Cold Stone Creamery, a Scottsdale, Arizona Franchise Owned by Kahala Brands

[RaisaB]

Coldstone is okay. My kids love it. Of course their taste is not yet as refined as mine and anyone else who has any sense on this board. It is better than Carvel's, but I would NEVER stoop down to ever eat anything at Carvel's ever again. (Well I do like their ice cream cakes.)

After eating Berthillons in Paris, helados in Spain, Gelato's in Italy (and Indian Kulfis), there is no way I would ever stoop down to eating Coldstone.

[Waitman]

Cold Stone is not bad, however this area is really lacking in a really good independant Ice Cream shop. I usually make my own, which I think is better than any shops around here, however I really wish someone would open something along the lines of La Berthillon. I know people always say this the the best Ice Cream in the world, I would argue that it's better than anything you can find in our area

You know, the one time I had Berthillon's, I was unimpressed. We do make a lot of very good ice cream at our house, so we're a bit spoiled. Had some extraordinary excellent pistachio ice cream at Komi the other day, (he added, lest people think him even more mindlessly critical than he really is).

And, if you're ever in Denver, Bonnie Brae Ice Cream is quite swell and a classic 50-year-old family run shop.

[shogun]

Waitman said:

Power is going to kick your ass out of the kitchen as untrainable if he reads this.

Youthful indescretions! Besides, I work Saturday nights now...he's doing his part to keep a troubled kid off both the streets and the private Counterstrike servers. But you're right, that post sounded really sad...not a common occurance, I assure you! I can usually only eat half of one of those things anyway, so victual self-abuse is minimized. Like Chipotle, Coldstone is an act of violence, not love.

It's just funny how this is touching some kind of deeply-felt neurotic foodie nerve with everybody. If you can't enjoy the occasional poor-quality crap, you're dead inside.

666: Post of the Beast

[Joe H]

Coldstone is okay. My kids love it. Of course their taste is not yet as refined as mine and anyone else who has any sense on this board. It is better than Carvel's, but I would NEVER stoop down to ever eat anything at Carvel's ever again. (Well I do like their ice cream cakes.)

After eating Berthillons in Paris, helados in Spain, Gelato's in Italy (and Indian Kulfis), there is no way I would ever stoop down to eating Coldstone.

Raisa, I thought Berthillon was both outstanding and disappointing. The prune and armagnac (I believe their signature flavor) was superb with large chunks of armagnac soaked prunes. In fact about 1/3 of the volume of the ice cream was prunes. Simply, a great flavor. I may have liked their caramel even more. I'm still partial to my own caramel pecan but this was the best caramel ice cream that I've had in a store anywhere. The real disappointment was their coconut which, for me, was dreadful.

By the way I had molasses ice cream with candied walnuts and streaks of dark molasses at Stephen Pyles in Dallas a couple of weeks ago. Maybe-maybe-the best ice cream I've had anywhere. I'm working on it to see if I can duplicate it.

Coldstone? In Vienna the nearby Neilsen's Frozen Custard from Utah is far superior in my opinion. I view Coldstone as a kind of gimmick.

[Waitman]

Raisa, I thought Berthillon was both outstanding and disappointing. The prune and armagnac (I believe their signature flavor) was superb with large chunks of armagnac soaked prunes. In fact about 1/3 of the volume of the ice cream was prunes. Simply, a great flavor. I may have liked their caramel even more. I'm still partial to my own caramel pecan but this was the best caramel ice cream that I've had in a store anywhere. The real disappointment was their coconut which, for me, was dreadful.

By the way I had molasses ice cream with candied walnuts and streaks of dark molasses at Stephen Pyles in Dallas a couple of weeks ago. Maybe-maybe-the best ice cream I've had anywhere. I'm working on it to see if I can duplicate it.

Coldstone? In Vienna the nearby Neilsen's Frozen Custard from Utah is far superior in my opinion. I view Coldstone as a kind of gimmick.

You liked the caramel? That was the flavor I tried as I'd been working to make it at home. A second-tier effort imho. Maybe it just couldn't live up to the hyoe.

