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Where might a 1920s nostalglist with a penchant for a sugar coma get their fix? An antique-filled apothecary nestled in the leafy Brooklyn enclave of Carroll Gardens may be brewing the right remedy. Walking into the family-owned Brooklyn Farmacy & Soda Fountain is like stepping into a time warp of sorts. It's decked out with a saloon-style counter and red swivel bar stools and soda jerks dressed to a T in old-timey apparel, but it's the ice cream that Brooklynites go crazy for.
The Farm emphasizes seasonal, local, and fresh ingredients and has an adventurous menu that engages classical cultural history with a modern twist. I ordered the undisputed starlet of the menu, the Sundae of Broken Dreams––a crunchy, pretzel-laced vanilla and caramel sundae topped with fresh cream. To wash it down, we sampled three of The Farm's staple soda floats, the picture-perfect Violet (a light vanilla soda with black raspberry ice cream), the Pink Poodle (made with hibiscus soda, vanilla ice cream, and a zingy raspberry sauce), plus the mighty fresh Blueberry (a refreshingly fruity soda loaded with vanilla ice cream). Here's what co-founder Gia Giasullo has to say about her neighborhood gem.
Shop name: Brooklyn Farmacy & Soda Fountain
Owners: Siblings Peter Freeman and Gia Giasullo
Location: 513 Henry Street in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn
Scooping since: June 2010
Peak hours: Weekends in the low season. Weekends and evenings in the high season
Known for: Egg creams, our Sundae of Broken Dreams sundae, and our Pink Poodle float
How did you get into the ice cream biz? Magic
What's your favorite flavor? Describe its taste in 3 words. We exclusively serve Adirondack Creamery Ice Cream. We can't choose a favorite, because they are all delicious!
Ice cream or gelato? Ice cream
Cone or cup? Fountain glasses. Beehives. Tulip glasses. No cones, but all items are available to go in plastic carrying cups.
Fantasy ice cream flavor? Don't even get us started. We put potato chips in our most recent sundae, the Potato Head.
Favorite childhood ice cream memory? Skowhegan, Maine, overlooking the river, sitting next to a big moose sculpture
Do you have any regulars? We've got a great group of 'tweens that come in regularly. We know them by name. We have a guy who comes in and orders egg creams, "one to stay, and one to go." We have the Russian barber who comes in daily for her coffee. ("Black, to go.") We have a retired opera singer who sometimes graces us with a song, and shares the local opera gossip. We've got a couple that melts over everything we make them, and themselves.
BROOKLYN FARMACY & SODA FOUNTAIN
513 Henry Street
Brooklyn, NY 11231
MAP
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Where might a 1920s nostalglist with a penchant for a sugar coma get their fix? An antique-filled apothecary nestled in the leafy Brooklyn enclave of Carroll Gardens may be brewing the right remedy. Walking into the family-owned Brooklyn Farmacy & Soda Fountain is like stepping into a time warp of sorts. It's decked out with a saloon-style counter and red swivel bar stools and soda jerks dressed to a T in old-timey apparel, but it's the ice cream that Brooklynites go crazy for.
The Farm emphasizes seasonal, local, and fresh ingredients and has an adventurous menu that engages classical cultural history with a modern twist. I ordered the undisputed starlet of the menu, the Sundae of Broken Dreams––a crunchy, pretzel-laced vanilla and caramel sundae topped with fresh cream. To wash it down, we sampled three of The Farm's staple soda floats, the picture-perfect Violet (a light vanilla soda with black raspberry ice cream), the Pink Poodle (made with hibiscus soda, vanilla ice cream, and a zingy raspberry sauce), plus the mighty fresh Blueberry (a refreshingly fruity soda loaded with vanilla ice cream). Here's what co-founder Gia Giasullo has to say about her neighborhood gem.
Shop name: Brooklyn Farmacy & Soda Fountain
Owners: Siblings Peter Freeman and Gia Giasullo
Location: 513 Henry Street in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn
Scooping since: June 2010
Peak hours: Weekends in the low season. Weekends and evenings in the high season
Known for: Egg creams, our Sundae of Broken Dreams sundae, and our Pink Poodle float
How did you get into the ice cream biz? Magic
What's your favorite flavor? Describe its taste in 3 words. We exclusively serve Adirondack Creamery Ice Cream. We can't choose a favorite, because they are all delicious!
Ice cream or gelato? Ice cream
Cone or cup? Fountain glasses. Beehives. Tulip glasses. No cones, but all items are available to go in plastic carrying cups.
Fantasy ice cream flavor? Don't even get us started. We put potato chips in our most recent sundae, the Potato Head.
Favorite childhood ice cream memory? Skowhegan, Maine, overlooking the river, sitting next to a big moose sculpture
Do you have any regulars? We've got a great group of 'tweens that come in regularly. We know them by name. We have a guy who comes in and orders egg creams, "one to stay, and one to go." We have the Russian barber who comes in daily for her coffee. ("Black, to go.") We have a retired opera singer who sometimes graces us with a song, and shares the local opera gossip. We've got a couple that melts over everything we make them, and themselves.
BROOKLYN FARMACY & SODA FOUNTAIN
513 Henry Street
Brooklyn, NY 11231
MAP
