Some people mark summer by their first beach day or the first tomato. I wait for Arethusa Farm Dairy’s peach ice cream.
This year, I got impatient. I stopped into the Chapel Street shop multiple times in July asking when it would arrive. Then, on the first day of August, a friend texted to say she’d just gotten what she thought was the first scoop of the season. I went that afternoon.
Apparently I’m not alone. Arethusa ice cream scoopers Esther Tsai and Lily Martinez said customers have been calling every week to ask whether peach is back, and some have even made the pilgrimage from out of state.
The ice cream itself is surprisingly subdued: pale cream, not cartoonishly orange, with small bits of peach scattered throughout. The fruit is soft and fresh-tasting, folded into the kind of smooth, dense ice cream Arethusa is known for. It takes me back to the peach shortcake my mom used to make in summer, which may explain some of my attachment.
I order it in a house-made waffle cone, no toppings. The cone is wide enough to cradle Arethusa’s generous serving—employees sometimes have to reassure customers that, yes, what looks like two scoops really does count as one—and sturdy enough for a walk around downtown.
On my last visit, signs inside and out directed lingering customers down Hyperion Court to a new Shops at Yale patio tucked behind the buildings. It’s a nice enough place to eat, though I prefer taking my cone up High Street toward Yale.
Esther says peach is one of Arethusa’s most popular seasonal flavors. But the peach flavor also has an expiration date. This batch is supposed to last only through the end of August—possibly not even that long if people keep eating it at the current clip.
Which means I’ve got a few more scoops to order before I’m back to waiting again.
Written by Daily Nutmeg Staff
