[Photograph: Kathy YL Chan]

When it comes to the ice cream alone, Van Leeuwen doesn't rank among our favorites. It can be inconsistent (icy on one visit, too soft on another), and the flavors are never just perfect or pure as they should be. But when it comes to making ice cream sundaes, there's no complaining. Sundaes are assembled to order at their 7th Street storefront with flavors of your choosing (I'm a mint chip girl), oodles of fresh whipped cream, and generous pours of their house-made Michel Cluizel hot fudge and caramel sauces. The caramel is easy-flowing and dark, almost smoky with the slightest bit of salt. Not a full-on salted caramel sauce, but just enough to give it balance.

Van Leeuwen Artisan Ice Cream

48 1/2 East 7th Street, New York NY 10003 (map)
vanleeuwenicecream.com

About the author: Originally from Honolulu, Kathy YL Chan blogs at Kathy YL Chan, where she chronicles her eats and travel adventures between Hawai'i, New York and beyond. She firmly believes that there is always room for dessert.