It seems like frozen yogurt was big in the 80s, then it had a brief reprisal five years ago, and now… it’s gone again. Really gone. That’s sad, right? It was the like Golden Corral of sugars. You pick a flavor (or flavors) of soft-serve, then load on the gummi bears and chocolate syrup. Priced by the ounce, the bill could pack a wallop, but culinary art has its price.
Here’s the cool thing about this new Cookie Dough Creamery joint: it’s got that same load-your-own schtick for soft-serve ice cream, but you pay for your bowl. Buy a bowl ($4.19 for a medium), and then pile on whatever you want: no up-charges.
You thought the cool thing was going to be the house-made cookie dough, didn’t you? That’s nice too, if you like cookie dough, anyway. As the joint is laid out, it’s the first stop on the buffet, so diners can scoop it out as a foundation for the soft serve. It comes in several flavors — peanut butter, chocolate chip, cookies n’ cream. It’s a cold, sugary, paste-y stuff; sweeter than cookie dough you might make at home, but the richness seems like the right sort of foil for ice cream.
Then comes the soft-serve machines, the joint is equipped with classic choices such as vanilla and chocolate, as well butter pecan and a low-calorie thing called Dole Whip. After that, there are sterile dispensers of the usual suspects: Reese’s Pieces, M&Ms, diced Kit Kats, Nerds, Gummis, Cocoa Puffs, chocolate sauce… you get the idea.
It’s a great deal like the yogurt places you can’t find any more. By house standards, that makes it a welcome addition to the local summer scene. You can find it at the Worthington Mall at 7227 North High Street — its entrance is outside the mall proper, next to Pies & Pints.
For more information, visit www.cookie-dough-creamery.com.