This summer the Van Leeuwen Ice Cream Trucks (there are two now) have successfully elbowed their way into New York City's booming "dessert truck" market by peddling a creamy, gourmet ice cream that makes Kool Man look like Fool Man. Made with meticulously sourced ingredients and an emphasis on sustainability (the ice cream comes in cups produced from Bagasse, a chemical-free fiber made from sugar cane; the spoons are made from cornhusks), it's a dessert......

Photo courtesy Blondie and Brownie. Cupcakes in ice cream cones? Has the whole world gone crazy? It does appear to be the case; blogger Blondie and Brownie spotted the innovation (or perversion, depending where you stand on dessert segregation) on sale at the Treats Truck at the end of last month. Of course, to a seasoned sweet connoisseur like Brownie, this is hardly revolutionary: I haven't had a conecake since, um, my mom made them......

Clearing up a legal gray area, state lawmakers have passed a bill regulating the sale of frozen dessert products made with wine, permitting the sale of ice cream and sorbet to anyone over the age of 21. The bill limits the alcohol content to 5 percent by volume and requires warning labels – even though it would take two gallons of wine ice cream or one pint of wine sorbet to equal one glass of......

Posthumously joining an elite circle that includes Jerry Garcia, Stephen Colbert and Phish, ex-Beatle John Lennon has now been honored with his own Ben & Jerry's ice cream flavor: Imagine Whirled Peace. Guest of a Guest recites the ingredients: a caramel and sweet cream whirl with toffee and chocolate-covered peace signs. Reportedly the company worked with the estate of Lennon and "the promotion also includes a recreation of the 'Bed-In' staged by John Lennon and......

Note to middle management: today’s the day workplace productivity takes its annual nosedive, as employees across America wait on interminable lines for handouts at Ben & Jerry’s. Free Cone Day – not to be confused with Free Clone Day – lasts until closing time at five participating Ben & Jerry’s scoop shops in Manhattan. Ben & Jerry's at 104th & Broadway (2722 Broadway), Ben & Jerry's at Macy’s Herald Square Food Court, Ben & Jerry's......

These thin, crispy cookies are the perfect garnish for any creamy dessert and, fair warning, they're absolutely addictive on their own as well. Try them with chocolate mousse, perhaps, or shape them into tiny cones to dish small bites of ice cream as an hors d'oeuvre. Pumpkin Seed Tuiles 1 1/3 C pumpkin seeds 1/2 C + 2 tbsp sugar 1 tsp vanilla extract A pinch of cayenne 2 egg whites 2 tbsp butter 2......

Roses or chocolate or, credit card be damned, both? Since time immemorial, men have spent February 14th scrambling to buy the right things without paying through the nose. But now there's a way to get both classic gifts in one package, and have some of the proceeds go to a good cause, thanks to Rhonda Kave of Roni-Sue’s Chocolates. Roni’s Roses are exquisite truffles packed with rose flavor as we found out upon tasting......

MOVIE: Tonight the Brooklyn Independent Cinema Series delivers two very different films. First up is The French Riviera, described as "a road documentary that follows a truck driver on a mission to earn enough money selling ice cream in the Icelandic countryside to go on a vacation on a French beach." Next up is About A Son, the "intimate and moving meditation on the late musician and artist Kurt Cobain, based on more than 25......

Clockwise from upper left: Photo of Creamsicle from the Lemon Ice King of Corona by joshbousel on flickr; Jamaican beef patties from Golden Krust Caribbean Bakery; Clam Chowder from Legal Sea Foods; artificially steaming coffee from Dunkin' Donuts Mayor Bloomberg and Mayor Thomas Menino of Boston are putting it all on the line for Sunday's Super Bowl. After winning the awful bet from Green Bay, Bloomberg has a lot more riding on the line......

When the mercury broke the 60-degree mark on Tuesday, Gothamist immediately began obsessing about frozen confections. Rest assured, the irony of the situation wasn't lost on us. If anyone offered us an ice cream cone during the recent cold snap that saw temps in the teens, things might have gotten ugly. As is often the case when we crave cold comfort, Gothamist was soon strolling the Tudor-lined streets of Forest Hills Gardens with one destination......

