Is Cool Cucumber Really Cool?

Today we will be evaluating the Cool Cucumber in Strathroy.  We will be comparing different sundaes including: Chocolate Mint, Chocolate Marshmallow, Blueberry and Raspberry.

Comments:

• very good taste; but chocolate Marshmallow sundae didn't have any marshmallow flavour
• customer service was poor; orders incorrect (size of Raspberry and Chocolate Mint were switched); Chocolate Marshmallow sundae may have been just a chocolate sundae; Customer loyalty card was stamped three times even though 4 sundaes were purchased  
• excellent price; 4 sundaes cost aprox. $12
• majority of sundaes looked very appealing; proper amount of toppings and whip cream 
• Chocolate Mint sundae appeared to be smaller and had no whip cream
• Poor location; very few parking spaces; customers sit next to cars; not enough chairs/tables/space;  overpowering music; conditions were so poor the judges decided to go to a nearby park 

And Now the Score: 

	Lynne Chocolate Mint	JeffC Blueberry	Chris Chocolate Marshmallow	Earl Raspberry
Taste	3	4	3	3
Customer Service	3	2	1	3
Appearance	3	4	4	4
Ambience	0	2	0	2
Value	3	4	4	4
Totals	12/25	16/25	12/25	16/25

The combined score gives Cool Cucumber a rating of 56% and 

one scoop out of five.

Anne of Green Gables- Quotes about Ice Cream

We are in PEI and got to meet 

Anne of Green Gables and Diana Barry.  

"You'd be excited to if you were going to eat 

ice cream for the first time!" (Anne Shirley)

"I wish I were rich, and I could spend the whole summer at a hotel, eating ice cream and chicken salad." (Diana Barry) 

Make your own Creamy Vanilla Ice Cream. Check out Anne of Green Gables own recipe

Is Cows The Best Ice Cream in Canada?

Readers Digest rated Cows as “Canada’s Best Ice Cream”, but we will have to determine that for ourselves.  We will be rating the overall experience and making our rulings.

The flavours we are testing today include: PEI Strawberry with Bossy Mossy and Pralines.  The PEI strawberry flavour earns high praise for taste and the large chunks of delicious strawberries also add to the flavour and texture.  The other flavours were also fantastic, so we are awarding high marks for the taste.  However, Cows doesn't deliver in the overall experience.  The cost was approximately $12 for a cone and sundae- making it very expensive.  This location also was more in a strip mall/factory setting, and therefore not as pleasing as some other locations.

Our scores:     

	Lynne PEI Strawberry Bossy Mossy	JeffC Pralines
Taste	5	5
Customer Service	3	3
Appearance	4	4
Ambience	3	2
Value	3	3
Totals	18/25	17/25

We are giving Cows a rating of 70 % 

and three scoops out of five. 

Be sure to check out videos on Cows. 

Cows Chop

Cows Tour

Does "Pure New Brunswick" Deliver in Taste?

On our East Coast adventure we decide to enjoy Northumberland ice-cream. According to Northumberland’s slogan they are “the only dairy that is pure New Brunswick”.  We will rate the ice cream and our experience to determine if that pure taste is any different from the ice cream we have in Ontario.

The ice-cream we select includes Kejimkujik Park S'mores and Cherry.  Both flavours are delicious and affordable.  The customer service was also superior- we actually got our ice cream after closing time.  We also enjoyed the ice-cream in the lovely setting of Hopewell Rocks.  The overall experience was excellent, however this location didn’t have waffle cones. 

  

Now the score: 

	Lynne Park S'mores	JeffC Cherry
Taste	4	4
Customer Service	5	5
Appearance	3	3
Ambience	5	5
Value	4	4
Totals	21/25	21/25

With a 84% rating we are awarding North Humberland with 

4 scoops out of 5. 

National Ice Cream Day- Part 2

Many people enjoyed ice cream and other frozen treats on National Ice Cream Day.  Once such person is Susannah, who purchased Gelato at the Home County Folk Festival.  She gives M&R Orchards high praise for their delicious treat.  Hopefully, Susannah will come out and be a judge at another event.  

National Ice Cream-

To celebrate National Ice Cream Day, we decide to go to Dairy Queen.  The big question- Is DQ ice cream "Ridiculously" Good or Bad? 

Today's Judges include: Chris, Jeff C, Lynne, Elinore, Susan.  We also want to welcome JeffJ as a first time judge.  At this event, the majority of judges will be evaluating various sundaes (including Oreo Brownie Earthquake, Turtle Waffle, Fudge Brownie Waffle and Strawberry.  However, one judge will be rating the boring Vanilla Ice Cream (in honour of Uncle Earl).

Some of the comments related to the ice cream:

• Ice cream was pretty good for Soft Ice Cream
• The Sundaes looked like art
• The Strawberry Ice Cream Sundae didn't have much taste
• The Oreo Brownie Earthquake and Fudge Brownie Temptation were to die for

Some comments related to the location & service:

• Service was very slow
• AC was working
• Washroom only uses hand dryers- and one judge had concerns over this 
• Old photos on the wall was a nice touch

And Now The Results:

	Chris Oreo Brownie Earthquake	JeffC Turtle Waffle	Lynne Fudge Brownie Waffle	Elinore Strawberry Sundae	Susan Turtle Waffle	JeffJ Vanilla Cone
Taste	5	4	4	2.5	3	2
Customer Service	2	3	3	3	2	2
Appearance	5	4	4	3	5	2
Ambiance	4	3	4	3	3	2
Value	4	2	3	2.5	4	3
Totals	20/25	16/25	18/25	14/25	17/25	11/25

The Final Score: 96 points out of 150 or 64 %

Although the majority of sundaes were delicious (such as the Oreo Brownie Earthquake)

 some items (the Strawberry Sundae and Vanilla Cone) didn't deliver in taste.  Also, DQ customer service was too slow.  DQ needs to hire more staff at this location. 

We are awarding DQ with 2 scoops out of 5.

And just a heads up-  Miracle Treat Day at DQ is coming up.  Make sure you buy a Blizzard on Aug. 11th in support of our local Children's Hospital.