Back in the early 1990s, I used to buy ice cream from a Häagen-Dazs store in south Miami. The tiny shop was always an air-conditioned oasis from the miserable South Florida heat and humidity, and just walking through the doors would put a smile upon my face.
Each Häagen-Dazs store offers different ice cream options — including flavors you can’t buy by the pint at the grocery store — and this one was no exception. My favorite flavor was chocolate chocolate chip mint, served in a bowl without adornments. The creamy bittersweet chocolate ice cream was filled with tiny shards of chocolate chips that were tinged with a refreshing hint of mint. I’d order a large, two-scoop cup topped with a lid, hide the container in my purse and then sneak it into the movie theater next door. Once the house lights dimmed, I’d surreptitiously pull out my treat and revel in every spoonful.
I haven’t been back to Miami in several years. I don’t even know if that store is still there. Nor have I been able to find that flavor in any other Häagen-Dazs shop. But I still dream of that delicious ice cream, and I hope that one day I’ll get a chance to taste it again.
(Photo by og-vision)
