‘Sam’s Fried Ice Cream’ Jumps Into Busy LES Scoop Scene with Orchard Street Shop
The Lower East Side ice cream scene, having seen a bevy of activity this winter, just got another scoop, as it were. Orchard Street, behold Sam’s Fried Ice Cream.
(No, not Sam the haberdasher.)
In less than two weeks, the small business will christen the ground level of 37 Orchard Street, previously home to vintage threads boutique, La Petite Mort. Interior build-out has been underway since the latter closed at the end of December. Its identity was confirmed yesterday with the installation of a new storefront marquee.
Fried ice cream seems like an oxymoronic treat. It’s a dessert fashioned from a breaded scoop of ice cream that is flash-fried into a crispy treat.
Sam’s Fried Ice Cream began six years ago as a vendor in Manhattan street fairs. They later expanded to a stall in the Jamaica Market. The space at 37 Orchard Street is the first true standalone brick-and-mortar location for Sam’s Fried Ice Cream, and the Queens outpost won’t survive the expansion.
This is a highly competitive area for ice cream. Five such establishments operate within a short six-block walk – Celsius, 10Below, Soft Swerve, New Territories, and relative geezer Melt Bakery.
Official launch is slated for April 2.