Nine Nonobvious Scoops

Our diner-at-large has spent her summer nights scouring every corner of the city for the best under-the-radar sake soft serve and sherbet sundaes.

Strawberry-and-Sake-Kasu Soft Serve Rule of Thirds, 171 Banker St., nr. Norman Ave., Greenpoint

Sake kasu is the floral-tasting by-product of sake production. What does the ingredient do for ice cream? It adds a ton of umami and some mouthwatering saltiness, which here only amplifies the freshness of the ripe summer strawberries.

Orange-Sherbet Sundae With Whipped Cream Eddie’s Sweet Shop, 105-29 Metropolitan Ave., at 72nd Rd., Forest Hills

The Day-Glo-orange sherbet served at this old-timey counter is a paragon of the form. Try it in a sundae topped with whipped cream or so much marshmallow that it drips off the metal coupe into the saucer below.

Coney Island Custard Coney’s Cones, 1023 Boardwalk W., nr. W. 10th St., Coney Island

Given its location on the boardwalk, this shop doesn’t have to be as good as it is. You can get classic Italian flavors like cappuccino and stracciatella, but I love this egg-enriched gelato, which is paddled into a cone by one of the many teenagers staffing the joint.

Peppermint Chip Davey’s, 74 Meserole Ave., at Guernsey St., Greenpoint

Davey’s version of mint-chip ice cream is not green, which could be disappointing to some fans of the classic flavor, but it is particularly minty, with an intensity that stands up nicely to the chocolate. I got mine with oozing hot fudge poured over top, and I suggest you do the same.

Rose With Cinnamon-Roasted Almonds Malai, 268 Smith St., nr. Degraw St., Carroll Gardens

Instead of evoking soap, the rose flavor enhances the dairy sweetness, while spiced nuts add crunch and depth—and make the whole thing taste a bit like French toast.

Banana Ice Cream Bar Blondeau, in the Wythe Hotel, 80 Wythe Ave., at N. 11th St., Williamsburg

I didn’t know a rooftop hotel bar in Williamsburg could blow my mind with ice cream, but I’m still thinking about a scoop of banana that accompanies the chocolate-and-peanut-butter “Blondeau bar,” which— all together—reminded me of a high-end Carvel cake.

Sorrel-Rum-Sorbet Lemonade Island Pops, 680 Nostrand Ave., at St. Marks Ave., Crown Heights

The Caribbean-themed flavors, such as orange bitters and cassava pone, rotate seasonally, but the sorrel-rum sorbet is available year-round. The warmly spiced Christmas punch is a perfect summer treat, too— especially if you order it in a lemonade float.

Mak Ice Cream Window, 682 Woodward Ave., nr. Gates Ave., Ridgewood

The flavors are always rotating at this weekends-only scoop shop. Recent entries have included Waldmeister (a sweet-woodruff gelato) and Styrian-pumpkin-seed oil with pine nuts. The hit for me is Mak, a lemonpoppy scoop with lots of seedy crunch.

Cremelata Ice Dolly’s Ices, 5805 Ave. T, at E. 58th St., Mill Basin

The list of flavors at this easy-to-miss window is nearly endless (Malibu Bay Breeze, I see you), but I always gravitate toward cremelata, an almond flavor that is lightly milky and studded with toasted nuts. In Italy, they eat this stuff for breakfast, and I recommend you take a pint to go so that you can do that too.