Maggie Moos

Shop Name: Maggie Moos

Location: Fruitville Pike

Boo's Rating: 4 1/2 screams

Yes, you're reading that right. 4 1/2 screams. 5 is the highest rating you can get. Ben & Jerry's is the standard for a 5. That basically means super rich ice cream with full (almost intense) flavor, and perfect creamy texture. For busy ice cream, it means all of the above with one added requirement. EVERY bite must have the mix-in. Busy? Means BUSY. Ok, that being said, Maggis Moos is gonna rock my world this summer. It was so delicious that I'm inclined to stop my search right here at blog #3 and declare a winner, but that wouldn't be fair, so don't worry- I'll keep sampling ice cream as long as there are ice cream stands I have not visited. But when I want a REALLY AMAZING cup of ice cream, I'm heading down to Fruitville Pike and going to Maggie Moos.

For anyone who has never been to Maggie Moos, it's a frozen-stone concept: plain ice cream flavors with many mix-in options. The possibilities are endless, right? Right. Many people think the whole "frozen stone" concept is new, but we've been seeing these types of shops since the 80's. It wasn't until Cold Stone & Maggie's that the concept became so widespread. Gotta love the franchises, huh? And yes, Maggie's IS a franchise, HOWEVER, they make their ice cream fresh on the premises every day. And they do a darn good job of it. I entered the Maggie Moos on Fruitville Pike earlier this week. The salesperson was extremely friendly and explained the whole concept to me of choosing an ice cream base and then choosing mix-ins. I was skeptical. Often, these types of frozen stone places use cheaper, lower quality ice cream because they're gonna mask it with all the mix-ins. Not Maggie Moos. I asked to sample a taste of their dark chocolate flavor. It was so incredible, I almost decided to order it plain! The flavor was out of this world- so chocolate-y and rich! The texture was velvet-smooth and super thick. It was heaven on a spoon. I decided that since I'd tasted it plain, it was ok for me to add some mix-ins to my final order so I opted for peanut butter and peanut butter cups. I ordered the smallest "kiddie" size available and have never regretted it more. Next time I'm getting the largest size they have. And making no apologies for my indulgence, either! I would have licked the bowl if it were socially acceptable.

So, with such a rave review, why only 4 1/2 stars? Well.... they don't have plain cones- only sugar cones. Sorry, Maggie Moos. Hook me up with a plain cone and you've got a perfect score. Until then, 4 1/2 screams it is.