Summer's Last Rite

I guess you could say I'm in denial about the end of summer. This became apparent on a recent Labor Day visit to New England where I corralled numerous family members into indulging in ice cream nearly every day of my visit.

Trapped in time: Ridgefield Ice Cream Shop 

There are few things that embody summer quite like an ice cream cone. There's something about digging into the cold, sweet, creamy delight on a sticky summer night with the sound of cicadas chirping in the background. Be it quietly sitting in the car or at a nearby picnic table while everyone quietly digs into their treasured frozen treat, people have been doing this for generations.

The first stop on my tour was "the route 7 place" in Ridgefield, Conn. My parents have lived in the area for more than 20 years, and no one knows the name of this ice cream place. I recently learned that its official name is Ridgefield Ice Cream Shop (although I'll still call it the route 7 place).

What we do know is that making a stop for a chocolate sundae is a summer ritual. The vanilla ice cream is a thick, creamy soft serve custard that on its own is absolutely decadent. Add in rich chocolate sauce and luxurious whip cream and it's memorable treat that's good in any season. We've been known to make visits in the dead of winter.

Goddaughter Isabelle: my partner in crime at Dr. Mike's.
  

The second was Dr. Mike's in Bethel, Conn. I believe that the good doctor of food can cure pretty much any ailment, so the fact that this place is named after a doctor is just perfect. That afternoon, the assortment of flavors made it a difficult decision - pumpkin? vanilla raspberry swirl? Ultimate chocolate? I opted for chocolate lace: rich vanilla ice cream with chocolate covered hard toffee, which added a periodic cold crunch.

Beyond clocking how many spinning classes I was going to need post-trip to burn off all the ice cream I was eating, I realized I was taking comfort in one of the last rites of summer. Before the leaves started crunching under my feet, before it was time to put away the flip flops, before the cool nights took hold, I was grasping for one last taste of summer.