Mike’s Ice Takes First At Great Ice Cream Throw-Down
[CREDIT: Mary Carlos} Sadam Salas and Zuliana Vidal accept their first place trophy from Jim Nellis, owner and organizer of the Ice Cream Throw-down.[CREDIT: Mary Carlos} Thomas Bucci, owner of Warwick Ice Cream, serves a sample of Federal Hill to Marnie Tetreault of East Greenwich.PROVIDENCE, RI — Mikes’s Ice won the first place at the Ice Cream Throwdown Sunday afternoon, at Rhode Island Eye Institute’s lot at 150 East Manning St,. earning bragging rights for the year, but all of the participating 12 vendors treated scores of potential customers to samples of their frozen treats.Mike’s Ice of Providence, specializing in Thai-style ice cream rolls, a newcomer last year who boasted the longest lines, didn’t place in 2016, but turned their competition fortunes around with three lines organized at their food truck: Instagood (vanilla ice cream, chocolate chip cookies, Oreos and cookie dough); Relationship Goals (Peanut butter, Reese’s cups, fudge, and Reese’s pieces), and Yolo (Chocolate ice cream and brownies).Warwick Ice Cream came in second with their three flavors: Federal Hill (Mazcarpone cheesecake ice cream blended with blue berries and a Graham cracker swirl), Girl Scout Cookie (Chocolate ice cream with peppermint and chocolate sandwich cookies), and Ocean State (Coffee milk ice cream with milk chocolate toffee swirled with sea salt).Warwick Ice Cream’s stand was busy with a steady stream of ice cream fans, including Marnie Tetreault of East Greenwich, who asked for a sample of Federal Hill.”I liked it very much,” she said. “It’s very creamy.”Rogue Island Local Kitchen & Bar at The Arcade in Providence won People’s Choice with their tongue – tingling Mexican Vanilla Spiced ice cream (Ancho chili, sea salt, marshmallow with homemade chocolate mole ganache and candied popitos, a favorite among the more adventurous of the attendees.Jim Nellis, owner of RI Food Fights, which organizes the Ice Cream Throwdown, said this year was better than expected.”And I have very high expectations,” Nellis said.This year, about 60 percent of the 750 patrons who bought tickets to the sold-out event were new Ice Cream Throwdown patrons, he said. That means the vendors got their ice cream in front of a lot of new potential customers, Nellis said.
[CREDIT: Mary Carlos} Warwick Ice Cream won second place during Sunday’s Ice Cream Throwdown.[CREDIT: Mary Carlos} A long line of people waited for the start of the Ice Cream Throw-down in Providence Sunday.[CREDIT: Mary Carlos} Bill Petras, COO of Rogue Island, and Sam McLaughlin accept their People’s Choice prize at the Ice Cream Throwdown.[CREDIT: Mary Carlos} From left, the Chifferobe Tropigals wait for samples for the Ice Cream Throw-down judges.From left, Bekki Lagergren, Nichole Nelson, Nicole Morse, and Kristen Minsky.[CREDIT: Mary Carlos} From left, the Chifferobe Tropigals wait deliver samples for the Ice Cream Throw-down judges. In front is Kristen Minsky. The judges, from left, are Victoria Young of Stock Culinary Arts, Julius Searight of Providence Food Truck for Good, Tracy Slater, Providence Moms Blog, Chuck Staton and Brad Rober, each of the Agree to Disagree Podcast.[CREDIT: Mary Carlos} Jim Nellis, organizer of the Ice Cream Throw-down, gets a high ground view of the action near the Mikes Ice truck.[CREDIT: Mary Carlos} The Mikes Ice truck split their lines into three flavors to move things along.[CREDIT: Mary Carlos} Warwick Ice Cream’s team worked diligently to keep avid ice cream tasters satisfied.[CREDIT: Mary Carlos} Inside the Ice Cream Throw-Down event, which drew 750 ice cream lovers.[CREDIT: Mary Carlos} the Chifferobe Tropigals danced a quick number for Ice Cream Throw-down patrons..Performing were, Bekki Lagergren, Nichole Nelson, Nicole Morse, Jessica Bettencourt, Jen Olsen, and Mandy Wencus.
Rob has worked as reporter and editor for several publications, including The Kent County Daily Times and Coventry Courier, before working for Gatehouse in MA then moving home with Patch Media. Now he's publisher and editor of WarwickPost.com. Contact him at [email protected] with tips, press releases, advertising inquiries, and concerns.
