About a week after Emack & Bolio’s melted away into the brand-new Lilo Creamery at 1564 First Avenue (between 81st and 82nd streets), East Side Feed returned to get the scoop on the changes.
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The exterior remains blank, but the owner assures us new signage is arriving within the next two weeks–a result of a family emergency for the sign-maker.
Although the day was cooler, there were still customers coming in, asking about the changes and tasting the ice cream. We were eager to sample the new offerings and tried a variety of the flavors. The manager tells us that the current hard ice creams are from two creameries, one located in Maine and the other in Boston. In addition, they’re creating a few custom flavors by mixing them into vanilla themselves, as they do with all of their soft-serve creations and milkshakes.
We tried their house-made ube, pandan, and lychee flavors, all of which were surprisingly tasty, not overly sweet, and a change from the usual. The lychee was slightly citrusy with a tangy sweetness, while both pandan and ube were a mix of earthy and sweet. These flavors are also available in milkshakes with the addition of black sesame, taro, matcha and chai.
From the regular menu we sampled some flavors that are reminiscent of Emack and for the most part they didn’t disappoint.
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Cookies and cream is a solid standard with crunchy chunks of Oreo, and Fudgy Cookie Dough adds a luscious swirl of chocolate to familiar cookie dough chunks. Velvet Dream was a favorite, tasting like a creamy bite of red velvet cake with the tang of cream cheese frosting. Bananas Foster missed the mark, however, not quite capturing the caramel quality of the flaming dessert.
Fudgy Cookie Dough
There are two new vegan, plant-based ice creams available and both were yummy with no soy or chemical aftertaste. Chocolate was smooth and creamy, and the Coffee Cookie had chunks of chocolate cookie with a brownie consistency and a warm hint of espresso flavor.
Custom cakes aren’t currently displayed in the freezer but can be made from any flavor. The manager encourages people to come in and try before ordering so that they can choose their favorites from the current menu.
They still plan to try various smaller creameries until they find their “staple,” but even then they will continue to cycle through different vendors to offer seasonal flavors and give customers “some experience with different brands and flavor options.”
The employees say that the people in the neighborhood have been overwhelmingly welcoming and open to the change. But some customers have come in to share their disappointment or skepticism. Staff members encourage everyone to come in, taste whatever they’d like, and provide feedback as the shop grows into its new identity.
Wonder how many samples provided at those scoop prices.