Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory

Having eaten home-made ice-cream every day last summer at the East Village Ice Cream Factory, I decided to try the ice-cream in it's original incarnation. So I ventured out the the Greenpoint outpost of the Brooklyn ice-cream factory, their other factory is near the Brooklyn Bridge which is a lovely spot and packed in warmer months with lines of we scream for ice-cream kids. Getting to the Greenpoint outpost is a trip so to speak on the G train to Greenpoint Ave. and then another 8 blocks to this isolated but charming ice-cream spot. It looks like an old-fashioned ice-cream parlor from the outside with a green and yellow striped material awning and inside with small tables and books about old-Brooklyn. The flavors include vanilla, chocolate, coffee, butter pecan and peaches and cream. All fresh ingredients are used in the production of the ice-cream. This ice-cream is almost identical the the East Village spot as it's owner was an alumni of the original Brooklyn joint, though the Brooklyn spot is a bit more pricey and the East Village Ice Cream Factory makes their fruit flavors with real bits of fruit in smaller batches. One scoop is $3.50 here and two were $5.50 with toppings extra. A bathroom is in the back in case you need it before the long hike back to the G.

Vinnie Vella's Pizza

Vinne Vella is a an actor who has opened a pizza place on Metropolitan Avenue two doors down from the great Cheeks bakery(see Brooklyn new school bakery). The space boasts exposed brick, pictures of lots of celebraties with Vella and Frankie playing in the background. Clean, steal tables also lined with pictures offer a spiffier pizza eating experience with nice condiments on each table. Now for the pizza, which it boasts is the best thin crust pizza. Well the round pizza at $2.25 is good and thin with a sweet light tomato sauce, cheese that looks like it was added before the sauce a la L&B Spumoni Gardens(more on L&B) shortly. The pizza does have a nice bite though the flavor is not exceptional. Pies run from $13-$15 for a large plain pizza and up to $21 for specialty pies with movie names like Casino, Anaylze This etc.