Dracut isn't known for its culinary delights, but thanks to the Good Olde Yum Yum Shop, it may one day become the Berkeley of the East. With 22 flavors of gelato and sorbeto like malted milkball, blueberry cheesecake, orange crimson, maple walnut and Lemoncello rolling out this summer, the Broadway bun house is going to be my official June/July HQ. For a longer trek, but by no means a road trip, take 128 south for 25 minutes and bang a right into the heart of Swellesley. The several-month old Gelato Cafe in the town's new lifestyle center is the real deal. Besides mounds and mounds of heart cooling, creamy gelato, the Italian-inspired cafe serves organic chocolate, lavender and honey ganache and espresso (the perfect gelato sidekick), "sourced" with ingredients from across the globe. So refined, so good. Free WiFi too.
In other conehead news, Orchard Hill Ice Cream, Boston Road in Billerica, has opened a second location in Lowell where Gary's once stood. This is old-fashioned ice cream with no big surprises -- low-fat yogurt, soft serv. and a stunning view of the Merrimack are nice add-ons. Any fresh soft spots I missed?
Hey GG
You forgot us! "On The Road Coffee House"
We have the newest trend in frozen yogurt!
This tart yogurt comes in original and a tart flavors such as blueberry, mango, strawberry and peach. With add-ons such as fresh fruit, granola, almonds, coconut, and a variety of cereals like Newmans Own Vanalla, Kellogs SelectBlueberry Bananna and for the kids, Cocoa Crispys. Fruity Pebbles and if you must Oreo Cookies and M&M's. And we are adding more all the time. Possibilities are endless with this unique flavoed yogurt.
A great breakfast idea!
Check one out on our new deck. For you GG the first one is "On The House"
Any news on whether or not the Orchard Hill spot in Lowell will be seasonal or year-round? Orchard Hill hasn't updated their website with the new location info yet.
hey CAL, where the heck is the on the road cafe??? Is it that place that you can have coffee and buy a house ?? on 38??
GG, You are wrong that Orchard Hill has no big surprises.
Surprise#1 I was psyched to see that they have Annabelle's Ice Cream! I've only seen in up in Portsmouth, NH. The White Pistachio and New Hampshire Maple Walnut are to die for.
Surprise#2 Their prices are really reasonable (unlike some ice cream stands in the area)
Rumor has it that the owner is the daughter of Karen Bell, owner of The Club-Fitness Center on Middlesex St. I see a marketing campain in the making...Get fat eating ice cream at Orchard Hill...burn it off at The Club!
Also, since I have pledged to only spend my $$ at locally owned business, I have visited "On The Road Coffee House" on several occasions. The coffee is great and I love the new outdoor seating. Do yourself a favor and drive by Dunkin's on route 38 and stop at this place. Especially in this economy, local business owners need your support and they always have a better product!
i am thrilled with the new orchard hill!! they have good prices and friendly service. I live close by and i've been there too many times already. I had an ice cream canoli the other night.. delicious!!!
I don't know if it's any closer than Wellesley but there's a gelato shop in Methuen on 110 near 495.
It's called Dolce Freddo Gelato and the pistachio is amazing. Their other flavors are pretty good too.
Hey, icecreamlover. Monkey's has Annabelle's ice cream as well, in case you live downtown and don't feel like huffing it over to UML to get your fix.
GG,
"No big surprises?" We're so insulted! Since taking over Burbeck's/Gary's at 500 Pawtucket Street in Lowell in April, we have been making some big changes...
For starters, we have opened up the inside to provide an inside eating area which has never been utilized in that building before. Customers can now come enjoy our ice cream even on the rainiest of days! We're not just an ice cream stand!
Secondly, we will very soon be offering over 50 flavors of soft serve! The previous owners did not carry soft serve, nevermind 50 irresistible flavors!
We are the ONLY ice cream store in Lowell that offers slush. Our slush is a fat-free, non-dairy, Kosher certified product. Every flavor is amazing (mango is my favorite).
Finally, We have hired an unbelievably talented baker who, for the meantime, makes beautiful made-to-order ice cream cakes and pies, ice cream cannolis and cookie and brownie sandwiches. However, she will be tasked with a huge project in a few months when we open Delectables Bakery and Coffee House, where we will be cooking up cakes, pastries, individual desserts and brewing some killer coffee! In addition, UMass students will FINALLY have a place on the South side of campus to study or relax- all with free Wi-Fi!
We invite you to come in and meet us, have an ice cream and do a second review for your readers. I'm sure you'll have a change of heart!
Thanks,
Jeff and Marisa
P.S.- to the poster who inquired about our hours and website...we WILL be open year-round and our new website is under construction. Very soon we will be found on the web at www.orcahrdhillicecream.com, not .org which is what is there now. Thanks!
Jeff, Marisa,
Cool off with a slush. My bad. I was clearly kosher-dessert deprived when I wrote that post, thanks for setting me straight, I'd love to try your ice cream and in fact set out by bike to do that very thing the other day, but the line was too long, Good for you. Tell me about this coffee house, where? when?
Nice to know. I will definately check it out. It's the best ice cream ever!