Ritagelati2_1  If you’ve driven down Broad Street lately, you may have spied the throngs outside the new Rita’s Ices, located directly across from Bloomfield’s beloved Holsten’s. The two are completely different dessert experiences. Rita’s, like Starbucks, is going to teach us a new vocabulary. The shakes are called Misto, which is jarring for me, because it sounds more like an entree on an Italian menu. The confection seen here is called a Gelati, which is actually a layered dessert in a cup.

First they put frozen custard, then an ice flavor (in this case it was fudge brownie) and then more custard on top. You create your own; some folks were doing vailla custard with lemon ice in the center. What distinguishes Rita’s is the chunky ices — pieces of fruit, or in the case of the brownie ice, chunks of brownie and chocolate chips. Once I got past the name (again, nothing like gelato), it was fun and tasty. I’d go for the ices more than the frozen custard (the chocolate didn’t have as rich a flavor as you’d expect), but mixing the two together is novel and the whole scene is a fun summertime addition to the Baristaville creamery offerings. Just don’t take away my Holsten’s mint chip.

Liz George is the publisher of Montclair Local. liz@montclairlocal.news

8 replies on “Licking Rita”

  1. Layering ice and cream isn’t so novel(not that it isn’t tasty and I don’t support more opportunities to do so!); they’ve been doing it for years at the Ice Hut in Nutley under the moniker “combo cooler.”

  2. Does anyone know when (or if) Woods Dairyland is reopening? I went by there the other day and it is still boarded up.

  3. They’ve been a big hit in the neighborhood – to all ages. Although, my 16 year old son is griping that, while walking home he sees gobs of littering of the ice cups along Broad Street. While I’m not shocked that there’s litter, I am shocked he noticed and was offended! Hooray! LOL

  5. The Rita’s people have quite a set of balls putting up their place right across from Holsten’s, although the two do serve completely different menus. I prefer to keep Rita’s a “down the shore treat, because I frequent the Rita’s on Long Beach Island all summer.
    By the way its HOLSTENS, not HOLSTEINS!

  6. The Rita’s people have quite a set of balls putting up their place right across from Holsten’s, although the two do serve completely different menus. I prefer to keep Rita’s a “down the shore treat, because I frequent the Rita’s on Long Beach Island all summer.
    By the way its HOLSTENS, not HOLSTEINS!

  7. I tried their Ice thing – not impressed, also had what they called a Black & White shake – is it supposed to be healthy? Didn’t taste too good…

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