DELFINO: Surreal Creamery — aesthetically pleasing ice cream on Easton Avenue
Column: Cameron's Crunch
As summer approaches, so does my craving for ice cream. As a kid, I never was super into ice cream. I enjoyed it but never seemed to be begging my parents to take me to my local ice cream shop. Now that I am older, I have become an avid ice cream lover.
My friends and I take weekly trips to the famous Cliff's Homemade Ice Cream and get to enjoy some of the best ice cream in New Jersey, according to The Daily Meal. While I have my local go-to ice cream spots, I am always open to trying new places, and on my radar since last year has been Surreal Creamery on Easton Avenue.
Every picture I saw online of an item from Surreal Creamery looked mouth-watering. Whether it was huge servings of ice cream piled high with toppings or a bubble tea the size of my head, everything looked exceptionally aesthetically pleasing. These surprising pictures and a friend’s recommendation were the two things that drove me to try it out.
When my sister and I got there, I looked over the menu and was both overwhelmed and indecisive. I knew I wanted ice cream, but there were too many options that I wanted to try. Choices like the It’s My Birthday and the Chocolate Blackout mason jar specials genuinely made my ordering process difficult.
After much deliberation, I finally decided on the Nom Nom Cookie. Blue vanilla ice cream topped with chocolate crunch, chocolate syrup, Cookie Crisp cereal, marshmallows and Oreos just sounded too good to pass up.
Each ice cream is hand-crafted with care and served in a mason jar. Each marshmallow and piece of Cookie Crisp cereal was so gently placed in the soft peak of the ice cream that it seemed to defy gravity. From the get-go, Surreal Creamery was living up to my aesthetic expectations.
When I took my first bite, I was honestly surprised. It did not have nearly as much flavor as I was expecting. I know vanilla is not the most flavorful ice cream, but I genuinely could barely taste the vanilla and had to concentrate on getting the flavors to come through.
While I felt the vanilla flavor from the ice cream could have been a bit more intense, the combination of the toppings was terrific and was the best part of this ice cream. The different textures of the crunchiness paired with the smoothness of the ice cream elevated the ice cream and brought some complexity to this treat. The toppings are what made this dessert deserving of the Nom Nom Cookie title.
Unfortunately, I cannot see myself frequently spending $10 on ice cream. I do not think Surreal Creamery’s prices are terribly overpriced considering that each ice cream is handcrafted in a mason jar with a generous serving and many toppings, but it is a bit more expensive than I am used to spending on ice cream.
Surreal Creamery does have other products on its menu, like the milk tea that my sister got, for example, that are more reasonably priced and something I would not feel so hesitant to spend the money on.
My sister’s matcha milk tea was actually quite enjoyable, despite me not liking matcha so much. The chewy tapioca balls inside are something I am still trying to get used to, but the flavor of the tea was good without the matcha being overpowering.
Even though I did not have the best experience at Surreal Creamery with my ice cream, I am definitely willing and interested in going back and trying something else on their menu. While I think it is important to speak the truth in these reviews, I also am a huge proponent of giving places second chances and trying different things to find something that you like.
Me not liking my ice cream that much but enjoying my sister’s milk tea shows that maybe I would like a different item menu if I got the chance to try it. Sometimes a restaurant may be having an off day, or perhaps it is not the best item on their menu. At the end of the day, it is crucial to give the restaurant the courtesy of not basing your decision on one visit that did not necessarily live up to your expectations.
Cameron Delfino is a School of Arts and Sciences sophomore majoring in journalism and media studies. His column, "Cameron's Crunch," runs on alternate Wednesdays.
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