NEWS: Steve's Ice Cream Releases 7 New Flavors

Steve's Ice Cream recently added seven new flavors to their lineup; quite the expansion. Some flavors like Burnt Sugar Vanilla and Dark Chocolate Salty Caramel have been done by others, but Apple Buckeye Crunch, Chocolate Beet Cocao, Carrot Habanero Pepper, Parsnip Rum Raisin and Cranberry Cinnamon Marshmallow all bring a unique blend of flavors to the table. Let us know if you're able to track any of these down!

August 2013 Ice Cream of the Month: Steve's Southern Banana Pudding

Click here for the full review of Steve's Southern Banana Pudding!

REVIEW: Steve's Southern Banana Pudding

Earlier this week, my mother called me inquiring about what I’d like for my birthday. Keep in mind I’ll be turning 26 years old and have refused presents for nearly 10 years now. Somehow, I was able to keep her at bay, change the subject and end the phone call without giving her any outlandish gift ideas. Her mother’s intuition must have kicked in soon afterward she hung the phone up though because later that evening I was surprised by a knock at the door. She had driven over an hour, from her house to mine, to hand-deliver a large helping of one of my favorite desserts: banana pudding. It just so happened that The Fresh Market near my house had just started carrying Steve’s Ice Cream products and it just so happened that I had picked up a pint of their Southern Banana Pudding earlier that day with the intentions of enjoying the whole thing on my actual birthday (August 10th). Now Steve’s had some serious competition in the form of my own mother’s homemade banana pudding to live up to.

Steve’s version of this southern staple comes in at 280 calories per serving and combines their own banana ice cream swirled with Pies ‘N’ Thighs banana pudding and a vanilla wafer crust crumble. The clear container fully displays the lightly colored ice cream, pale yellow splotches of banana pudding and plenty of those wafer pieces. While it may not be quite as gaudy or visually appealing as a pint of my mother’s actual banana pudding, that’d be an unfair comparison. I let the carton sit out for a few minutes and scoop out some of the banana base to serve as my first taste. The rich, super-premium banana ice cream is among the best I’ve ever had and acts as the perfect foundation for a banana pudding themed flavor.

The smaller bits of the vanilla wafer crust crumble provide some crunch to each bite as they share each spoon with the sweet, banana ice cream. Even though there are plenty of tiny wafer pieces in each spoonful, they grow to be much larger further down. The bigger pieces of crust adds some real texturem along with the genuine flavors of actual vanilla wafers. Although it may vary from pint to pint, mine was absolutely loaded from top to bottom with this crumble. To finish off their Southern Banana Pudding ice cream, Steve’s once again looks to the expertise of the Brooklyn-based Pies ‘N’ Thighs.

As I worked my way towards the bottom of this carton, I encountered plenty of the darker yellow splotches of actual banana pudding. Not only is the consistency completely different from the ice cream itself, but it also introduces another element of authenticity. My only complaint was that, until the pudding fully melted down, there were a few bites full of an icy texture; but only initially. Once the pudding had thawed a bit, a bite landing all three key components easily reached the requirements giving this flavor an A. I’ve had quite a few considerations for best banana pudding ice creams ever, but this one may be the new front-runner.

Where I Found It: The Fresh Market
Grade: A

And just for good measure, here's some more banana pudding eye candy:

READER REVIEW: Dominique's Review of Steve's Coconut Key Lime Pie

It’s summer. It’s hot out. I spent all afternoon in the sun at a Brooklyn block party where The House of YES had set up a rig so we could do aerial acrobatics in the street. It was fun, but after being covered in sweat for hours, it was clear only one thing would help me actually feel refreshed. That, of course, would be a tropical ice cream like Steve’s Coconut Key Lime Pie. Funny thing is I bought it thinking for sure it had been reviewed here before. But no! So here are my thoughts, compare/contrasting it with one of my favorite Ben & Jerry’s flavors, Key Lime Pie.

At first taste, there was way too much lime and a little hint at meringue. Even without getting a big helping of the key lime pie filling swirl, the base isn't hurting for sour citrus flavor. A few more bites in, however, the coconut cut through that pucker-inducing lime in a really clever way, blanketing it with a subtle sweetness and just a little dry coconut flavor. I like the clean, smooth lime in Ben and Jerry’s version, so I was dubious about adding in coconut, the only reason I’ve been putting off trying this one. But the lime comes on so strong that the coconut proves necessary to balance it out.

