Van Leeuwen ice cream opens in Roslyn
Inside Van Leeuwen Ice Cream shop in Roslyn, which is anchored by nearly 30 flavors and a colorful mural. Credit: Newsday/Marie Elena Martinez
Van Leeuwen Ice Cream began as a yellow truck roaming the streets of Brooklyn — but as of this summer, Long Islanders no longer had to cross any bridges or tunnels to get a scoop of the treat founded by brothers Ben and Pete Van Leeuwen and partner Laura O’Neill in 2008.
Long Island's first Van Leeuwen shop debuted in June at Roosevelt Field. Now with more than 50 shops across the country, the cult ice cream shop has opened in Roslyn.
Van Leeuwen’s French-style ice cream is made with double the number of egg yolks as standard ice cream, producing a custard-like treat that’s richer than your run of the mill scoop. Its vegan ice cream, made with oat milk, cashew milk and coconut cream, is equally smooth. With more than 30 flavors as well as inventive seasonal ones, Van Leeuwen is also known for wacky collaborations (think Hidden Valley Ranch and Kraft macaroni and cheese), and celebrity partnerships like Bigface Coffee Affogato in partnership with NBA All-Star Jimmy Butler and Espresso ice cream in partnership with singer Sabrina Carpenter.
Opening flavors at the Roslyn shop — decorated in a sunny yellow, complete with brick fireplace and a kaleidoscopic Jon Burgerman mural anchoring the back wall — include a nutty pistachio (sourced from Sicily’s Mount Etna), marionberry cheesecake (made with berries from Stahlbush Island Farms in Oregon), crowd-favorite honeycomb, black cherry chip, praline butter cake, strawberry matcha latte and peppermint stick. Vegan opening flavors include banana bread pudding, peanut butter brownie honeycomb, chocolate fudge brownie and strawberry shortcake. Portions range from one to three scoops and start at $7.45. If you can’t decide, get a few freshly scooped pints to-go, which are $11.15.
Van Leeuwen Ice Cream, 1382 Old Northern Blvd., Roslyn; 718-701-1630, vanleeuwenicecream.com; Open Sunday to Thursday from 12 p.m. to 10:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 12 p.m. to 11:30 p.m.
A global freelancer who has checked her suitcase to raise her young daughter on her native Long Island, Marie Elena will always make time for good mezcal, even better tacos and killer conversation. Preferably, in a corner bar seat. She can be found on Instagram at @mariesworldeats.
