The cone in question, from Ryan’s Homemade. (Photos by Sherri Hall. Click to enlarge.)
By SHERRI HALL
In search of the Greater Red Bank Green’s best cold and frozen treats to help you beat the heat, PieHole‘s Cool Inside series returns for a second installment this not-yet-official summer of ’16 with a visit to a place that makes every one of its 48 flavors of ice cream.
The cone under construction. (Photos by Sherri Hall. Click to enlarge.)
What is it called?
Chocolate Covered Strawberry Ice Cream in a Decorated Waffle Cone
Where can I get it?
462 Shrewsbury Avenue
Tinton Falls, NJ 07702
732.842.5874
Price?
$5.95 for a decorated waffle cone with two scoops of ice cream; $5.50 for a plain waffle cone with two scoops. Add sprinkles for $.45.
What’s in it?
According to owner Peter Ryan, the ice cream itself is made up of homemade strawberry ice cream with fudge and chocolate flakes. “It tastes like a chocolate-covered strawberry,” he says.
Adding it to the decorated waffle cone takes it to the next level. The cones are hand-dipped in chocolate, and then decorated with rainbow sprinkles by Elizabeth Ryan, Ryan’s wife.
What’s great about this treat?
“It’s just delicious,” says Elizabeth. “And, it’s available year-round,” because, well, so is the shop.
How did you come up with the idea of chocolate-covered strawberry as a flavor?
According to Peter, a customer suggested it around Valentine’s Day one year. Not only did it make her happy, but it has satisfied many a sweet tooth since.
What else do you have, flavor-wise?
The shop offers about 48 flavors, and each “has a face to it,” he says. Among them are several seasonal flavors, such as Fresh Jersey Peach Ice Cream, which is available in August and features none other than fresh New Jersey peaches. Other seasonal flavors include fall and winter favorites, such as cinnamon, pumpkin and eggnog.
The ice cream here is homemade by Ryan, who develops all of the flavors. He estimates that at this time of year, he makes 15 to 20 two-gallon tubs of ice cream every day.
What made you want to get into the ice cream business?
“I was raised in the ice cream business,” says Ryan, whose father started the business as a Carvel franchise in 1968. After earning a business degree and spending several years in the restaurant industry, the younger Ryan returned to his ice cream roots. The business changed over to Ryan’s in 1988.
“I guess it’s in my blood,” he says.
Fill in the blank with the first word that comes to mind:
If the Chocolate Covered Strawberry Ice Cream in a Decorated Waffle Cone didn’t exist, life would be “boring,” said both Ryans.