Shortly after the coconut in the base began to shine, I hit a big chunk of flavorful graham crust. The next bite had only a tiny crumb, but that still had a noticeable effect. The graham cracker crumb crust – very similar in texture to the vanilla wafer cookie crust in Steve's Southern Banana Pudding, also sourced from Brooklyn restaurant Pies-n-Thighs – soaks up the intensity of the super tart lime, giving the tongue a much-needed break before taking on more of the sharp citrus. That makes room for the coconut to reenter, working like a palate cleanser that repeats throughout. As far as graham cracker mix-ins are concerned, Ben & Jerry’s doesn’t stand a chance going head-to-head with Steve’s. I only wish there weren’t as many big chunks of crust because too many bites were crumbless.

I still think Ben & Jerry’s Key Lime Pie is a respectable version of one of my all-time favorite pies (and I really love pie) and can't get enough of the double swirl of lime and fluffy meringue, but from now on, I fully support putting lime in the coconut and mixing it all up. That points to one thing that Steve’s does better than most ice cream makers: intentionally layer flavors to create a bold, complex profile.

Next Steve’s I try will be another summer combo, Sweet Corn and Blackberry Preserves, which I spotted in the Union Square Whole Foods a couple days ago. Too bad it’ll melt before I get it home; must be a sign to buy an insulated bag.

Where Dominique Found It: Associated Foods (Brooklyn, NY)
Grade: A

READER REVIEW: Dominique's Review of Steve's Southern Banana Pudding

The base has a unique banana flavor, just like an old-fashioned banana cream pie. It’s what cheap imitations, like Runts banana candies, are always trying to capture but can’t. What impressed me the most is that you can actually see little brown banana threads throughout the ice cream, just like in banana bread – visual proof this is the best banana ice cream out there (unless you want something that tastes like biting into the fruit, which this does not).

The mix-ins couldn’t complement the ice cream better. Nilla wafers are thought of as a bland cookie for good reason, but these wafer pieces – baked by Pies-N-Thighs – are flavorful. Part of what makes them so good is the real, rich vanilla flavor, which gives the two versions of banana something to play off of. But the really genius thing about these are the fact that it’s a wafer crust, not wafer cookie pieces. They’re moist and tender, not soggy. They start off as dense but break apart into crumbs when crushed between teeth, a pretty neat trick, if you ask me.

The pudding swirl functions exactly as it’s supposed to, adding a second layer of fruit flavor. While the base is rather light and super creamy, the pudding is rich and dense with banana flavor much in the same way as is a good banana bread. The flavor profile ends up like a simple sandwich: banana cream on top, vanilla wafer in the middle, banana pudding on the bottom. And the sum is definitely more than the parts.

One bad thing in a sea of creamy goodness: My pint was not well-mixed enough. The bottom had way too much of the wafer crust, which means I was really missing out when I ate the first half! By the end the ratio wasn’t working as well for me at all, but the flavors were still just as insanely delicious.

This is one of the best ice creams I've ever had, particularly of the pre-packaged variety, and it's far and away the best Steve's flavor I've tried so far.

Where Dominique Found It: Associated Supermarket (Brooklyn, NY)

Dominique's Grade: A

READER REVIEW: Mo's Review of Steve's Bourbon Pecan Pie

On a recent trip over to Whole Foods, I decided to stock up on some premium pints of locally produced ice cream. I spotted a few interesting flavors of Steve’s Ice Cream, a brand that’s become quite legendary among ice cream aficionados, and decided on Bourbon Pecan Pie as the one I’d try first.

The flavor is described as "vanilla ice cream swirled with bourbon pecan pie." It’s a relatively simple concept that I’ve seen executed fairly well by local artisan creameries in the past, so I had pretty high hopes that my almost $7 investment would yield some pretty tasty results.

When I first peeled back the lid, I was a little underwhelmed by the lack of pecan pie pieces. I’m a big fan of mix-ins, and even though I’m used to digging my way toward the good stuff, I usually like to see a little hint of what’s to come peeking out on top. Fortunately, as I dug deeper, I discovered that Steve’s is fairly generous when it comes to the pecan pie bits.

I then decided to specifically take a pecan pie-free bite of ice cream to get a sense of how the base would fare on its own. I have to admit that the initial dose of bourbon threw me for a loop. The bourbon flavor was really strong—almost too strong for me at first. But the more I tasted this ice cream, the more I enjoyed and appreciated how the bourbon flavor seemed to be totally infused into the base.

Now let’s talk about the pecan pie pieces. These were just awesome. I don’t know where they came from (a local Brooklyn bakery perhaps), but they were just amazing—chewy, flavorful, and full of texture. All in all, you get a pretty decent pie-to-ice cream base ratio in this pint, which renders this vanilla-based flavor far from boring.

