INSIDE SCOOP

FIREANDICESMOKEHOUSEANDCREAMERY.COM • HOURS: TUES-THURS 11:30A-8P • SAT-SUN: 11:30A-9P

It’s been almost 10 years since I started telling you about some of the best ice cream shops around. One of my rst stops was at OwOwCow in Ottsville, PA and, at that time, I thought that I’d never, ever taste any ice cream better than theirs. Between the texture and innovative avors, OwOwCow has been my gold standard to date. Most people think that I eat, breathe and dream ice cream. That is certainly not the case. Many times, my thoughts are interspersed with other foods, and many times that is barbecue. When we are planning road trips, while Brian and Dr. O’Life are busy nding the outrageous and/or historical locations along the way, I am delving into the gastronomical aspects of our tour. The way I gure it, the saying goes ‘Ride to Eat, Eat to Ride’ and I take that pretty literally.

For our recent Spring Break Rally, we wanted to put together a day loop that highlighted some of the fun roads around the Endless Mountains region of Pennsylvania. Brian and I collaborated and put together a pretty great 175-mile loop from the Pine Barn Inn, our home base. Once that was done, I zoned in on a suggestion for food.

What I came up with was more that I imagined.

Fire & Ice Smokehouse & Creamery. The name says it all, but you know I’m going to elaborate. The creators behind this name are Chandra and Matt Morgan. Before dipping their toes into the restaurant business, they ran a motorcycle shop on this same site. Since 2002, Amped Powersports served the motorcycle community with service, parts and accessories. Then, one morning, both Chandra and Matt woke up and knew that they were meant to do something else – still community-oriented but in a very different direction. A transformation took place and, in 2019, the doors of Fire & Ice Smokehouse & Creamery were open.

Matt is Fire. Matt puts out some of the best barbecue this side of the Susquehanna (or the other side, for that matter). Upon entering the building, you’ll nd a welcoming, wide open space with lots of tables. Pick up a menu,

try very hard to decide just what you’d like to eat, and place your order at the counter. Be forewarned – portions are good-sized so, if you are with friends, I suggest sharing. Like all good smokehouses, you start with your meats: brisket, pulled pork, chicken (pulled, wings, quartered or breast), ribs and, for those who just can’t decide, the Meat Sampler. There are sandwiches and wraps with all of these, as well as smoked salmon cake, burgers, sausage and turkey. To go along with this smashing smoked goodness, there’s mac n cheese (regular and smoked), smoked deviled eggs, a selection of greens and, of course, tater tots. If you can think of it, Matt can smoke it, such as smoked egg salad wrap. There is a selection of pizzas and nachos and, if you are trying to save room for what comes after your meal, why not try a salad – smoked chicken, Caesar or brisket – in full or half portions.

I had a half portion of Smoked Brisket Caesar Salad, which is served on their metal trays, along with some smoked mac n cheese, which I shared with Brian. Brian had a half rack of ribs with baked beans, which were excellent but different from your average bbq beans.

Chandra is Ice. And she does a most excellent job of it, perfectly complimenting Matt’s Fire. I asked how she learned to make her ice cream and, with a big smile, she just shrugged. Before sitting down for my lunch, I scoped out the ice cream case and had a few samples to whet my appetite (like that’s necessary). I tried Apple Butter and Lemon Blueberry, as I had never had either before. Just from the tiny spoonful, I knew I was in for a real treat.

Barbecue done and still some room left, I opted for the 4 mini scoop sampler. This should de nitely be a thing in all ice cream shops, as a baby scoop is really all I need and combining 4 of them is stunning. My plate was lled with butter pecan, dark chocolate cherry, banana cream pie and lemon cookie (I think). When asked, Brian said he would simply take a taste of mine as he was full (good luck with that!). All avors were delectable, but the dark chocolate cherry was something extraordinary. I truly believe I have never tasted an ice cream as delicious as that. As I offered Brian a taste of each, when he got to the dark chocolate cherry, his eyes lit up and he uttered, ‘I must have my own.’ He came back to the table with a cup – THREE scoops worth – and a very content smile on his face.

You can have your ice cream in a cup, cone or waf e cone; as a oat, sundae, smoothie, frappe, affogato or cold brew shake.

Speaking of shakes, Chandra came up with a tremendous and informative creation last June – 50 States Shake. Starting on July 4, 2021 with Delaware, our rst state, Chandra has created individual to each state milkshakes featuring something speci c from that state. Delaware, to celebrate the freedom in these United States, was strawberries and blueberries layered with vanilla ice cream to represent the US ag. Pennsylvania, state #2 and home to Hershey Chocolate, was just that. For my home state of New Jersey and state #3, Chandra combined vanilla ice cream with bananas and strawberry sauce topped off with whipped cream and Salt Water Taffy. With New Jersey, she also began posting little factoids about the state – New Jersey becoming a state on Dec. 18, 1787 and home to the rst drive-in movie theater as well as the rst professional baseball game. During our visit they were up to state # 37, Nebraska, and we found out a very interesting fact: Nebraska is birthplace to Kool-Aid, concocted in 1927 by Edward Perkins, and made the of cial state drink in 1998. You can go back through their Facebook page to see all the wonderful mixtures Chandra has created – you are still in time to get the last 10 if you hurry.

Not only are the servings abundant, their prices (both barbecue and ice cream) are reasonable – so much so that you can bring your family or treat your friends and not break the bank. Out back, there are some tables on the deck to enjoy your meal or dessert, and plenty of parking for the whole crew. Planning a weekend in this area will keep you busy – with riding both the tarmac and the nearby Knoebels Amusement Park, and having a place like this to stop for lunch makes it a sure entry to the Best of Backroads for 2022.

Here is a link to the 175-mile loop from the Pine Barn Inn, a great base to explore this Endless Mountain region. Have a great National Ice Cream Month (July 17 is National Ice Cream Day) – I can’t think of a better way to celebrate than a stop at Fire & Ice Smokehouse & Creamery. • www.sendspace. com/pro/dl/znn0ae ,