Serious Eats: New York
Sugar Rush: Tomato-Watermelon Custard at Shake Shack
Of all the custard flavors at Shake Shack this month, Friday's Tomato-Watermelon sounded the least appealing. Salted Caramel? Yum. Bellini? Lovely. Sweet Corn? Oh goodness, yes! But Tomato-Watermelon? I have to admit, I was a touch skeptical. So when I placed my order, I called for a triple dip just in case: a scoop each of Tomato-Watermelon, Chocolate, and Vanilla. (You can always fall back on chocolate and vanilla.)
The custard, colored a pale pinkish hue, tasted like a summer watermelon gone creamy, a touch salty from the tomato. Unexpected, though enjoyable. I detected no strong "tomato" elements—perhaps for the better, as my taste buds still cannot make peace with a watermelon and tomato custard combination. Glad to give it a try, but my heart will belong to Sweet Corn for the month of August.
Shake Shack
Madison Ave and East 23rd Street, Southeast Corner of Madison Square Park, New York, NY 10010 (map)
212-889-6600
366 Columbus Avenue, New York, NY 10024 (at 77th Street; map)
646-747-8770