Having said that, I was a little taken aback when I realized just how calorie-laden and fattening this stuff is. Now I’m not one to count calories when it comes to ice cream. I mean, the stuff’s not exactly being marketed as health food, right? But at the same time, when a 1/2-cup serving comes in at the 300-calorie mark, I tend to expect absolute and utter greatness. For 300 calories and 21 grams of fat per serving, this flavor does do a good job of packing a lot of creaminess into each bite. At the same time, it’s so smooth that you could easily scarf down half a pint without even realizing how much you’ve put into your stomach. I can’t decide if that’s a good or bad thing.

If you’re a fan of pecan pie and don’t mind bourbon-flavored ice cream where you can actually taste the bourbon, this one is definitely for you. But if the idea of potentially getting buzzed while eating dessert is enough to scare you off, save your money for a different Steve’s flavor. Supposedly they’re all pretty fantastic, and I can’t wait to sample some more.

Where Mo Found It: Whole Foods
Mo's Grade: A

READER REVIEW: Winston's Review of Steve's Salty Caramel

My local Wholefoods Market finally started carrying Steve’s Ice Cream. Within 24 hours of being presented with this glorious news, I found myself in the checkout isle with a pint of their Salty Caramel. Per usual, the Ice Cream Informants “A” review of Salty Caramel tipped the scales in my flavor selection process.

At 280 calories per serving, this premium dessert is well within the expected energy content bracket of the premium Ice Cream ranks; in other words, I expected something absolutely incredible at 1,120 calories per pint. Unscrewing the lid (yes, it’s a screw-top) revealed an off-white ocean of caramel ice cream with a small speck of caramel peaking out through the surface. Sinking my spoon into the upper depths, directly in vicinity of the speck of peaking caramel, I hoped my first spoonful would unearth a gooey, viscous caramel swirl. Instead, I found nothing but white caramel base. I set the first spoonful aside by placing it into the lid, and continued to dig: the second and third deep spoonfuls also yielded zero caramel swirls. In a frustrated act of desperation I sunk the spoonful as deep into the pint as I possibly could, and with complementary suction noise, I removed all of the ice cream from the pint, and held it up on my spoon. A film of caramel at the base, but essentially nowhere else.

Feeling a bit cheated, I repacked the pint. At this point, though, everything started to melt, so I hesitantly began with my first bite. Holy cow. Wow. Immediately the extremely rich, creamy base flooded my palate. With a bit of investigation, a blatant salty presence assaulted my senses along with a remarkably sweet complement. The second, third, and fourth bite proved equally blissful. When I happened upon the caramel swirl, the experience transcended space and time. The best tasting caramel swirl I’ve ever had in a pint. But also the least.

This pint possesses the best caramel base I’ve tasted yet. Far richer and sweeter than Talenti Sea Salt Caramel Gelato, richer than 2nd Street Copper Kettle Caramel, and saltier than every competitor. In addition, there is a superior element in this pint I simply can’t put into words; perhaps the ingredients are higher quality, their recipe is more in line with pleasing the senses, or something else. The best way I can describe this superior aspect is this: If Talentli and 2nd street’s caramel bases are analogous to premium blended whiskey, Steve’s Salty Caramel is analogous to a top shelf, aged single malt. The difference is remarkably apparent.

Where Winston Found It: Whole Foods Market
Winston's Grade: A

NEWS: Huffington Post Taste Names Their Editor's Picks For Best Summer Ice Cream Flavors Of 2013

HuffPost Taste recently released their Best Summer Ice Cream Flavors of 2013. In the article, Kristen Aiken writes, “We're here to instill some confidence in your ice cream selections this summer. Ever loyal to our dear readers, we bestowed upon ourselves the burdensome task of tasting approximately 45 flavors of the more unconventional ice creams on the market. Though we have included a pint of Ben & Jerry's in our selection, we tried to stay away from the typical brands you see every day at the supermarket, instead leaning toward small-batch, artisanal craftsmen who really know their stuff.”

Here are the 10 that made the cut, some of which I've reviewed:

• Steve's Cold-Brewed Cinnamon Coffee
• Snoqualmie Honey Cinnamon Custard
• Jeni's Juniper & Lemon Curd
• Steve's Bklyn Blackout
• Graeter's Summer Peach Ice Cream
• Ciao Bella Pistachio Gelato
• Ben & Jerry's Pina Colada
• Talenti Southern Butter Pecan
• Salt & Straw Strawberry Honey Balsamic with Black Pepper
• Jeni's The Buckeye State

The whole article can be read by clicking on this link.

