Big Gay Ice Cream started by Doug Quint and Bryan Petroff during the summer of the food truck rush in 2009. The truck strolled the streets of the city identifying its location to Twitter followers and specified which homemade toppings would be available that day such as: Cayenne Pepper, Cereal, Maple Syrup, etc. Doug, I still remember that Strawberry Rhubarb sauce…and they also created a caramelized bacon ice cream sandwich called a Choinkwich. You can still always find friendly Doug, poking his head out of the truck to visit with his customers and make them happy.
After much success and Big Gay craze, the two opened a brick and mortar shop in the East Village and created signature sundaes such as:
- Bea Arthur: Vanilla Ice Cream, Dulce de Leche, Crushed ‘Nilla Wafters
- Gobbler: Pumpkin Butter & Maple Syrup, Pie Pieces Whipped Cream
- Monday Sundae: Twist Ice Cream, Vanilla Lined Cone, Dulce de Leche, Sea Salt, Whipped Cream.
The sundaes are handed horizontally to you in little plastic dishes so that you can be sure to scoop up all of the toppings and “ooziness.” There’s nothing better than a sweet, salty and chocolate dipped ice cream cones. Shakes flavors change daily from Horchata to Ginger Curry to Chocolate Peanut Butter. The giant unicorn painted on the wall paired with the giant rainbow flag outside shows that this place is flamboyant, happy and a dream come true. You can also buy Big Gay paraphernalia t-shirts and totes to show your pride.
Doug and Bryan make this ice cream shop a unique, fun experience and not your typical Baskin Robbins or 16 Handles evening. Top Chef Judge Gail Simmons even calls out The Salty Pimp on Food Network’s “Best Thing I Ever Ate.” You’ll know when this episode airs because the line will be wrapped around the block. So grab a friend, grab a cone and grab a bench and you’ll have yourself a dandy treat that you’ll definitely want to repeat.