” sundae, which comes in a more manageable bathtub-shaped bowl. There are four varieties: banana split, brownie, churro and cookie. These can be further customized with fruit (mango, banana, strawberry), drizzles (caramel, peanut butter, white chocolate, pistachio), candy and cereal. For us? The cookie dough version with three scoops of gelato, six (!) balls of raw cookie dough, Kit Kats, chocolate drizzle and chocolate chips is the way to go. ($14.99) More info: 516-299-8099, mannyst.com
Stuffed croissant sandwiches at Craveology
1759 Middle Country Rd., Centereach
If there’s one sundae option that Manny’s Sweet Treats is missing, it’s the loaded croissant, a sundae nestled within the pillowy inside-flaky outside of this Willy Wonka-esque ice cream sandwich. Where to get it, you ask? Craveology, a sugar-soaked fever dream in Centereach.
From a trio of brothers who got their start working on Mister Softee ice cream trucks — Bilal Inayat, Hassan Inayat and Daniel Liaqat — Craveology has a drool-worthy menu of treats like crepe and waffle sundaes. But the stuffed croissant sandwiches, like the Reese’s version, ice cream covered with chopped Reese’s candy bars, Nutella, chocolate and caramel drizzles, and Reese’s chunks ($14) or the strawberry shortcake version with Nutella, strawberry crumble, cheesecake bites and white chocolate drizzle ($14) had our attention.
“We’d seen soft serve on waffles, but never with crepes, a croissant or a doughnut as the base,” Bilal Inayat said. Those doughnuts he mentions are swirled high with soft serve alongside flavor shots and cookie crumbles. Our favorite? The Biscoff cookie doughnut, a crumb pile served atop a hot glazed doughnut ($12) with a vanilla swirl, an actual injection of caramel and a Lotus Biscoff cookie popping out from underneath.
Classic shakes are served in creative flavors like Dubai chocolate, Snickers and cotton candy, or try the shop’s melts ($10), which include lava cake and cinnamon roll options, and are served beside soft serve or scoops. More info: 631-285-2039, craveologyny.com
Milkshakes at Whiskey Down Diner
252 Main St., Farmingdale
The July shake of the month at Whiskey Down Diner in Farmingdale. Credit: Whiskey Down Diner
Whiskey Down Diner, the popular comfort food spot that opened in 2019, announced earlier this year that they’ll be expanding to Babylon Village in the fall. What makes us the most happy about this development? Another place to sit down and enjoy their decadent, diner sundaes and over-the-top milkshakes.
Owned by brother-sister team John and Alyson Karanas, who come from a diner family, Whiskey Down serves a long list of all-day breakfast fare, including pillow-soft pancakes; sandwiches at lunchtime, like their famous lobster roll; and dinner plates both small and large. But on an island full of diners, this 21st century variety does a bang up job on dessert. It’s here we like our waffle sundaes best and our designer milkshakes ($10) piled high with accoutrements like actual slices of birthday cake. The special for June, its long, old fashioned parlour glass’ rim comes laced in the style of the now-famous Roslyn Dotcake with rainbow nonpareils, and holds frosty, vanilla milkshake speckled with soft sprinkles, crowned with a squirt of requisite whipped cream. For July, the red, white and blue Uncle Joey’s Rainbow Explosion rainbow cookie collab milkshake returns, also $10.
If you’d rather something less liquid, try the waffle sundae ($15), ours with Reese’s peanut butter cups, vanilla ice cream, peanut butter and chocolate drizzle and whipped cream. More info: 516-927-8264, whiskeydowndiner.com
Build-your-own sundaes at MilkyWays Ice Cream & Cereal Bar
22 Clinton Ave., Huntington; 812 Wheeler Rd., Hauppauge; 211 Main St., Port Jefferson
A Cinnamon Toast Crunch sundae at Milky Ways. Credit: Newsday/Marie Elena Martinez
This growing chain, which opened its newest location last week in Port Jefferson, is a cereal lovers’ oasis. And while plenty of ice cream shops offer cereal toppings, MilkyWays takes the cereal sundae concept to the next level.
These playful spaces, complete with kaleidoscopic cereal box wallpaper, offer build-your-own sundaes for anyone who loves a mix-in. Choose a cup or waffle cone as your canvas, or treat yourself to a milkshake, and mix-in your selection(s) of the many cereals on offer — Fruity Pebbles, Cocoa Puffs, Lucky Charms, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Reese’s Puffs and Captain Crunch, to name a few. There’s vanilla or chocolate soft serve on which to load cookie dough, cheesecake bites, Reese’s pieces, Oreos, graham crackers, nuts, berries, gummies, marshmallows, sprinkles and more. Syrups range from Biscoff to Nutella to raspberry sauce. There’s whipped cream, there’s cherries. But most importantly — if you missed it the first time — there’s cereal. Prices begin at $8 and, depending on mix-ins, increase accordingly. More info: @milkyways_icecream on Instagram
A global freelancer who has checked her suitcase to raise her young daughter on her native Long Island, Marie Elena will always make time for good mezcal, even better tacos and killer conversation. Preferably, in a corner bar seat. She can be found on Instagram at @mariesworldeats.
Dining and Cooking