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Categories: Food Stands, Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt [Edit]
Neighborhoods: Flatiron, Union SquareUnion Square (4, 5, 6, L, N, Q, R, W)
14th St-6th Aves (F, V, L, 1, 2, 3)
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The BGIT was so much fun to track down this summer. Like the jelly of the month club, the Choinkwich is truly a gift that keeps on giving the whole year. Not only did I savor every minute of every bite (which, ok let's be real here, was only about 5 minutes), I also had the pleasure of saying to everyone I know, "I had a Choinkwich!" "A wha--?", they would ask, and I got to relive over and over again. Not into bacon with your dessert? Tsk tsk. But the dulce de leche is divine as well.
Can't wait until next summer!
So I've noticed this is the restaurant that comes up in the bottom left of my screen implying it's the best of the city or somesuch. The truck used to be parked at my corner and I've been a few times but was never as moved as the rest of yelp seems to be. I'm quite baffled by this. Lets figure it out:
Standard soft serve
+
Neat toppings (siracha, curry toasted coconut, olive oil and salt)
+
Questionably "cool" name
+
Nice guys who run the thing (or is it just 1 nice guy and I'm bad with faces?)
+
It's a truck and well trucks are so hot right now
It's a winning combination for yelp (maybe) except that its just fine, not amazing, but perfectly respectable for when you have a hankering for something sweet and unusual
I wouldn't say this ice cream truck is particularly special or set apart from other ice cream trucks all around the city except for its constantly changing, unique toppings, and a cult following.
Not only is it fun to just go to the BGICT website splashed with rainbows, but is updated almost daily by the wonderful man that runs the truck solo. I went back a second time to get a t-shirt for a friend and he remembered me from the one time I came to his truck weeks earlier. He's really a great guy and helpful in topping choices, etc.
BGICT is special in little ways but not necessarily worth traveling a far distance to visit when you can usually get what the ice cream truck offers elsewhere (except maybe for the nutella lined cones..)
It's all Yosh's fault.
We were all full from our burgers and fries at Corner Bistro. So what was Yosh's idea to do next? "Big Gay Ice Cream Truck - let's go kids!"
And thank god we came. We were full but the walk from Corner Bistro to BGICT wore us out so a little ice cream break was well deserved.
The day we came they were out of the Choinwich so I ended up getting a cup of chocolate with Nilla Wafers. No, that is not a misspelling: NILLA WAFERS on top of chocolate ice cream.
Damn son, that really hit the ol' spot. Did I care that I couldn't breathe after every lick and bite because anything cold screws me up? Not at all, because I ate it all up.
Summer, summer - come quick so I can come back to the Big Gay Ice Cream Truck!
Delicious ice cream!! I was pretty impressed and seriously enjoyed their ice cream. I wish there was one on every corner...but then again I would def not fit into my jeans!
I don't care that the Big Gay Ice Cream Truck is currently hibernating. Well, I care. I miss those guys.
That truck was an unexpected and delightful highlight of my summer, and also full of Delicious Things.
I ate the following during my torrid love affair with the Truck, in no particular order (and not on the same day): olive oil & sea salt on soft serve; a Monday Sundae; a cartwheel w/nutella; a salty pimp; and many Affogaytos Mexicano. Other things too. All were terrific--not a bad one in the bunch. The Affogayto may have been a late addition but it became a favorite when the weather got a little chilly. Yum.
I also got to know Doug and Bryan a bit. They let me chatter on (and I chatter on a lot) and were generally cool, kind, funny and generous. I also had a couple of ice cream tweetups with friends outside the truck; posed with a knitted choinkwich (who has *that* pic?) and made a few new friends.
All of this goes into my review because each experience at the BGICT was memorable and lovely. It wasn't just about the ice cream at all. It was being there on the corner at that particular truck with those particular folks, who did their soft serve in a way all their own.
I'm drawn to quirky food trucks so with a name like Big Gay Ice Cream Truck it's a no brainer. Might as well call it F****n Big Gay Pimp Ice Cream Truck. And if by gay they mean bringing joy to all corners of the city then they are correct.
Yesterday, it was in Union Square. I approached the parked vehicle with my cat-like stealth, and was shocked to see it isn't as colorful as I thought it'd be. It's got splashes of color that symbolize kid-friendly, gay pride, and shagtastic all at once, but in a subtle way where you could mistake it for a Mr. Softee truck.
