Ice cream. Will we ever get over the obsession in Utah? We certainly like our treats. Treats for our date nights, our family nights -- even our business negotiations (yes, I've seen it!). Treats are a way of life in Utah.
As I have learned and reported, not all treats are created equal in Utah, the supposed ice cream mecca. In fact, some treats are far more equal than others.One such "more equal" treatery is Maggie Moo's in the Sugarhouse Commons.
Maggie Moo is the spokescow. She's pretty, dazzling even. She's sassy and discriminating, and she has a cause: to bring fresh, quality ice cream to the masses.
You haven't seen this much moxie since Miss Piggy.
And you haven't had ice cream made fresh each day that tasted as rich as Maggie Moo's. All the elements I want in ice cream are there: evenly melting texture, depth of flavor, variety, dense consistency. It's not too sweet and each flavor lives up to its name. Cotton candy tastes like the real thing, maybe even a little more intense; same with the eggnog flavor. Cheesecake isn't just white fluff with a mere hint of the real cake.
But these are the novelties, you're thinking. What about the "serious" flavors?
To all the snobs out there, the vanilla bean, dark chocolate, cappuccino, chocolate peanut butter, the mocha -- all the more satisfying in deep flavor.
I always wonder in these try-before-you-buy places if the clerk is truly patient when you want a taste of everything, or are they privately wishing you'd just pick something and get on with it. No matter, I still indulged. I encourage you to do the same so you get the full effect. Besides, the fellow that helped me and my family was amiable and happy to get the word out.
I finally settled on a cappuccino special. It has the cappuccino ice cream mixed with cappuccino chips on a cold slab, loaded into a cone that is dipped in "white chocolate" and rolled in cappuccino chips. I'll name that recipe "Cappuccino Overload." I will also admit that I (oink) had an extra scoop of Moocha on top of the special. Udderly delectable.
I'm still not sold on the dipped cones. I've yet to taste a product that isn't waxy.
I stole from my husband's waffle bowl quite a few times. He had a scoop each of chocolate peanut butter and Udderly Smooth with toasted mixed nuts. Udderly Smooth is ice cream with no flavorings added. This was an impressive combo.
As I've said before, mix-ins are nothing new. It's true. But as long as that's what people are doing, I'll add that it's the ice cream that makes these treats great. I maintain my position that the ice cream itself must be good enough to be eaten without all the goodies.
Maggie Moo's also makes fudge, smoothies, ice cream cakes, sundaes, sorbet and soft serve. I tried the fudge. It's made fresh every day. I have had much better, though. This fudge is grainy, and more sweet than flavorful. I'll probably just continue getting what Moo's seems to do best: ice cream.
In "The Tail of Maggie Moo" from the menu we read, "She ran into those who said ice cream treats couldn't be made fresh in the store, but Maggie Moo got it together and scooped out the competition. . . . "
It's apparent that Moo's knows the competition -- those offering daily-made ice creams with extras mixed in on a cold stone -- and they seem to be outdoing them, at least where it matters most to me. This operation offers greater variety of base flavors, richer taste, truer ice cream texture, and a wacky marketing package that communicates this herd is serious about bucking the competition.
Maggie Moo's Ice Cream and Treatery
***1/2 (out of five)
Location: The Commons at Sugar House 1135 E. Wilmington Ave., 412-0222
Hours: 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday -Saturday, closed Sunday
Payment: checks, major credit cards
Stephanie Tanner-Brown may be reached by e-mail at stephanie@desnews.com