"We had never had any experience, but it was a fun challenge," Meredith Johnson said.
With challenges can come rewards, and what a reward it has been. Dartmouth students were immediately attracted to the low prices, crazy flavors and variety of sundaes, splits, shakes and floats. Consequently, Ice Cream Fore-U became a fun and delicious way to take an excursion off campus. The array of options is impressive, and the cheapest ones are priced at only a little more than a dollar. Ice Cream Fore-U also offers drinks, hot dogs and other savory munchies, though they're not as big a draw as the ice cream.
I decided that in order to get the true experience, I had to order something fancier than a simple cone with cookies and cream, my general go-to. I shamelessly ordered a brownie sundae, which came with my choice of ice cream flavor (Snickers), topping (Oreos), whipped cream and a cherry on top. It was delicious, as expected, and I was even more impressed by the size (gargantuan) and cheap price for such a size (normally five dollars, but I got it for $4.50 since Snickers was the flavor of the week). My fellow taste-testers were equally impressed with their choices: a thick cake batter shake and a vanilla flurry with gummy bears.
Fans of crazy flavors like Dinosaur Crunch and plain chocolate fans alike will be delighted by the array of options for them.
"The Chocolate Lovers' Chocolate is really good," Rose Dicovitsky '14 said.
Though a car is crucial in getting to the site, students are undeterred by the 15-minute drive.
"We come here even though there's a gelato place in Hanover," John Elliott '14 said.
And not just any gelato place, a place that's been called "the best in America" by Forbes. Indeed, despite the presence of Morano Gelato on Main Street, there's just something about Ice Cream Fore-U that keeps students coming back week after week, or day after day. Courtney Karol '13 is one such multi-weekly visitor who, along with Julia Danford '13, invented and completed the Ice Cream Fore-U Seven-Day Challenge during her sophomore summer, making a pilgrimage to the ice cream mecca every day for a week. Each trip featured a daily theme that dictated her order, including Funky Flavor Friday, Soft Serve Saturday and Sundae Sunday.
"The challenge is the ultimate ice cream aficionado's experience," Karol said. "It's a celebration of Ice Cream Fore-U."
Unfortunately for those who frequent Ice Cream Fore-U, the store is closed from the third week in October until the end of March. This withdrawal just makes loyal customers all the more ecstatic when the store opens again in the spring.
"I think people are excited to have soft serve after the winter when they're getting ice cream from the grocery store for the most part," Meredith Johnson said. "So it's kind of a novelty item that makes you think of spring and warm weather."
Ice Cream Fore-U's busiest months are, unsurprisingly, July and August, due in no small part to all the sophomores on campus. The abundance of tables out in the sun makes Ice Cream Fore-U an ideal place to come for any kind of weather and event. Throw in mini-golf and one can make an afternoon of it.
If our warm weather continues, which is never a guarantee in temperamental Hanover, the stand is likely to see a steady stream of business throughout the summer. For veteran eaters, it's the perfect place to try a new option, and if you've never been, every old favorite has a first time.
