The Ice Cream State

[upbeat music] Hello, lovely humans, and welcome back to Parks and Recreation, your monthly invitation to fall in love with Connecticut one snack, trail, or small town surprise at a time.

I'm Amanda Elgee, voice actor, tea enthusiast, Connecticut explorer, and for this month, and let's be honest, every month, an ice cream fanatic.

Okay, even more honest, my family and I have been researching this episode for over a decade.

It's very clear, this state is confidently an ice cream powerhouse.

When I first moved here, I did not think, "Ah, yes, this is where I will become an amateur dairy critic." I was just trying to reconcile moving here from a Midwestern small town, but then the recommendations started.

You know how it goes.

One person says, "Oh, you have to go to this one ice cream place." Then another person jumps in with, "No, no, that one's fine, but our place is the real deal." There are words like artisan and flavor combinations you've never even considered but absolutely have to try.

Suddenly you've got a list, a map, and at least three different people insisting they'll personally drive you to their favorite spot.

So my family and I did what any reasonable people would do, especially if they lived in a state whose flagship university literally runs one of the most popular spots around.

We started treating ice cream like a research project.

On weekend days around the state, we'd inevitably do a Google search for ice cream near me.

We'd drive to little farm stands.

We found tiny main streets and downtown institutions, spots that have been in business for decades, and others that popped up in the last few years.

And somewhere between farm fields, campus quads, seaport docks, and ridiculously photogenic scoops, you realize Connecticut isn't just a place that has ice cream, it's an ice cream destination.

So today's episode is like my summer dream, all ice cream all the time.

We are covering all different sorts of shops in hopes you check one out.

No time like the present to find a new special treat or revisit a regular favorite.

We'll cover the whole state a few times over, so pop into the one nearest you or make a day of it and take that drive to one a bit further afield.

Or hey, do both.

I don't judge.

I hope you're hungry because we're going to rapid fire cover a lot of ground this month because you can't reasonably expect me to keep it to half a dozen places.

Plus we'll hear firsthand from some of the ice cream makers and eaters about what makes a perfect pint.

This podcast is all about the stories packed into Connecticut just waiting to be told.

This month, those stories come in waffle cones.