EAST VILLAGE — Conniption opened a little over a week ago — and while there is no blaring music to announce the ice cream truck's presence, adults craving thick slabs of ice cream sandwiched by churros, brownies and crushed Fruity Pebbles are finding it anyway.
Around 9 p.m. Saturday, a line of about a half dozen people waited calmly for their cool sandwiches and malts at Conniption, a trailer located behind new burger joint Flip at 1141 N. Ashland Ave. in West Town's East Village.
Conniption co-owners Aaron Feinhandler, a chef who formerly worked at The Aviary, and his girlfriend Laura Baranovskis, a nurse, said they brainstormed more than 80 different names for their venture, which serves ice cream sandwiches ($5), hand-dipped milkshakes ($6) and fruit paletas ($3).
"After a long day of working to get the truck open, and the latest name being proposed, Laura somewhat jokingly says, "I'm about to have a conniption."
"And I yelled, "That's it!" Feinhandler said.
He added, "To use the word conniption is nostalgic, zany, and makes us laugh. It's a perfect embodiment of our menu."
Parked permanently behind Flip in the former Doorstep truck, Conniption opened on July 30 and shares a patio with the all-day breakfast and burger spot owned by Felipe Caro, Feinhandler's uncle.
The ice cream malts use Wisconsin-based Chocolate Shoppe — "It's the densest and creamiest ice cream we could get our hands on," — Feinhandler says. The ice cream sandwiches are made in Flip's nearby kitchen using Minnesota-based Kemps ice cream, which Feinhandler described as having the right balance and texture needed for the sandwiches.
Wrapped in paper and served with a spoon, the large sandwiches are almost too thick to eat like a sandwich. Next up, Feinhandler is mulling adding a s'mores ice cream sandwich with toasted marshmallow and graham cracker crust as the summer weather cools down.
Current hours of operation are 11 a.m - 11 p.m. Wed-Sun. but hours could go as late as 1 a.m. when more folks are aware it's there. Conniption is closed on Monday and Tuesday.
For more info, follow Conniption on Instagram or Facebook.
The menu. [DNAinfo/Alisa Hauser]
Conniption. [DNAinfo/Alisa Hauser]
Nutella milkshake and ice cream bar with crushed Fruit Loops crust. [DNAinfo/Alisa Hauser]
Ice cream lovers line up at Conniption this past Saturday night. [DNAinfo/Alisa Hauser]
Aaron Feinhandler and Laura Baranovskis, co-owners of Conniption. [DNAinfo/Alisa Hauser]