One $6 hot chocolate, comin' right up! This isn't your gramma's hot chocolate. This is major league hot chocolate circa 2010 - creamy vanilla frozen yogurt in a bath of honey and cayenne infused hot chocolate, topped with whipped cream and a heavy sprinkling of more cayenne pepper and cinammon. Yup, it's got a kick! I took my dessert over to the park and sat in front on the playground like a creeper.
2nd visit: the $5 'Salty Pimp' - vanilla soft serve doused with dulce de leche and sea salt, then dunked in chocolate which slowly hardens (but not before I can get a lick). I don't even need to say it was yummy, just read the ingredients. Definitely better than the hot chocolate.
They also carry ice cream toppings like crushed wasabi peas, Nilla wafers, Nutella, and EVOO. Geeenius!!! But be warned - the truck is closing shop for the season THIS Friday! What are we going to do the rest of the year?!
The 'gay' in Big Gay Ice Cream Truck not only denotes the sexual orientation of the proprietors, but also, "gay" in a traditional nomenclature - "cheery, bright and pleasant; promoting a feeling of cheer"
The proprietors of this truck are putting the cheer back in ice cream, whether it be their warm smiles and cheerful attitude, or tasty and innovative ice cream creations. The deviously decadent choinkwich is classic 'fat kid' food - a generous mound of soft serve and BACON, sandwiched between two chocolate wafers. Also, a recent favorite of mine, chocolate soft serve sprinkled with cayenne pepper, caters to the more daring sweet tooth's.
As lovely as their frozen dairy concoctions are, I would like to see the following added to the menu: The lactard' choinkwich deluxe.
========================== chocolate wafer
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ soft serve ice cream
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\BACON\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
(Lactaid®) (Lactaid®) (Lactaid®)
========================== chocolate wafer
Plz make this happen. Thanks Doug.
I am so sad to see the BGICT on hiatus for the winter - I don't what I'm going to do without a Choinkwich (which I didn't get either of the two times that I was there this year, boo!)
But what I did get the first time was a vanilla cone topped wiht graham cracker shaving (I think - I can't remember what exactly the topping was, but it was similar).
The second time I went (which was at the season-ending party), I wound up getting a Gobbler, which is the Thanksgiving sundae. As a true lover of pumpkin pie, I can tell you that the earlier review equating to pumpkin pie a la mode is right on! The most amazing thing in the world.
Now to wait until next summer, when I'll get the Choinkwich I was DENIED this year!
We were in New York for 5 days. We finally found it on our last day. I was expecting something super cool but it was like a regular ice cream truck. The only super cool thing was the bacon thing this couple was sharing. I ordered the pineapple sundae. It was five dollars and I couldn't finish it because it was more syrup than pineapple. =( It was too sweet for me.
My friends liked it though.
I like food trucks and like my ice cream served with a sense of humor, so you just knew I was going to like the Big Gay Ice Cream Truck. I've been trying to get over to the BGIT all summer, with little success, even arriving at Union Square only to learn that the truck broke down and was in the shop. DENIED!
But last night the mission was accomplished, with the end of the season just a few days away. None of the legendary Choinkwiches* on hand, and I had imagined the truck to be a bit more flamboyant, but Salty Pimp** in hand I went away satisfied. See you next summer!
* Chocolate ice cream sandwich with caramelized bacon.
** A vanilla soft serve with caramel and sea salt, dipped in chocolate.
Wasabi pea dust, thanksgiving sundaes, nutella cartwheels. It's all based on standard Mr. Softee ice cream (which is good ice cream to begin with), but BGICT brings some serious genius to the toppings.
First, follow the truck on Twitter. It's the easiest way to get location updates and the daily menu, as well as info on any secret items.
Second, order off the special menu. It's entirely worth it. The vanilla cone coated in wasabi pea dust was amazing. It added this addictive level of saltiness and hint of spice to what would otherwise be a perfectly ordinary vanilla cone.
One of my friends (the most skeptical of our little group) opted for the thanksgiving sundae: pumpkin butter, graham cracker crust and whipped cream over vanilla. He was converted on the first spoonful.
Our third member, already a self-proclaimed nutella addict, went straight for the nutella cartwheel special and loved it.
