Posted by Arvin Cantos in ice cream, shops on July 2, 2007 at 7:20 am

Dutch Dreams
78 Vaughan Road
416-656-6959
Single scoop with regular cone: $2.95
Single scoop with dipped cone: $4.90

When friends talk about a great new movie, book or restaurant, expectations get set pretty high, pretty quick. Excitement builds to such a degree that when we finally see that movie, read that book or eat at that restaurant, we are, most times, very sorely disappointed.

That's not how it went with me and Dutch Dreams. Everyone told me it was great. My aunt, an almost-shut-in, has gone there many times and she loves it. So off I went.

The first thing I noticed about the place was how empty it was on a Saturday afternoon. The sun was out and it was a scorcher, so there should be more people at Toronto's "best ice cream joint." I went in, saw two people in line, looked up and was blown away by the décor. Many different toys, models and other playthings hung from the ceiling. There was a man riding a flying carpet, a hot air balloon, a man parachuting, a rocking horse, a pot, and many, many moocows.

After adjusting to the light, I finally focused on the numerous selections. They have shakes, sundaes, frozen yogurt, sherbets and ice cream. And boy, do they have ice cream. This is what I remember: Dutch Chocolate, Dutch Chocolate Moose, Mocha Almond Fudge, Peanut Butter and Chocolate, Strawberry, Bubble Gum, Butter Pecan, Fistful of Fudge, French Vanilla, Pralines and Cream, Wild Berry Cheesecake, Cherry Vanilla, Mint Chocolate Chip, Tiger Tail, Grapenut, and Theo & Theo (Peach and Passion Fruit).

I looked and looked. And looked again. I didn’t know what to choose. I’m partial to chocolate so that narrowed down the list somewhat. A girl behind the counter saw my expression and asked, “Have you decided yet?” I glanced at her and looked back at the list, “Can you give me a minute?”

“Sure,” she answered in a helpful and cheery way. All the staff in the place (there were 6 that I counted), were very helpful and happy. One guy started singing and the whole crew joined in, all this while I made my choice. I finally settled on Wild Berry Cheesecake. I let the girl know.

“Great! What kind of cone would you like it in?” Right! Cone! There were more than a dozen to choose from. My head started to spin but I make a quick decision. “Wowwee Brownie please.”

“I’ll get that for you.”

I look around the place again. It’s small and cosy, and it had a "first apartment" kind of vibe. There’s a set of stairs leading downstairs and another going up, to a dining area. Like the rest of the place it’s filled with kooky, fun decorations.

“Do you know that your ice cream can be topped with whipped cream and fruit? Would you like that?” I turn my head and nod. “And if you want to, you can have two different scoops, if you want to try another flavour.”

Choices! Too many choices! “I’ll stick with just the one please, but I’ll remember that for next time.” Right then I knew I had to visit again. And again, and again.

She handed me my cone and I finally got to sit down. It’s so hot that the ice cream started running down my hand. I quickly remedied that situation.

It was delicious, perfect for a hot summer day. My only gripe with it was that there was very little cheesecake. It still tasted great though, with the berry chunks fun (and tarty) to bite out as you see them. As I left Dutch Dreams, the staff, who were now very busy with a line at least a dozen people long, still managed to say goodbye with a smile. I resolved to come back.

After that first visit I’ve since tried other flavours. The Dutch Chocolate ice cream was sweet, but had less chocolate than I had thought. The Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough had good ice cream, but the cookie dough was a let down. Ben and Jerry’s dough tasted better, with bigger chunks. The Heavenly Hash was just, well, heavenly. It had the right amount of chocolate and nuts. It’s one of my favourite flavours and Dutch Dream’s version didn’t disappoint.

The last time I went I noticed that they had Baked Alaska. I asked about it and apparently it’s made-to-order and takes some time to prepare. As I was in a hurry, I couldn’t try it, but I made a mental note.

During my first visit, there was a couple behind me. They had ordered a huge crepe. I asked one of the staff what it was and he corrected me, saying it was Dutch Pancake. After the Baked Alaska, it’s the next thing I’m going to try.