In 2011, Zach Burroughs was photographed running across the street, holding an ice-cream cone in his hand. Never mind the fact that it was winter and snowing outside – Burroughs, who later adopted the nickname "ice cream guy," had his eyes set on pistachio gelato. Without a coat on, he bravely dashed to the nearest restaurant in pursuit of a cone, before heading back to work.
He just "couldn’t resist." After all, it has been said that ice cream tastes better in the winter. When the cold weather rolls around, however, many shops close down for the season.
So where should someone go if he or she craving a frozen treat? If you plan on visiting Queens anytime soon, try the Lemon Ice King, an iconic Italian ice shop, built over 70 years ago by Peter Benfaremo, “the King." Today, it serves over 40 flavors of Italian ices and is considered by many to be the standard.
Today, the shop – with its old timey décor - still stands as a symbol of Queens, even after Benfaremo’s death in 2008. Although technically, it does not sell ice cream, I decided to pay a visit anyways just to see if an Italian ice could taste better in the cold.
After agonizing over which flavor to choose, I finally opted for the lemon ice. After a couple of bites, however, I quickly realized that eating a frozen treat in the cold is not what it's cut out to be.
In the summer, consuming an ice cream cone or a cold drink is a magical experience - much like jumping into a pool of water during a miserably long and hot day.
Unfortunately, that magic is lost in the winter. My lemon ice was not refreshing or thirst-quenching. Instead, I was left with cold fingers and a runny nose. Not fun.
Well, at least my Italian ice didn't melt in the frigid air. I guess that's the main benefit of eating ice cream in the winter. That and no lines - that's always nice too.
