After having a not so pleasant brunch at Bonjour Brioche down the street, I needed a little pick-me-up and I had heard great things about Ed’s Real Scoop. I was particularly curious about their “red hot chili chocolate” flavored ice cream. From the moment we walked in, we were engulfed with the scent of fresh sweet bread, a welcoming smile from the girl behind the counter, and fun 50’s music playing in the background.  Yep, this is exactly what I needed! I felt better already!

I did not understand this quote. Apparently they post a different quote every day.

I thought the prices were pretty good and there were an array of options and sizes available from which to choose from.

Take home pints, $7.50. Taxes included.

Red hot chili chocolate and pistachio ice cream. $4.00 for one scoop split in half (no extra charge for getting half a scoop of one flavor and half of another). $1.20 extra for the waffle cone.

I had read several reviews prior to visiting Ed’s and several of these reviews mentioned the red hot chili chocolate ice cream. When I took my first bite, all I tasted was dark chocolate. It was only after I swallowed it that I felt the impact of the chili. I felt a slight burn on my throat, but not in a bad way. It was interesting. But unless you are a lover of dark chocolate, the chili effect will not be sufficient. I am not a huge fan of chocolate, so I was hoping for a little more chili impact. The second flavor I got was pistachio. When I visited Sicily I ate a lot of pistachio gelato, and in my opinion Sicily makes the best pistachio gelato in the world. Since I returned home I have been searching for a comparable alternative, and thus far I have not been able to find one. Nevertheless, this pistachio version was sweet, smooth and creamy. A perfect contract to the spicyness of the chili and bitter dark chocolate.

Homemade waffle cones.

They make their own waffle cones. At the tip of each waffle cone they place a tiny marshmallow. At first I did not know why, then I learned that it is to seal the end of the cone so that the ice cream does not seep through. Being a big kid myself, I ate through the cone in lightning speed just to get to the marshmallow in the end.

Regina ordered a lemon and pineapple sorbet in a cup for $4.00.

The lemon sorbet tasted tangy, the flavor was sharp, and to me it really did feel like I was sucking on a lemon. That’s perfect if that is what you like.  I rather stick to the creamy flavors with a touch of spice. The pineapple sorbet was sweet and smooth. It reminded me of a piña colada minus the alcohol.

Return or not return?

Our experience at Ed’s Real Scoop was a wonderful one. The lovely girl behind the counter from the moment we walked in offered us the option of trying any flavor we wanted. We tried several and not once did we feel like we were annoying her or trying too many flavors. She was attentive and very warm and when we ordered our scoops, she worked hard to pile on as much ice cream as she could onto the cone, and stuffed Regina’s cup until it was nice and compact. I do recommend that you consider sharing your scoop, since there was plenty in one scoop for two people.

Below I have attached a link to Ed’s Real Scoop website where you can find a list of all the ice cream flavors they carry. Not all the flavors  may be available when you visit since flavors vary by season and location. There are 2 locations, one at the Beaches and one at Leslieville (Queen East).

Enjoy!

http://www.edsrealscoop.com/Pages/OurProducts.aspx