[TedE]

When ColdStone/Maggie Moo's first moved into the area we would occasionally go, mostly stumbling home from Adams Morgan. I was never really impressed and always thought there was something plasticky about the texture but the taste (especially Cake Batter, the only base that I ever liked) was good enough. Then one day we walked out of the ColdStone in Cleveland Park right into a cloud of bus exhaust. The whiff of exhaust combined with the rubbery texture made me feel like I was actually eating some petrochemical-based substance. Haven't gone back since.

I do miss the Cake Batter, though.

[mtpleasanteater]

Try this recepie for carmel ice cream by brother gave me from the lutece cookbook.

1 1/4 sugar

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

2 1/4 cups whole milk

1 vanilla bean cut in half lengthwise

12 egg yolks

In a saucepan carmelize the sugar over medium heat, then add the cream & stir untill smooth (leave the heat on).

At the same time boil the milk with the vanilla bean in it & then pour it over the caramel.

Beat the eggs lightly & fold in the caramel/milk, put it back in the sauce pan & heat to desired thickness. (you can test this by running you finger over the spoon & having it not close over the gap) Strain & chill.

I use a cuisinart ice cream maker & it comes out really killer.

[JLK]

Independent = Max's (Glover Park). Try it. You'll like it.

[MBK]

Independent = Max's (Glover Park). Try it. You'll like it.

So good. He does seasonal flavors as well -- I can't wait til fall, when he'll have pumpkin and apple pie ice creams that are blissful.

[Pool Boy]

...It's just funny how this is touching some kind of deeply-felt neurotic foodie nerve with everybody. If you can't enjoy the occasional poor-quality crap, you're dead inside....

I kind of agree, but I still think it is possibel to find better poor quality crap to eat out there versus lesser poor quality crap.

What I think is funny is how many posts are stacking up from such a simple dumpster dive as what I did.

That said, anyone else ever had a Ted Drew's frozen custard in St. Louis? You know, a concrete? Mmmm.

[RaisaB]

Folks, I was joking about having refined taste. I think it is funny how a place like Coldstone has generated so many posts. I personally do not like it, that much is true, but I will eat it. My kids love the place. They are regulars at the Gainesville, VA location as well as Canton MD.

I have had Berthillons and do enjoy it, but it is not everything it is hyped up to be. The best ice cream I have ever had was in Cartagena, Spain. It was coconut and orgasmic, and I don't even like ice cream that much. Personally for massed produced, I feel nothing beats Hagan Daz Vanilla or Rum Raisin.

For homemade, nothing beats my rum raisin.

[Barbara]

mtpleasanteater said:

Try this recepie for carmel ice cream by brother gave me from the lutece cookbook.

1 1/4 sugar

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

2 1/4 cups whole milk

1 vanilla bean cut in half lengthwise

12 egg yolks

In a saucepan carmelize the sugar over medium heat, then add the cream & stir untill smooth (leave the heat on).

At the same time boil the milk with the vanilla bean in it & then pour it over the caramel.

Beat the eggs lightly & fold in the caramel/milk, put it back in the sauce pan & heat to desired thickness. (you can test this by running you finger over the spoon & having it not close over the gap) Strain & chill.

I use a cuisinart ice cream maker & it comes out really killer.

Oh , Boy! This looks good!

(p.s.: I usually make lemon ice cream and pair it with blueberry sorbet every year. I have discovered that I have several containers of frozen lemon juice, far more than I can use, so . . . who wants some lemon juice? I should add that I have all this frozen lemon juice as a result of making limoncello every Christmas. That requires only the peel and, unwilling to pour lemon juice down the drain, I juice and freeze the other stuff.) Send me a PM and, if you are going to the picnic, so much the better.

[Joe H]

No, not at all..... I LOVE Cold Stone. And yes, I even love the singing. A CSC fan and darn proud of it!!

Don't get me wrong, I like my fou-fou desserts as much as the next foodie.... But every now and then you want some "substance" to your desserts. And they EVEN had pumpkin ice cream. YUMMY!!!

