I scream, you scream, but we all scream because… it’s finally summer! And while I’ve made it clear in these parts of the world that lobster rolls are my official summer bite, it would be pretty hard to argue that ice cream doesn’t hold its weight in the category. And if you’re looking to change it up from the typical, albeit iconic Mister Softee, Mr. P’s Homemade Ice Cream in Crown Heights ought to do the trick.
I made plans to go to Mr. P’s with a friend who lives in the area, when the weather had foolishly predicted it would be a super sunny day. Instead, we were met with gray skies and rain, but that didn’t stop us from enjoying our sweet treats.
Mr. P’s Homemade Ice Cream is welcoming and warm, from its colorful, bright yellow sign with pink font and a small green palm tree, where inside it says “Vegan friendly.” As you enter, the color only increases, with my personal favorite piece of artwork in the small space saying, “Skip dinner and go straight to the pint.”
Run by “Mr. P” himself, who hails from Trinidad and Tobago before making his way to New York in 1996, he started making ice cream 25 years ago, incorporating flavors from his home country into the mix. He opened Mr. P’s Homemade Ice Cream in 2022 with his two sons, Dwayne and Shaquille.
I was overwhelmed with the choices of flavors, not because there were an exorbitant number of them, but because most of them were unfamiliar to me in the form of ice cream. For example, they offer “Mauby” ice cream, made with the traditional tree bark-based beverage that can be found all over the Caribbean. As far as flavors with Trini flair, they also offer sea moss, beet and ginger, grapenut, soursop, peanut (not to be confused with peanut butter) and sorrel ginger.
If you want to keep it classic, the shop does serve butter pecan, chocolate, coffee and coconut. Well, the latter two could still technically be considered Trini flavors. Many varieties are dairy-free and/or vegan.
I went with my friend who ordered sea moss, and I ordered Mauby. I was pleasantly surprised by the flavor of the Mauby ice cream. My initial thought was, “It tastes like Christmas!” There are some strong pine notes with subtle grassy and woody flavors, somewhat like chicory root. Safe to say, I have never had an ice cream with these notes, and trying something so unique made the experience even more fun than getting ice cream already is.
My friend went for the sea moss ice cream. She happens to be a beauty writer, and she joked that eating a scoop of sea moss ice cream from Mr. P’s is the quickest hydrating beauty hack outside of a face mask. The flavor was slightly earthy, but overall, very subtle. We each went with the “half cup” which was only $4 a pop.
So, if you’re looking to change up your ice cream flavors, are looking to support immigrant-owned shops during these challenging times or simply just are craving something sweet, add Mr. P’s Homemade Ice Cream Shop to your radar.
- Address: 1397 Nostrand Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11226
- Phone: (973)-640-3200
- Hours: Monday-Thursday 12:30 p.m.-9 p.m,; Friday and Saturday 12 p.m.-10 p.m.; Sunday 12 p.m.-8 p.m.
- Prices: Half cup $4, Full cup $8, pint $13, quart $25
- Takeout available, no delivery. No reservations.
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