I have a dream…of ice cream, ice cream in the middle of winter.

Our experience

Today is Martin Luther King Day.  It also marks the start of our 45th week of working from home.  And later this week will (finally) see the end of the reign of the 45th U.S. President.  To celebrate both MLK day and the upcoming inauguration, we decided we were in need of another dessert self-care package.  You may recall our previous reviews of the fabulous pastry box from Supermoon, Four & Twenty Blackbirds’ meh pie sampler, Kitsby’s creative afternoon tea assortment, and Bien Cuit’s generous cookie boxes.  For this occasion, we thought it would be most appropriate to support a BIPOC-owned local business.  After a bit of research, we came across Dre’s Desserts, a Brooklynite specializing in ice cream (and some baked goods).  Who doesn’t sometimes have that strange craving to eat ice cream in the middle of winter, eh?

The ice cream menu at Dre’s Desserts is extensive, and quite unlike other ice cream purveyors we have encountered in NYC.  There’s a few classics, such as vanilla or cookies and cream, but it was the other flavours that called out to us.  For $10 a pint, there’s ice cream in a range of very American flavours — for example, ice cream inspired by childhood cereals that Americans would be familiar with (but which we never encountered growing up in the antipodes), like Fruity Pebbles and Lucky Charms, and also ice cream embodying the joy of birthday cake, the buttery addictiveness of popcorn, the warm nostalgia of cinnamon buns, and even a tribute to Momofuku’s Crack Pie.  And for $13 a pint, there’s also ice cream steeped with naughty doses of bourbon, whiskey, prosecco, mojito and margarita. 

With so many options, we pondered a good long while, and finally decided on three treats.  First, a pint of “The Lords Red Velvet” ice cream ($10), so creamy and sweet and swirled with morsels of red velvet cake from a famed Flatbush bakery, Lords Bakery.  Second, the “Cookie Ice Cream Sandwich” ($8),  comprised of two deliciously chewy golden butter chocolate chip cookies barricading a thick wheel of “Cookie Monster” oreo ice cream.  And as the third treat we selected from Dre’s, half a dozen “Red Velvet White Chocolate Chip Cookies” ($8).  What a dessert-filled weekend afternoon we had, indeed!

Our verdict

Twelve years ago, on our first visit to the U.S., we stood on the windswept steps of the Lincoln Memorial, near a plaque inscribed with the words “I have a dream.”  A few days later, we attended the inauguration of President Obama.  Twelve years later, on this today dedicated to commemorating Martin Luther King, we could bemoan the very real tragedy of how far the country has fallen from the oratorical eloquence of the past to the toxic tweets of the present.  But as Mr. King once said, “only in the darkness can you see the stars.”  With the 46th President incoming, we can see the stars now.  And in the brighter future ahead, here’s a wish for minority-owned businesses and people to be finally afforded the attention and accolades for which they have long been overlooked.  For our part, we would recommend Dre’s Desserts to you for ice cream infused with the sweeter spirit of this country.

Dessert adventure checklist

1. ☑ Dessert destination:  Dre’s Desserts, order via online delivery platform here.
2. ☑ Budget: $$.
3. ☑  Sweet irresistibles: Cookies and ice cream.
4. ☑  Must-eat:.  The ice cream – Lords Red Velvet Ice Cream and the Cookie Monster Ice Cream.
5. ☑  The short and sweet story: I have a dream…of ice cream, ice cream in the middle of winter.