REVIEW: Steve's Strawberry Ricotta

Here at The Ice Cream Informant, we’re always on the lookout for flavors from the upper echelon ice cream companies, however most of the time it comes down to what we have access to. We first tried Steve’s Ice Cream back in April of last year with Sunday Morning, but aside from placing an order, racking up an expensive bill, and paying a premium for dry-ice shipping, it wasn't feasible to fully explore this lineup. Luckily, The Fresh Market that just opened up in town had a pint in stock we’d been dying to try. Strawberry Ricotta takes fresh strawberry ice cream swirled with ricotta. This untraditional approach to strawberry ice cream may cause skepticism from some, but we had complete confidence in Steve’s finished product.

As they’ve done in the past, they once again looks to Salvatore BKLYN for their mix-ins. With the top removed, the light pink strawberry base shows off the thick stripes of whole milk ricotta cheese inside. After just a few bites, we were blown away. The strawberry is some of the smoothest, creamiest we've ever tried and no, Steve's doesn't bother around with tossing in a handful of rock-hard frozen strawberries just because. Bites including Salvatore BKLYN's famous ricotta cheese adds a richness that quickly elevates this flavor towards the top of our rankings. When all was said and done, not only was an A grade in order, but this is our new favorite strawberry ice cream.

Where I Found It: The Fresh Market
Grade: A

REVIEW: Steve's BKLYN Blackout

Like many other small-operation, craft ice cream makers, Steve’s Ice Cream is proud of where they’ve set up shop. Some of their flavors such as NOLA Coffee & Donuts even include ingredients from local Brooklyn businesses like Pies ‘N’ Thighs, Blue Bottle Coffee and Salvatore BKLYN. One of their more popular pints even bears the name of their city and sources its mix-ins from a nearby bakery. BKLYN Blackout takes Steve’s milk chocolate ice cream, swirls it with chocolate stout cake pieces from Ovenly Bakery and finishes the whole thing with dark chocolate pudding.

Ovenly Bakery (Image courtesy of ScoBoco, found on FlickR)

According to their website, “Ovenly is a creative kitchen that explores culinary traditions with an unexpected twist. We thoughtfully meld salty and sweet with a touch of spice. Our main goal is to provide you with joy through flavor. We believe cooking (and eating!) should be an adventure, and we are committed to crafting recipes that are complex, innovative, and fun. Ovenly makes everything from breakfast pastries and desserts to bar snacks. Our ingredients are natural and sustainable, without artificial flavorings or preservatives.” The fact that Steve’s is reaching out to their own community to find fresh-baked mix-ins to throw in their ice cream makes their creations even more extraordinary.

This carton of chocolate ice cream, cake and pudding comes in at 280 calories per serving, which seems more than reasonable considering how densely packed the pint is. As soon as I lift off the lid, I’m left looking at a first layer featuring a large concentration of dark chocolate pudding and even a cake piece poking through the top. The whole milk, cream, organic sugar and organic cocoa powder make Steve’s milk chocolate base the ideal richness. It’s thick, substantial and provides the perfect canvas to show off the pudding and cake to come. As you can see from the pictures, they haven’t skimped on the amount of the mix-ins they've included inside. The chocolate pudding is not only a deeper shade of brown than the ice cream itself, but also has a much different consistency. The near liquid texture provides a slightly bitter taste due to its dark nature and effectively contrasts the milk chocolate of the ice cream.

Although the ice cream and dark chocolate pudding are a great combination of flavors, I was most looking forward to the pieces of chocolate stout cake chunks from Ovenly. BKLYN Blackout has enough cake pieces that I ended up with one in nearly every bite. The squares are almost black in color, dense in consistency, chewy in texture and because of the stout beer inside, has a uniquely flavored finish when compared to other ice creams featuring chocolate cake. Considering a slice at their actual store will set you back $6.00 ($65.00 for an entire cake), this pint practically pays for itself. If you’re a chocoholic, and even if you aren’t, you should head over to the Find Us section of Steve’s site and see where you can score some for yourself.

Where I Found It: Steve's Ice Cream Online Store
Grade: A

REVIEW: Steve's NOLA Coffee & Donuts

When scanning over all the selections available from Steve’s Ice Cream, NOLA Coffee & Donuts definitely stood out. My infatuation with the combination of creamy coffee and fried dough has been a long standing one, so the description of New Orleans style Blue Bottle Coffee ice cream with Pies “N” Thighs donut pieces seemed like a sure thing. The Brooklyn based creamery doesn’t stray far from home when sourcing ingredients and reaches out to small-scale, local businesses to create this flavor.

