LOWER EAST SIDE — Morgenstern’s Finest Ice Cream has recruited a host of culinary heavyweights to turn out a new month-long flavor series — and every unique treat bought will help fund a local book fair, the shop’s owner said.
Nick Morgenstern rounded up five famous New York City chefs to create their own ice cream flavors for his "Heavy Hitters" series launching Aug. 1 at 2 Rivington St., giving each talent the opportunity to put their unique spin on the frozen favorite.
“These are guys I wanted to work with for a long time,” said Morgenstern. “They have perspective on dessert, on ice cream — all the flavors are really good.”
The line-up includes Chefs Mario Batali, Marco Canora of East Village eatery Hearth, Carlo Mirachi of Roberta’s, April Bloomfield of The Spotted Pig, and Brooklyn restaurateur Andrew Tarlow of Marlow & Sons.
Each flavor will be served one at a time, released in days apart over the month of August and into September.
Morgenstern said he worked alongside each contributor to craft a flavor unique to them — Batali ended up blending mascarpone cheese and fresh market cherries for a sorbet, while Bloomfield opted for an ice cream version of the Spotted Pig’s famous chocolate and banana Banoffee Pie.
And all the proceeds from the series will be funneled into the annual Food Book Fair, a collaborative celebration of food and culture hosted at Williamsburg’s Wythe Hotel — a cause Morgenstern said he feels strongly about.
“I’m interested in helping smaller local businesses, especially if I can bring in guys with big profiles, like these guys,” he said.
Here’s a full list of the ice creams featured at the “Heavy Hitters Festival” and their corresponding dates:
► 'Molto Mario Modena Creamsicle' with Chef Mario Batali: Sour cherry sorbet with creamy mascarpone ice cream (Aug. 1 to Aug. 8)
► 'William Carlos William' with Chef Marco Canora: Featuring plums and verbena (Aug. 8 to Aug. 14)
► 'The Guy in the Kimono' with Chef Carlo Mirachi: With lime, coconut, and Mexican herb cilantro (Aug. 15 to Aug. 21)
► 'Banofee' with Chef April Bloomfield: A frozen version of The Spotted Pig classic, with banana ice cream, short breads, dulce de leche, whipped cream, and chocolate shavings (Aug. 22 to Aug. 28)
► 'Irishman's Peach Ice Cream' with Restaurateur Andrew Tarlow: An 'ode to herb' with yellow peaches and sweet Thai basil (Aug. 29 to Sept. 4)
And a bonus flavor from Morgenstern's neighbor, Thai restaurant Uncle Boon's, will soon be announced.
