Toscanini's Ice Cream and Café

A mere 5 minute walk from the Central Square stop on the Red Line in Cambridge is what the New York Times described as the best Ice Cream in the World. I was out on a sunny Sunday afternoon with Connoisseur Jon, his wife Liz, and my girlfriend Jenny shopping at the various art stores that live on Mass Ave in Central Square when Jon suggested a side trip to Toscanini’s.

The yellow-painted storefront was barricaded behind orange road construction barrels, but as multiple signs pointed out, they were most definitely open. Inside, amid a hodgepodge of arts and crafts from local artists, were a smattering of tables and chairs, though not nearly enough to seat the constant influx of patrons pouring in for a cold treat on a warm early June day. The café area itself was a bit of a mess, tables were filthy and sticky with ice cream explosions from hours earlier, also the chairs and tables were getting in the way of many of the harried lactovores.

The menu that hung behind the bar was being constantly updated with new ice cream flavors as the day turned to afternoon. With selections ranging from Banana Heath Bar, Altoid Chip, and Orange Mango to the more pedestrian seeming Grapenut, Coconut Sorbet, and Vanilla Malt, it may take a newcomer a few minutes to calibrate their palate for the unexpected array. I’m frankly always disappointed to see how few ice cream places are willing to take a chance like this, with Toscanini’s making all their ice cream in house, this is a luxury they take full advantage of.

The price was a bit high, one scoop weighing in at $3.50, but if this place was all it’s cracked up to be, the quality would justify the price tag. I ordered one scoop of Cake Batter ice cream for Jenny and one of Turkish Mocha for myself. Additionally I got a large Moroccan Mint iced tea to cleanse the palate and refresh body and mind. Jon got the aptly named Burnt Caramel while Liz stuck to the more traditional fare of a Chocolate Shake (for an upcoming article from Connoisseur Jon, keep your eyes peeled).

The four of us crowded around a tiny table and tucked in. The Burnt Caramel was buttery and sweet, but a bit too ‘burnt’ for my liking. Jon seemed unfazed and devoured his ice cream in record time. Jenny’s Cake Batter ice cream was exactly that, it tasted like nothing more, and nothing less than yellow cake batter. Now call me crazy, but I was always more of a frosting or cookie dough guy when it came to unfinished baked goods. Still, it was quite good. My Turkish Mocha ice cream was simply amazing; it tasted of good, rich, dark chocolate and strongly brewed coffee on the attack, but quickly spread out in a myriad of directions. Many North African spices were present such as cinnamon and cardamom, as well as some savory Indian spices I couldn’t quite put my finger on. I have never had such a complex ice cream in my life, with the possible exception of Jon’s Tabasco ice cream which he made last summer to garner a strong and memorable finish in The Connoisseur’s Mexican Food Cook-off.

Though it may not be the cleanest or most orderly ice cream café in the world, Toscanini’s is well worth the price of admission.