If you have the time or are lucky enough to be near this truck in the first place, it's a must-visit, especially now that winter is almost here.
I found the Big Gay Ice Cream Truck!
My friend had told me to meet her at Union Square. She said she was following his twitter updates, of which I almost gagged because I, though am somewhat techno savy, do not understand twitter other than a place to tell people your every-second-of-the-day-events-that-I-don't-really -care-about. Tweets allude me, but I guess this twitter update about his location is very important. Enough about my rant.
Back on track, when I found her, we were right across the street from the BGICT. For some reason, I was expecting this big pink, neon green lighted ice cream truck. Was slightly disappointed that it was a normal ice cream truck with "Big Gay Ice Cream Truck" on the side. Sad.
Nevertheless, he is super nice and friendly when you ask for any recommendations, which he says any and all are very good and popular.
I got the vanilla cone with nutella in the cone. It was pretty average, the vanilla ice cream wasn't too sweet, but it was nice and creamy! Hmmm... yum. The best part is when you get to the cone with some of the nutella and vanilla in it. Take one big lick with it all wrapped in one and it's just NIIIICCCEEE.
My friend got the vanilla ice cream with wasabi pea dust. Man, I was definitely envious that I hadn't picked that topping on my own cone! It sounds really strange, but like everyone said... just try it! It was amazingly good. You wouldn't guess that the wasabi saltiness would be tasty with it. It's not really spicy at all, so having the wasabi pea dust adds a mild kick/saltiness/crunch to the ice cream.
Definitely returning to try more of his specials!
Don't let the name scare you. He's always got a great ice cream.
I'm a fat girl trapped in a skinny girl's body...so I love my treats. When I'm having a rough day...or when I'm having a good day I go over to Big Gay Ice Cream Truck who's normally posted on the corner of Broadway and E 17th street.
Real soft serve icecream and toppings that you would have never imagined went together. You can make your own new fangled creations but I suggest you try the curried coconut flakes, the wasabi pea dust, the thanksgiving sundays and the NILLA WAFERS....those are my fav, I don't know if you can tell by the all caps.
When in doubt let him choose for you, he's never wrong. NEVER. Do it. Go over, experience a bit of summer in every concoction.
For those hardcores like myself about your treats, follow him on twitter: biggayicecream so that you can know in advance what toppings he's working with or where he's going to be posted. See you guys there? I better...or not...more for me.
I'm obsessed with this adorable little truck. First of all, talk about totally gracious, hilarious and awesome. When I spotted the truck off of Union Square I was so excited! I ran up to the truck like a little kid and was so excited when I saw the list of toppings. Despite being that excited, I still asked Doug (the awesome guy servin' up delicious delicious treats) for what he suggested would be the perfect combination of toppings.
"Dulce de leche and nilla wafers"
HE HIT IT RIGHT ON THE MARK. I was so happy to walk away with my ice cream that after finishing it (a block away) I was tempted to turn around and go for more.
Now I'm stalking the truck on Twitter to make my next move and to pick out the next perfect combination of toppings!
While I like the Van Leeuwen truck's subtlety and playful ice cream flavors, the BGIT's loud, bold concoctions always have me floored. If you pray at the altar of the sweet and savory, you've found your summertime altar on 17th and Broadway.
The salted caramel was maddeningly addictive while the saba - a slightly sweet balsamic vinegar - was a revelation.
Further, I don't believe I've ever met a vendor more enthusiastic about their product than the two guys in this truck. The Mister Softee guys generally seem to be waiting for the day to be over while the Van Leeuwen guys tend to be full to the brim with standoffish hipster affect. Going to the BGIT is like going over to the house of a good friend you haven't seen in years, and you're greeted as such every time.
They even agreed to toss some ice cream and salted caramel on top of a brownie I bought at the Greenmarket - and let me tell you the Big Gay part of this impromptu sundae was the best part.
I never dreamed that soft-serve ice cream could taste this good.
i am so sad that big gay is done for the season.
all i can do it wait, hope and pray for summer to come soon...so that i can get some more sweet tastes of big gay.
this lil piggy went to market...this lil piggy stayed at home (in Bk).
this lil piggy went to union square, hit up the big gay ice cream truck, ate a choinkwich** and went wheee wheee WHEEEEEEEEEE all the way home!!!
