Court Pastry Shop: Dishing Up Classic Italian Ice For Over 64 Years

I scream, you scream, we all scream for… Earl Grey Tea ice cream? 

If you've never tried it, the flavor-forward Earl Grey at  is fantastic and, at $4.50 for a small cone, not too overpriced for the artisanal quality. But sometimes you crave the simpler tastes and mountainous scoops of yesteryear or, in the case of , of twentieth-century Italy.

Just ask Peter Drivas, founder and president of L.A. Arts Alliance, whose first stop upon returning to Brooklyn for vacation was Court Pastry Shop. “It was destination number one!” Drivas exclaimed, while purchasing his favorite rainbow cookie that he insisted on taking a picture with. “I’ve always come here.”

Court Pastry Shop, a staple of the neighborhood since 1948, is famous for its “lobster tails” and myriad pastries. But it also offers six flavors of generously portioned classic Italian ices—lemon, chocolate, pineapple, cherry, custard and pistachio—made daily with the fewest ingredients possible.

For example, the chocolate is prepared with almond, cinnamon, vanilla, milk, sugar and ice. What’s not to love? It’s simple, ice cold, delicious, refreshing—a recipe that’s had 64 years of testing—and inexpensive, with *smalls* (not really small) costing only $2!

The Carroll Gardens area houses , , , and , to name a few. But sometimes going traditional is what the summer heat requires.

“The first time I went, I ordered a small ice and the woman just kept putting more and more on – it was huge! Having huge portions is so old school,” Carroll Gardens resident Rebecca Losick said. “When you walk in, that wonderful Italian bakery smell hits you and it’s the greatest thing in the world. You are immediately transported back to the happiest memories of childhood and NYC.”

Seemingly untouched since its creation by friends Salvatore Zerilli and Anthony Caraciolla, natives of Sicily and Calabria, current co-owner Gasper Zerilli, Salvatore’s son, acknowledges that “things change,” but that he can’t be concerned with what younger businesses are attempting to create.

Sure, Momofuku offers cereal milk soft serve and pretzel milkshakes, but Court offers antiquity and unparalleled customer-service.

While Zerilli scooped chocolate ice, former residents of Carroll Gardens who recently moved to Florida entered the shop. Witnessing the scooping they instantly had to have their favorite, “a mix, half lemon, half pineapple,” and were remembered by the owner. Like Drivas, the mother and her daughter had been lifelong patrons of the store, often buying quarts and pints of the ices to bring as house-warming presents.

Employee Brianna Deserio knows her customers’ orders by heart, and it’s this familiarity that makes Court Pastry Shop so unique.

Van Leeuwen and other newer competitors dish up creative, mouth-watering flavors. Court, however, not only knows your name and those of your children, but also your grandmother and aunt. Zerilli’s walls are lined with news articles featuring the shop, but more importantly his family. It's a heartwarming place, dishing up cooling classic treats, perfect for the summer.

Do you have favorite flavor at Court Street Pastry? Share your go-to scoop in the comments!