Also, I am not a huge fan of traditional Italian desserts anyway. They are never sweet enough for me. So there! I've said it. And I stick by it! OK, fine......so maybe I'm a fake, no-count, wanna-be foodie. Sue me! Me and my chain ice cream mix can be banished to a restaurant-less location in the Arctic. I'll end up being 200 pounds, but darn it, I'll be HAPPY!

There is nothing wrong with weighing 200 pounds (or 300 for a man). IF THE FOOD WAS WORTH THE CALORIES. I have tasted a lot of things in my life that would have supported this statement. Sorry, but Coldstone Creamery is not one of them.

As an addendum I make ice cream with a hand cranked White Mountain freezer and Lewes Dairy pasteurized heavy cream. We're talking literally 1800-2000 calories per pint! Or more! Serious. I would put some of the flavors I've made (i.e. caramel pecan, Cognac with macerated dates & raisins, chunk chocolate with hazelnuts) justifiably up against any calories you've had from Coldstone. Leaving Coldstone I would exhibit tears and worthlessness from the wasted calories I sacrificed on plebian ice cream. Leaving my house and my hand cranked machine I would also have tears-from the bliss and delirious, yes the glorious satisfaction of a frozen dessert that someone addicted to Coldstone will never know in their lifetime....

This same apparent orgasmic realization is available at Bebo. That which you wrote off in favor of the mechanical chain satisfaction of Coldstone. Yet Roberto is capable of providing gratification that most others in the D. C. area-especially a chain outpost-only dream of providing.

At his Bebo....

[DonRocks]

As an addendum I make ice cream with a hand cranked White Mountain freezer and Lewes Dairy pasteurized heavy cream. We're talking literally 1800-2000 calories per pint! Or more! Serious.

We're also talking literally 1800-2000 postings per argument! Or more! Sirius (*).

Cheers,

Rocks.

(*) De Dogg Starr.

[bonaire]

Joe H said:

Leaving Coldstone I would exhibit tears and worthlessness from the wasted calories I sacrificed on plebian ice cream. Leaving my house and my hand cranked machine I would also have tears-from the bliss and delirious, yes the glorious satisfaction of a frozen dessert that someone addicted to Coldstone will never know in their lifetime....

Hey -- I'm sure this may be a "food fight" in the making, but I just want to say, to each his own, right? Just because someone enjoys one flavor/texture/etc more than another doesn't make them wrong. Your post is awfully absolutist and maybe a little mean. Everyone has their guilty pleasures -- for some people it's probably Velveeta or Spam or Marshmallow Fluff (in fact, isn't there a topic on this somewhere?). Crabbing on someone for having what you consider less sophisticated taste kind of defeats the purpose of the board, IMHO. Isn't it supposed to be about all food, not who has the best taste in it?!

Full Disclosure -- I love Coldstone Cake Batter ice cream. And yes, it's better than some of the super fancy-dancy desserts you can get in some restaurants in town. And not as good as others. It's always just a matter of what I feel like that night!

[Chris Cunningham]

That which you wrote off in favor of the mechanical chain satisfaction of Coldstone.

Sometimes, that is exactly what one wants for the hell of it...Let me know where and when you set up your hand cranker and I'll gladly show up to try it

[mdt]

Yet Roberto is capable of providing gratification that most others in the D. C. area-especially a chain outpost-only dream of providing.

At his Bebo....

This should probably go in the Bebo thread, but they key word here is capable. Not many of the dishes that I have tried have been more than average. Hopefully as they get used to serving the increased number of customers (versus Galileo) things will pick up.

[LaShanta]

This should probably go in the Bebo thread, but they key word here is capable. Not many of the dishes that I have tried have been more than average. Hopefully as they get used to serving the increased number of customers (versus Galileo) things will pick up.

As background, this actually started in the Bebo thread. I said that I passed up dessert at Bebo for CSC ice cream. People have been outraged and trying to recover from their shock and awe ever since....

Thank you so much Bonaire for the words of support in my defense. I really appreciate it.

