5 Boroughs: The Press

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By Cat Geenleaf

An Ice-Cream Maker Defines the Boroughs

By Florence Fabricant

There is an ice-cream flavor for each New York City borough at 5 Boroughs Ice Cream, a new little company in Astoria, Queens, owned by Scott Myles, a graphic designer, and his wife, Kim, a hairdresser. The cream comes from local dairies.

Bakla-Wha?!, the flavor that represents Queens (and the Greek population of Astoria), has bits of toasty phyllo and walnuts in a creamy vanilla base; it’s my hands-down favorite. Cha Cha Chocolate, the Bronx flavor, kicks in with chili-based heat. Staten Island Landfill is riddled with swaths of fudge, pieces of brownie and cherries.

SoHo cappuccino is flavored with hazelnuts, and Amaretto Amoré, the Brooklyn flavor, pays homage to Bay Ridge and is perfumed with Italian after-dinner tastes. The ice creams are sold at Gourmet Garage, Barzini’s Grocery and Murray’s Cheese stores in Manhattan, among others (information is at 5boroughsicecream.com) for about $5 a pint (two for $7 at Gourmet Garage during September).

NYC Neighborhoods by the Pint

By Hannah Morrill

Kim and Scott Myles were obsessed with the idea: an ice cream for every neighborhood in NYC. It started five years ago when the couple decided Ben & Jerry's New York Super Fudge Chunk had very little to do with their hometown, "That for us was always the inspiration," says Scott, and it shows in their ingredients, too. "In the spirit of a city built on mom & pop shops (not Starbucks and Cold Stone!), we use local ingredients and handcraft our rich ice cream in small batches to ensure the taste we expect from the greatest city in the world. It's our goal to learn about our neighbors and create some really kick-ass ice cream! We live here. For us, life is all about New York." Names like Holy F'n Cannoli and Potholes & Cream indeed capture the essence of gritty Gotham. But the dairy ingredients thankfully come from the wholesome pastures of small upstate family dairies, which Kim and Scott see as cut from the same do-the-right-thing cloth as independent urban businesses. We couldn't agree more, even if Kim and Scott are from the wrong side of the BQE. A fan letter from one Brooklynite cheered: "The fact that you took a dream and ran with it impresses the hell out of me. Go get 'em!"

So what does Brooklyn taste like? The Bay Ridge-inspired flavor, Amaretto Amore—amaretto ice cream with amaretti cookies and toasted almonds—showcases inclusions from Sahadi's market on Atlantic Avenue. And watch out for Strolla Granola (Park Slope's flavor) coming soon.

Kim and Scott's company, 5 Boroughs, is working on city-wide distribution, including Sahadi's, Foragers in DUMBO and Union Market in Park Slope. Download a pdf from their web site (5boroughsicecream.com) and hand it to your local grocer to find 5B in your 'hood.

Couple's Ice Cream Celebrates City

By Farnoosh Torabi
Photo by Lauren Lancaster/Veras

Kim and Scott Myles–who met at a James Bond theme party in 1996–have gone from partners in crime to ice cream partners.

For five years, the married couple has owned 5 Boroughs Ice Cream, or 5B as they call it, a small business whose flavors pay tribute to the city's diverse neighborhoods.

Currently 5B sells Bay Ridge Amaretto Amour, Astoria Bakla-Wha?!, Staten Island Land Fill, the South Bronx Cha Cha Chocolate and SoHo. There are four more flavors in the works, and the couple encourages suggestions on their Web site, www.5BIcecream.com.

"We try to keep it all New York, all the time," Kim said. For example, the baklava bits are baked in Astoria at Victory Sweet Shop.

The idea for 5B evolved after 9/11.
"Everybody was freaked out, and we wanted to find a way to give back," Kim said. "What better than some comfort food?"

From their apartment in Astoria, the couple began experimenting with flavors, using the ice cream machine they received from of their wedding registry.

When it came time to mass-produce, the couple first used a space on Myrtle Avenue in Brooklyn, then moved all their production to Boonville, in upstate New York, near several dairies... (for complete story click here)

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