Blue Bottle's preparation method for their New Orleans Style Iced Coffee (Actual Photo: Adam Goldberg)

Blue Bottle Coffee has multiple locations across California and New York, but the Berry St. Brooklyn store sits closest to Steve’s. This artisan coffee roasting company brews a variety of different blends nearly every way imaginable. For their ice cream, Steve’s has opted for the Iced New Orleans Style with chicory. The preparation method and finished product are both pictured above.

(Photo: Buck Ennis)

For the donuts they’ve decided on another Brooklyn institution: the hip, Southern restaurant referred to as Pies “N” Thighs. The three female owners serve up fried chicken and waffles, collard greens and biscuits but also fry up a few different donuts as well. Steve’s Ice Cream chooses the old fashioned, cake kind. I can’t speak on the deliciousness of their donuts, but according to an article from New York Magazine, who awarded them the Best Donuts in all of New York for 2007, “They’re crisp-edged and properly dense, spiced with nutmeg, and sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar. Buttermilk and sour cream give them a subtle tang, and, because Pies-n-Thighs partner Sarah Buck, in her delightfully quirky way, cuts the batter with a large biscuit ring, each one is about the size of a Texas grapefruit or maybe an undersize boccie ball—which, unlike big bagels, isn’t a bad thing in our book.”

At 240 calories per serving, the Blue Bottle infused ice cream is high in butterfat and low in overrun. The slow-melting time of the potent base allows all the flavors contained inside to fully develop without dissipating too quickly. Iced coffee typically produces a bolder, slightly more flavorful taste when compared to hot coffee and this shines through in the ice cream; as well as the addition of chicory. After the first few layers were removed, I finally realized that the old-fashioned donuts from Pies “N” Thighs had been blended up far past what I had been expecting.

Even though the donuts pieces that have been swirled into the iced coffee ice cream remain small in size, this method also ensure that every bite gets at least a few crumbs. This gives the whole ice cream a unique texture that finishes with the taste and feel of authentic donuts. On a few occasions I found larger chunks that were able to fully showcase the feel of the cake. These weren't fluffy or weightless like the yeast-raised versions, but remain dense and chewy throughout. When combined with the super-premium base, the result is an effective combination of one-off ingredients that you literally can’t find anywhere else.

Where I Found It: Steve's Ice Cream Online Store
Grade: A

REVIEW: Steve's Blackberry Honey

Following my first few encounters with Steve’s Ice Cream, I figured if I were ever going to enjoy a non-dairy dessert, this Brooklyn-based brand would be the one to win me over. The other pints contained in my shipment were all chock full of incredible ingredients swirled with their super-premium ice cream, so after reading the description of Blackberry Honey, I remained skeptical that this could live up to the others. The simple summary of blackberry swirled with wildflower honey is further expanded upon on the back of the carton: tart and sweet blackberry coconut crème made with fresh berries and swirled with a delicate ribbon of aromatic wildflower honey. At first glance, the view through the transparent pint is perhaps the most aesthetically pleasing of them all and proudly displays the beautiful, bright purple base and large concentrations of golden honey through the plastic.

Considering this was the first non-dairy frozen dessert I’d be reviewing, I took a closer look at the ingredients list than I normally would. It’s surprising to see that this still contains 210 calories per serving despite the first five ingredients being filtered water, coconut cream, organic agave, organic sugar and safflower oil. As soon as I open the top, I draw in a deep breath through my nose to savor the unbelievable scent of the wildflower honey. Aromatics are usually blanketed by the frozen nature of ice cream, but the cold temperature does little to hide the fragrance flowing out of this pint. Although the fuchsia-colored first layer is a little softer than Steve’s standard ice cream, the blackberry base retains an above average texture; especially considering there is no cream or milk involved. It remains smooth, creamy and the leftover blackberry seeds gave it an interesting texture.

Even though coconut cream was second on the list of ingredients, the taste can’t manage to break through the boldness of the blackberries; but still enhances the overall feel. The texture is enhanced even further when the wildflower honey came into play. This sticky swirl coats the outside of the carton, cuts in between layers along the way, pairs wonderfully with the blackberries and is the highlight of this pint. The fresh, bright flavors provided by Steve’s Blackberry Honey wasn’t quite up to par with their full-bodied, diary options; but it’s not far behind either.

Where I Found It: Steve's Ice Cream Online Store
Grade: B