And I have actually never in my whole life had homemade ice cream (I'm assuming that Bryer's doesn't count ). So maybe it will be "orgasmic"...but there definitely seems to be a cost-benefit analysis that I would do either way....especially if I was the one doing the cranking. But Joe, I do appreciate your passion and excitement about homamde ice cream. Maybe you can share some of your creations at the next picnic? That would be fun! I used to be a skeptic about the Dairy Godmother as well, but now I am a believer. So who knows.....? Maybe I'll change my mind about CSC too.

Anything's possible.

Peace & Many Blessings,

LaShanta

[shogun]

Ha! Nice...I used to go after Jaleo or Oyamel sometimes, too. Unless there are 40 tourists in line, it's pretty tempting.

[Heather]

Heather said:

An acquaintance I can't stand owns one of these stores in the DC area. Too bad they're so popular.

And I hear from a mutual friend that he's opening another location - I think in the Rockville Town Center - so any of you folks with the urge for this overly-sweet gimmicky stuff will have another outlet.

If I still lived there it would give me great pleasure to patronise the Ben & Jerry's across the street.

[DLB]

(I'm assuming that Bryer's doesn't count ).

Bryer's? are you kidding me?

Hey, I am just joking. I have no issue with Cold Stone or Bryer's. I grew up on Bryer's, Ice Milk, and the two gallon tub of Neapolitan. I can assure you that once you have had homemade ice cream, it's really hard to go back!

[tfbrennan]

"Who wants soup ... and ice cream??" Those with dental fillings beware - Coldstone pairs with Soup Nazi

[hm212]

Heather said:

If I still lived there it would give me great pleasure to patronise the Ben & Jerry's across the street.

I am a Ben & Jerry junkie.

My kids like any ice cream (5&8), so I do stop from time to time at Cold Stone.

Edited to add CS comment to keep on topic.

[MelGold]

If anyone's near the Whole Foods in Fair Lakes today between 11:30 AM & 9 PM, stop by the MaggieMoo's... They're celebrating their "grand opening" with a fundraiser today to raise funds for Fair Oaks Hospital to help them build a playground on the campus.

[StanStateSweetie]

I used to work at a Cold Stone out here in California, and I gotta tell you, singing is GREAT for us, and I'm sad that some of you don't appreciate it. On a good weekend, each crew member can earn an extra $40 cash just in tips. It's a great bonus for us, and MOST of the customers seem to like it. However, our store was FANTASTIC in that we had great crew members who sang, danced, and gave all-around great customer service. I have been to some Cold Stones where I felt like I was being treated like cattle, and their singing was HORRENDOUS. Hopefully you guys will be able to have a Cold Stone experience at a superb store one day, and your opinion will change.

[soapy]

I used to work at a Cold Stone out here in California, and I gotta tell you, singing is GREAT for us, and I'm sad that some of you don't appreciate it. On a good weekend, each crew member can earn an extra $40 cash just in tips. It's a great bonus for us, and MOST of the customers seem to like it. However, our store was FANTASTIC in that we had great crew members who sang, danced, and gave all-around great customer service. I have been to some Cold Stones where I felt like I was being treated like cattle, and their singing was HORRENDOUS. Hopefully you guys will be able to have a Cold Stone experience at a superb store one day, and your opinion will change.

Ehh I worked for Coldstone one year when I was in college (actually worked two jobs that summer) and having to sing all the time got tiresome after a while. Strangely getting free ice cream every shift didn't (although I'd take mine home and share it with my family) My favorite to this day is penut butter cup perfection.

[DonRocks]

Much has happened to the already-awful Cold Stone Creamery in the past nine years. Most importantly, it merged with Kahala Corporation in 2007 to form Kahala-Cold Stone, then changed the name to Kahala Brands in 2013 when the Toronto-based Serruya family purchased a controlling interest.

You can click here to see the 18 brands that Kahala currently controls. Familiar to DC residents will be Cold Stone Creamery, Blimpie, Planet Smoothie, Pinkberry, and Tasti D-Lite. 

Let me know how they are.