What is summer without some frozen treats?
Whether they are creamy, fruity, or ice cold -- frozen treats are a great way to beat the summer heat.
This summer, cool off with some classic and multicultural frozen desserts in New York City’s most diverse borough, Queens.
Enter into a different realm and try refreshing and irresistibly fragrant desserts from the Philippines, Japan, Mexico, or Colombia.
To get you started off in this mission, we’ve scooped out some of the best spots to indulge in these old-fashioned and exotic delicacies, this season!
1. Eddie’s Sweet Shop (105-29 Metropolitan Avenue)
Travel back in time this summer at this historic ice cream parlor that also doubles as a candy shop. Eddie’s Sweet Shop is one of the few remaining places in NY where you could bask in some delicious old-fashioned treats.
Enjoy any of their 18 flavors of ice cream, or a massive sundae topped with homemade hot fudge, butterscotch, and whipped cream. You may also want to try their old-school and flavorful ice cream soda.
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Overall, Eddie’s Sweet Shop is a perfect place for a date, or the occasional sweet tooth lover. Warning: Prepare to leave chocolate wasted!
2. Las Americas Bakery (40-30 82nd Street)
Want a badass shaved ice, fruit cocktail drink? Yes please!
Of the many Colombian bakeries in the area, Las Americas stands out for its incredibly and awesome cholados.
What’s a cholado, you’ve asked? Well, the cholado is an amazing icy beverage and dessert that derives from El Valle region of Colombia. The drink is topped with fresh fruits, crushed ice, sweetened condensed milk, passion fruit, Colombian blackberry syrup, shredded coconut, and a cherry on top.
Voted as Serious Eats best in the city, you definitely don't want to miss the opportunity of tasting this juicy treat this summer!
3. Nieves Tia Mimi (89-14 Roosevelt Avenue)
Nieves Tia Mimi is a fiesta for your tastebuds, but are you up for the challenge? Aside from their smooth ices in tropical fruit flavors, Nieves Tia Mimi also serves a refreshing chamoyada. Chamoyada is a Mexican delicacy, a sweet and spicy type of shaved ice, or raspado.
This tart and spicy drink is usually sweetened with mangoes or apricot and loaded with a combination of chamoy sauce, a tart and spicy sauce made from chilies, salt and pickled fruit.
The chamoyada also includes shaved ice, sugar, chili powder, and fruit chunks. Plus, as a last finishing touch it brings a straw with tamarind candy on the outside.
Apart from their location in Jackson Heights, Nieves Tia Mimi also has outposts in Sunset Park and Brighton Beach.
4. The Lemon Ice King of Corona (52-02 108th Street)
For classic Italian ices, go to the king!
Truly living up to its name, this famous corner shop has been making Italian ices for over 60 years. With dozens of flavors to choose from, their secret lies in that all their flavors carry real fruit pieces for a great and natural authentic taste.
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Recognized as the standard for Italian ices, The Lemon Ice King has appeared in the popular sitcom King of Queens, received award of distinction from Zagat, and has also been featured in numerous magazines.
P.S. Their only rule is that patrons can't mix or exchange ices, so bring your friends to try them all.
5. El Bohio Grocery (98- 17 Roosevelt Avenue)
There’s truly no better sign that summer has arrived in Queens, when refreshing raspados or frios frios are served. The shaved iced name frio frio, which means “cold cold,” is the name given to this quenching Dominican shaved-ice drink in Corona.
You can choose from many different flavors including: strawberry, coconut, lemon, tamarind, cream, cherry, blueberry, orange, and raspberry. Beat the summer heat and grab a large paper cup to go, or a regular plastic cup and have some sweet condensed milk or syrup on top.
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6. Silk Cakes (98-14 Metropolitan Avenue)
Want to have the best of both worlds this summer? We bet you do!
If you haven’t heard, you’re in for a treat...Silk Cakes latest seasonal product this summer is ice cream cupcakes. Silk Cakes, a gourmet cake shop that is popular for its Asian-inspired designs and unique Asian flavor combinations have definitely come to wow us this season with their latest sensation.
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These heavenly Asian-inspired cupcakes, take form from Japanese chocolate and Chinese egg tarts. Devour egg custard ice cream topped with butter cookie bits on a vanilla cupcake, or a chocolate cupcake topped with rich chocolate ice cream, and Japanese chocolate bits that will melt in your mouth.
7. House of Inasal (65-14 Roosevelt Avenue)
This summer try the Pandi purple ube ice cream from the House of Inasal. Ube is purple yam, so just think of a Filipino twist on an all-American ice cream sandwich!
The Pandi ice cream includes balaya, a rich spread made from ube, and ice cream topped with strips of buko, or coconut and pinipig, which are crunchy flakes of beaten rice.
Relish on this textural and palatable frozen treat served on a pandesal, a Filipino roll, toasted warm and golden to perfection.
8. Papa’s Kitchen (65-40 Woodside Avenue)
If you are looking for more Purple madness, or another Filipino treat…try the Halo-Halo.
This popular Filipino dessert which is also sometimes called Haluhalo, is a mixture of shaved ice and evaporated milk that includes various ingredients: boiled sweet beans, coconut, jelly, and fruits. You may have it in a big tall glass, bowl, or in this case a mason jar.
9. Jahn’s Diner (81-04 37th Avenue)
This old-fashioned diner and ice-cream parlor in Jackson Heights has been around for a quite a while...since 1897 to be exact. It’s also the last remaining outpost in Queens.
Known for it’s delicious ice cream sundaes with whimsical names such as: Suicide Frappé, Pink Elephant, or the Flaming Desire, five scoops of ice cream topped by a flaming sugar cube, you’ll be more than satisfied.
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But one thing is for sure, if you are up for the ultimate challenge, you need to try their massive sundae the Kitchen Sink, a giant confection of 30 scoops that serves up to 8 people.
10. City Sticks (97-01 Shore Front Parkway)
City Sticks at Rockaway Beach is known as the “it spot” for desserts!
Some of their delicious sweets include Belgium waffle sundaes, floats, brownie waffles, hot fudge sundaes, milkshakes, and of course, their irresistible favorite ice pops with personalities.
Although their ice pops are quite refreshing, we here at spoiled -- have been drooling over their donut ice cream sandwiches. That’s right -- cupcakes, waffles, or toast is not the only way to have your ice cream this season.Check out 7 NYC Foods You Absolutely Have to Try Before Summer Ends.
[Feature Image Courtesy Instagram]