| Have you ever tried Ben & Jerry's Vanilla | | | | the company, the flavors, and fun facts about |
| Chocolate Chunk ice cream? If you don't have | | | | Ben & Jerry's. One wall had a timeline of the |
| a Ben & Jerry's Scoop Shop where you live, | | | | company's "greatest moments". Just the |
| then your answer, I'm sorry to say, will most | | | | reading material kept me coming back, though |
| likely be no. If I can blame Ben and Jerry's | | | | I admit, I'm one of those people who'll be |
| for one thing, it's this... They get you | | | | happy to read the back of a cereal box if |
| addicted to a flavor, and you can't get it | | | | there's nothing else around to fasten my eyes |
| anywhere else. How's that for a marketing | | | | onto.The staff -- at least at the Ben & |
| ploy?I stumbled onto a Scoop Shop while I was | | | | Jerry's we frequented -- was great. They were |
| vacationing in Cape Cod. For better or for | | | | friendly, efficient, and even went so far as |
| worse, the shop was about a two minute drive | | | | to assure me that the sundae's calories would |
| from the hotel where my husband and I were | | | | all be negated if I went ahead and ordered |
| staying, so every night after the beach, we'd | | | | that Diet Coke. Now that's service.And what |
| be more than ready for Ben & Jerry's.As | | | | else can I say? The waffle cones are made |
| anyone who's ever tried their packaged pints | | | | fresh daily. The toppings are superb and |
| can tell you, Ben & Jerry's has wonderful ice | | | | varied -- you can even get a cookie sundae. |
| cream. Preservatives beware. This is the real | | | | The hot fudge is smooth and hot, which is |
| stuff, as signs around the store proudly | | | | more than I can say for many an ice cream |
| proclaim. The proof is, of course, in the | | | | stand. And to top it off, they even had a no |
| taste.The quality of the ice cream is | | | | sugar added flavor each night, which was |
| exceptional. It is perfectly textured -- | | | | perfect for my husband, who can't have |
| creamy, and smooth, and creamy. Oh, and did I | | | | refined sugars. You can even buy Ben & |
| mention that it's very, very creamy? Their | | | | Jerry's tee-shirts and mugs, though I |
| vanilla is probably the best tasting vanilla | | | | personally, would rather shell out my money |
| I've encountered in my extensive ice cream | | | | for ice cream.If that's not enough, well then |
| travels...and wait until you see the size of | | | | you might like to know what a |
| the chunks in their Vanilla Chocolate | | | | community-friendly bunch that Ben & Jerry's |
| Chunk.What's nice about Ben & Jerry's is the | | | | are. The company is big on giving back to the |
| variety of their flavors. Although I'm pretty | | | | communities that make them money. Check out |
| much a vanilla and/or chocolate kind of gal, | | | | some of the pamphlets available at the scoop |
| even I couldn't resist reading all the | | | | shop, or their web site. You can even |
| descriptions of their flavors. They're | | | | subscribe to an electronic Ben & Jerry's |
| amazingly inventive, and worth a second | | | | newsletter.There are only two negatives that |
| glance, if not a taste. Even the names are | | | | I found. One is that some flavors are only |
| one hundred percent original. Chubby Hubby. | | | | available at the Scoop Shops and are not |
| Phish Food. Chunky Monkey. Don't forget the | | | | prepackaged in pints. Alas, such is the case |
| classic New York Super Fudge Chunk, and who | | | | with my beloved Vanilla Chocolate Chunk. I |
| could resist a flavor named after Jerry | | | | won't be seeing it until vacation next year |
| Garcia? There is even an ice cream with | | | | (though happily, Chocolate Fudge Brownie is |
| little chocolate cows in it. Now how's that | | | | available in my grocer's freezer). The other |
| for originality? The point is that there's | | | | negative is the price. Take out a second |
| something at Ben & Jerry's for everyone. If | | | | mortgage before you order that hot fudge |
| you can't find a flavor there that you like, | | | | sundae, because these prices are steep. For |
| then the quest is hopeless.For the health | | | | one waffle cone, and one small dish, my |
| conscious, Ben & Jerry's also offers low fat | | | | husband and I shelled out over six dollars.I |
| yogurts, some in many of the same flavors as | | | | do have to give them credit for one thing |
| the ice cream, and sorbets in luscious | | | | though. As steep as the prices may be, I can |
| tropical fruit flavors. Why not pick a sorbet | | | | assure you -- you'll enjoy every penny's |
| flavor and have it made into a smoothie? What | | | | worth. After all, I think I found the meaning |
| better treat on a hot summer afternoon?But | | | | of life -- in an ice cream flavor.Lisa is an |
| ice cream aside (as if that's possible), the | | | | author on which is a site for Poetry |
| Scoop Shops are just plain old fun. The | | | | Contests. |
| tables are plastered with information about | | | | |