Emack and Bolio’s
Emack and Bolio's Ice Cream (Courtesy of roboppy on Flickr)
This place started back in 1975 amidst Boston’s hard rockin scene. A place for musicians and folks on the edge to visit after the bars closed, some of the flavors are now named after rock stars like the Twisted Dee-Light after Dee Snider of Twisted Sister and Deep Purple Cow, black raspberry ice cream with white and dark chocolate chips and blueberries after…well I’ll let you guess who. And the funny name? Well it came from the founder who was working as a pro-bono attorney on behalf of two homeless men. They wanted him to name the shop after them (Donald & John’s), but their last names made a catchier moniker.
And all that funky history translates into a colorful more varied approach to their ice cream making as well. They only use organic and hormone-free ingredients in their over 40 ice cream flavors with a large selection of iceless smoothies made with fresh fruits and live cultured yogurt. The Grasshopper Pie incorporates creme de menthe liquor with Oreo chunks and chocolate flakes, while the Liquid Yoga is a creamy but healthy mixture of soy milk, chai, banana, and non-fat vanilla yogurt. Pair that with a wide assortment of off-the-wall waffle cones covered with toppings like rice krispys, fruit loops, and chocolate chips and you’ve got a real dessert. But for those adhering to dietary restrictions, they also provide certified Kosher sugar-free, fat-free, low-fat, and lactose-free options that are truly just as tasty as their calorific originals.
My personal recommendation? The Chocolate Moose: Chocolate Liqueur blended with cocoa and imported chocolate yielding the richest chocolate ice cream worlds above Godiva.
