N.C. Double Scoop Round of 64: Flight 2 Write-Ups

August 15, 2008

(Confused? Explanation is here, the big ass bracket is here, and Flight 2 voting is NOW!

1 Cookies and cream vs. 16 spumoni. Okay, I admit it. I didn't know what spumoni was until Bunting put it out there for the commenters. And then I threw up in my mouth a little. Candied fruit doesn't belong in ice cream, it doesn't belong in fruitcake (which just doesn't belong period), and when it comes right down to it, I don't know where it belongs except NOT in MY mouth! Cookies and cream easily.

8 Phish Food vs. 9 fudge ripple. Man, talk about being caught between an ick and a gross place. Well, that's a bit strong. I've just never seen the appeal of Phish Food. I mean, I do like the marshmallow component, but really don't like the fudge fish. In fact, I just don't like fudge in ice cream because it's too much of an okay thing. …And that brings us to fudge ripple. Meh. Phish Food will win, because it's just that popular.

5 Black walnut vs. 12 sticky toffee pudding. Sticky toffee pudding is possibly the best dessert in the world, and we have the Brits to thank for it. However, we have Haagen-Dazs to thank for making it into an ice cream. Black walnut is another one of my flava-faves, but sticky toffee is killer and it has to win.

4 Heath Bar Crunch vs. 13 peach. I don't care if the famous flavor Peachy Paterno stalks the grounds of Penn State like a giant stalking thing, I do not like peach ice cream. (Or Penn State, but that's more of a football problem.) However, big love for Heath Bar Crunch or any ice cream with toffee pieces in it, so that's where I'm headed.

6 Toasted almond vs. 11 Key lime pie. Key lime pie, with the tasty bits of graham cracker crust sowed throughout the ice cream, is a pretty nice flavor, but toasted almond will roast it.

3 Mint chocolate chip vs. 14 avocado. Hm, green on green and one is considered a vegetable -- tho' it's a fruit -- and the other has chocolate in it. Avocado ice cream is interesting and doesn't taste like an actual avocado, but mint choc. chip will smear it into guacamole.

7 Chocolate chip vs. 10 cinnamon. As much as I really enjoy vanilla-based ice creams, I find chocolate chip beyond boring and will always, always champion celebratory cinnamon over it. Especially if you throw in a piece of apple pie.

2 Rainbow sherbet vs. 15 roasted banana. Okay, what is sherbet really? Is it cream? Is it water? No, don't answer that; I looked it up and I know it's just our American-y way of saying "sorbet" -- according to the FDA, it's a synonym -- but it also might have milk products in it, which sorbet doesn't. I just sort of wish sherbet would pick a side because it really does seems to straddle the line. Much as I love granitas and sorbets in their place, they just don't seem to measure up to the buttery heft of ice cream. ICE CREAM, not sherbet. However, as I said earlier, I gag over banana, so I'm giving it to the childhood memories that probably abound in rainbow sherbet. Have fun with it.

Voting is open for Flight 1 and Flight 2.