I returned from a road trip vacation out West late last week, and I have lots to say about eating on the road, but one thing has an element of local interest. As in, what is the deal with huge amounts of ice cream at these gourmet ice cream joints? Certainly for $5 to $8 per order, I want to get my money’s worth, but I’d be a lot happier (and my kid would be a lot less hyper) if these shops would offer more reasonable sizes (for a cheaper price, of course). I visited ice cream places in Colorado, Wyoming and South Dakota, and many of these “scoops” were nearly a pint’s worth of ice cream! Dude, no one needs to eat that much ice cream at one time.
That said, I appreciate places where you can get a reasonable scoop for a reasonable price. Until recently, I admit that Jeni’s was not on that list. In fact, my kid has never had Jeni’s ice cream because I am not interested in paying Jeni’s prices for their (admittedly very good) gourmet ice cream for my kid’s non-gourmet, underdeveloped palate. This is a kid who orders mint-chocolate-chip ice cream when she gets the chance, for God’s sake. And she has to eat all of that awful garbage on her own because I won’t eat it. Conversely, she's rarely interested in the salted caramel or pistachio that I've ordered, so sharing hasn't been an option.
Recognizing that some parents may be a little hesitant to order a giant and pricey scoop of ice cream for their kids but still want to indulge themselves, Jeni’s now offers kid-size cones. Handily scooped into the classic “cake” cone, the kid’s cones are available to all kids (under 18) for just $4 each, as long as they’re accompanied by a regular scoop size-buying adult.