Go! Go! Curry: This Japanese fast food hot spot had lines down the block when they opened in the Garment District last spring; now they’re building on the buzz and branching out in the East Village. We’ve become addicted to their belt-busting Grand Slam (pictured), “a monster platter that comes with fried chicken, pork sausages and a hard-boiled egg, among other things. The thick, sweet sauce has a tiny kick of heat and is served......

We interviewed hundreds of people this year, from long-time rockers to the designer of New York’s subway map. Here are a few conversations you may have missed:On the day Radiohead’s In Rainbows was released exclusively online, musician Jonny Greenwood talked about the “experiment.” Doctor for the uninsured Jay Parkinson told us how to save $1,250 on our next MRI. Beastie Boy Adam Horovitz wondered why they can't make a quiet truck. Actor/Director John Turturro......

The last recipe in Niloufer Ichaporia King's new Parsi cookbook, My Bombay Kitchen, is a light dessert drink hat's supposed to be served on March 21st, the Parsi New Year. It is certainly delicious enough to have year round, though, or perhaps on our own New Year's Eve in a few weeks. It's a cinch to throw together. Soak some basil seeds in water (just a teaspoon or so will be enough for several......

A good December night: four friends hosting twenty-five dinner guests in one capacious Williamsburg loft for a multi-course dinner with unlimited cocktails and wine pairings. This Friday -- if you act fast -- the Whisk and Ladle Supper Club invites Gothamist readers to a dinner party -- revamped, with a seasonal menu featuring Black Bear. The cost? $40 – 50 dollars a head, depending on the cost of ingredients. Friday’s Whisk & Ladle Menu:......

Earlier this year, the city's new noise code went into effect, and the city has definitely been enforcing it on Staten Island's Kinborn Street. The Department of Environmental Protection has fined Lucie Liebman $1,000 for a noisy ice truck jingle. The thing is, Liebman doesn't have an ice cream truck! A Lickety Split truck had parked outside Liebman's house and sounded its jingle. The DEP sent two summonses to Liebman, before dropping off the hefty......

Brooklyn is all "Fuhgeddaboutit," but Staten Island can be "Hey, what about us!" at times. Take, for instance, a recent angry letter from the Richmond County Young Republicans who have asked Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg to recognize the borough in its software. You can read the entire letter here (PDF), but check out this excerpt:We often send out event invitations to members of The Richmond County Young Republicans' Gacebook group, but we have come across......

Kellari’s Parea: This Greek bistro, housed in the space that was formerly Michael Symon’s Parea, was created by the same team that runs Kellari Taverna in midtown. This "green" restaurant features an organic menu that includes pizzas fresh from the wood-burning oven, lamb that has been marinated overnight, and eggplant with feta ice cream. 36 E 20th St between Broadway and Park Ave South (212-777-8448) Maxie’s Grill: This casusal offshoot of Angelo & Maxie’s steakhouse......

A few days after showing surveillance video of a robber holding up a number of stores, police have arrested the suspect. Brooklyn resident Herbert Rodriguez was charged with robbery and criminal possession of a weapon in connection to 17 robberies, all below 23rd Street in Manhattan (there's a map at the end of this slideshow) over the past three months. In one video where the suspect robs a Murray Hill ice cream store, the bandana......

Today on the Gothamist Newsmap: a construction accident on East 46th St. in Manhattan, a stabbing on Grand Concourse and Bedford Park Blvd. in the Bronx, and an industrial accident on Quentin Rd. in Brooklyn. New York jeweler Tiffany & Co. is accusing online auction site eBay of pawning off bogus baubles as the genuine item. Fark.com may have failed in its bid to re-name a Boston sports stadium UFIA Arena, but it did......

Community Food & Juice: If you like the Clinton Street Baking Company, you'll like Community Food & Juice. DeDe Lahman and Neil Kleinberg bring the magic uptown with not only the same delicious comfort food, but this time with spot that meets Green Restaurant Association guidelines. 2893 Broadway, between 112th and 113th Streets, 212-665-2800. dell’anima: former Batali alums Chef Gabriel Thompson (Del Posto) and sommelier Joe Campanale (Babbo) team up to create a cozy neighborhood......

