Frequently Asked Questions
- Is your ice cream homemade?
- Where are you located?
- When are you open?
- Why are you closed during the winter?
- So, do you go to Florida?
- How do you make your ice cream cakes?
- Where should I put a cake once I get it home?
- How should I serve an ice cream cake?
- Can you tell me about your ice cream pies?
- What the heck is an ice cream pizza, anyway?
- Where did you get the name The Ice Creamsmith?
- How can I get a job at The Ice Creamsmith?
Yes. We make all of our ice cream on the premises in 5-gallon batches, using our Emery Thompson ice cream freezer and H.P.Hood 14% butterfat ice cream mix, along with the finest and freshest flavorings and ingredients.
We are located in historic Dorchester Lower Mills, at the very end of Dorchester Avenue (see map), where Dorchester Ave., Washington St. and Adams St. meet. By MBTA, from Ashmont Station take the bus down Dorchester Avenue, or take the high-speed trolley to the Milton stop, go up the stairs and turn right on Adams Street.
Our hours are noon ‘til 10 p.m. every day from March 1st to Thanksgiving. We close early on Halloween at 5 p.m., and on Thanksgiving we close for the winter at 2 p.m.
Believe it or not, not many people would brave a Boston winter for an ice cream, and business slows drastically when it gets cold! We use the winter months for a little vacation and work around the store. We are there often and have an answering machine (in case you need to leave a message), and we’re back about the middle of February getting ready to open March 1st!
Contrary to popular belief, we do not move to Florida for three months. The end of November and early December is used for clean up. Preparations for the next season take a good part of February. And somewhere in between there is usually a vacation, and ALWAYS some snow shoveling!
Our ice cream cakes are solid ice cream (no cake) with one flavor inside and another flavor outside, decorated with frosting. We have six sizes, and keep a number of sizes 1 and 2 in our display freezer for quick purchase. To special-order different sizes or flavors, we may need up to a week’s notice, since each cake takes a minimum of three days to make.
Believe it or not, the best place to keep your ice cream cake is in the freezer. To make it easier to slice, put it in the refrigerator 10 or 15 minutes before you want to serve it. This way it softens a little but does not melt. If you leave your cake on a table, the outside will melt and slide off, but the inside will still be frozen solid.
You can cut it any way you like it, or you can follow our advice and directions.
Our regular ice cream pies have a 9” graham cracker or Oreo pie crust filled with ice cream and covered with a dry topping. Our fudge pies have a layer of fudge under the ice cream, with some fudge dollops on top.
Our ice cream pizza is a 10” round fudge brownie crust covered with vanilla ice cream, and topped with chocolate cookie crunch, white and dark chocolate chips, and chocolate syrup.... a little rich, but delicious! For other ice cream flavors or toppings, call at least three days ahead.
If you remember your vocabulary, a "smith" is one who makes something specific, like a locksmith, blacksmith, or silversmith. Since we are located in what is often referred to as "the village" of Lower Mills, and are craftsmen in making ice cream, we are like the "village blacksmith." Get it???
We are always glad to take applications for the few openings that occur every year. The minimum age is 16, and all jobs are part-time. Since we are open for nine months, we usually like to hire people who are available the entire season, not just for the summer, but we can usually work around your schedule. We like applicants who are reliable, honest, smart, friendly, neat and clean, strong, unflappable, and willing to work hard. Stop in during business hours to introduce yourself and fill out an application. Or do a little prep work and fill out an application before you get here.