East and West Village sweet tooths went into withdrawal last weekend with the abrupt closure of both Mary’s Dairy ice cream and chocolate bars. The plucky little parlors had developed a loyal following since scooping out their first location in a former West Village leather shop. They soon became a favorite pit stop for lithe model-types who swore by their tasty fat-free soft serve, which, according to the Times, succeeded in avoiding “the chalky taste......

Did you happen to catch Stephen Colbert announce his candidacy for President of the United States of America? The NY Times reports he's planning to run in South Carolina primaries, and that he's "serious enough about the stunt that his staff reached out to the state’s Democratic and Republican committees in advance of his declaration." The S.C. Democratic committee says they'd have no problems with him running. Colbert already has his own tv show, a......

Today on the Gothamist Newsmap: a carjacking at Tompkins and School Rds. on Staten Island, a person was killed by a 5 train at Bowling Green station in Manhattan, and an armed robbery at 51st Ave. and Northern Blvd. in Queens. Bidding closed at $2,600 for the new owner of the Seinfeld ASSMAN license plate prop on eBay. Another Mister Softee driver was busted for selling drugs out of his ice cream truck, this......

On tap for this year’s 33rd Annual Atlantic Antic festival, taking this Sunday from 10 AM to 6 PM (rain or shine, buddy) is the usual bonanza of pony rides, live music, and balloon animals. This year’s Antic has an added emphasis on food, which should hopefully make it a remedy to all the street fair food fatigue that’s been going around recently. For starters, decent street food will be offered in overwhelming abundance-......

Last Monday was one of those sweltering August days, which is why Gothamist was quite glad to kick off the evening at Kyotofu with the house cocktail, a refreshing combination of sesame shochu and raspberry. Refreshing as the cocktails were, we must admit that's not what drew us to Kyotofu that night. We were there to drink (and talk) sake. The Hell's Kitchen dessert spot was host to a tasting of sakes from Yamagata Prefecture's......

Tonight is the Check Out singles event from Whole Foods Market Bowery and Gothamist. It'll be a fun time, with sounds from Terry Diabolik and DJ Never Forget of Finger on the Pulse and taste hot, spicy, and sultry foods from Chocolove, Rick’s Picks, 5 Boroughs Ice Cream, Coffee Lab Roasters and many more. In addition to the music and food tastings, there's a scavenger hunt, a raffle for various prizes, including two gift certificates......

Feast of San Gennaro. Manhattan’s Little Italy may be constantly shifting borders and shrinking, but this event seems to get bigger every year. Plunk down $3 for a big plastic cup of Italian bianco with peaches. When you’re done sipping, you can fish out the large hunks of wine-steeped fruit with your straw. It’s worth waiting on the long lines for kettle-fried zeppolis that come by the half or full dozen, shook up in a......

Next Tuesday night, Whole Foods Market Bowery and Gothamist will be holding a singles event, Check Out. Attendees will rock to the sounds of Terry Diabolik and DJ Never Forget of Finger on the Pulse while they taste hot, spicy, and sultry foods from Chocolove, Rick’s Picks, 5 Boroughs Ice Cream, Coffee Lab Roasters and many more. Plus there's a raffle, scavenger hunt and much mingling! Register here (if you've already signed up, no need......

Of Rebecca Curtis, Time Out New York has said, "This is a writer who astonishes with her versatility of styles and techniques," calling her stories, "Wise and often emotionally devastating" The Village Voice declared that her debut short story collection Twenty Grand, "Showcases the talent of one of the more promising short story writers in America today." And a boy who Rebecca had a crush on at 18 said, after being poisoned by her, "......

The Dark Crystal: 25th Anniversary Edition Labyrinth: Anniversary Edition (directed by Jim Henson) Mention either one of these children's fantasy films from the '80s to a certain kind of movie fan of a certain age bracket and you're guaranteed a nostalgic homage. Heck, even breathe that hallowed name "Jim Henson" and you're bound to get some fan love. Now, home viewers of the geek persuasion can gush over two new special edition versions of two......