*burp*
**not to be confused with "chinkwich", an entirely different and less tasty concoction.
BGICT is a city treasure! I have been wanting to go visit after reading so much about this Yum on Wheels .So, after a really long week at work, I decided that today was the day for a big treat~
I had completely decided on the olive oil and sea salt toppings after reading about the choices. Yeah, I am an adventurous eater, but this really seemed daring even for me!
The owner, Doug, is just as pleasant as can be, and although I went pretty late in the day, he was just as upbeat and friendly as all get out. Clearly loves making ice cream happiness.
Well, it was delish. Tasted a bit like roasted butterscotch.
The ice cream itself is particularly rich and good and satisfying. Majorly good.
I was scrapping the bottom of the cup at the end and seriously considered going back for more!
First of all, I love any man who greets me by saying, "Hey, girlfriend! Look at your outfit!" Secondly, BGICT has a super awesome Thanksgiving sundae, which consists of vanilla soft serve, crushed graham crackers, pumpkin butter, and whipped cream. Thirdly, they have little contests -- like if you wear a hat with a big buckle on Thanksgiving sundae day, you get half off. They still gave it to me for 1/3 off for having buckles on my boots.
Aside from the fabulousity of having a gay ice cream truck, this place really delivers with unique, delicious ingredients and amazing service. Honestly, I've never met a person working in a food vending truck who was more passionate. Do yourself a favor: skip the boring Mister Softee and go to the Big Gay Ice Cream Truck.
You know what I love? That the self-proclaimed Big Gay Ice Cream truck doesn't have fat-free soft serve.
Nor does it even roost in Chelsea.
Nor does anything have alcohol in it.
The Big Gay Ice Cream Truck does have delicious soft serve for $3, all the traditional toppings you want and extra premium toppings that are only a dollar each. I chose the vanilla with curried coconut and it was fabulous, as was my bff's vanilla with saba and blueberry. So interesting, so different, and yummy! The guy who runs it is really nice too.
Plus, it's a BIG GAY ICE CREAM TRUCK. YAY!!!!!!
I would like all Mister Softee trucks to meet and learn from the Big Gay Ice Cream truck. I tried the wasabi pea dust on vanilla, and the saltiness went excellently with the sweet creaminess. I was too chicken to try the olive oil and salt, but according to the big gay guy, that is his most popular flavor. I bookmarked his twitter on my iphone. He's cool; he should've gotten a Vendy award.
if you tweet, he will come.
i'd heard rumors about the salty pimp all summer, but i thought it wasn't meant to be. in the classic tale of star-crossed food, i'm a midtown office snake and BGIC is a union-sq hood rat. it seemed we would never meet face-to-ice cream. now the weather has turned cold and i heard doug is putting the truck in storage until warm months return. i thought i'd missed my chance.
and then one evening, the stars aligned. while out enjoying the autumn air (and a 6th avenue happy hour) with coworkers, we tweeted -- nay, begged! -- for him to come to us. and HE DID!!! likely plied by our obvious desperate desire for his creative concoctions, but he came nonetheless!
i got my salty pimp -- vanilla ice cream with sea salt, dipped in chocolate (aka... HEAVEN!!) and i heard the story of how the salty pimp got its name (but that's doug's story to share).
Came here with my girl Shontay after a day of shopping in the city.
She got the chocolate milkshake-- simple- but excellently made. It wasnt so thick that you couldnt suck a lick out. This was the right amount of milk, ice cream a chocolate.
But I had the the $3 soft serve with the most unusual but best combo ever! Curry Powder + Ginger Syrup. Sounds weird huh? So good!! Honestly.
He had a Siracha one on the list that I cant imagine what it tastes like-- but I will so come back! Spicy with sweet-- fun! (He's very nice too!)
Love them!
Not only where they fun to look for and track their daily specials but they also bought some quality (for a Mr. Softee) Ice Cream treats.
The Choinkwich is so unexpectedly good. Savory w/ sweet. yumMm! Tried the Salty Pimp which was also good but melted too quick.
Keep following him on twitter and cant wait to see what random yumminess he brings next summer. Till then!
I only found him once, but the BGICT was awesome. We are talking about big and saucy!
Ice cream trucks are plentiful in NYC during the summer. The problem is that they all serve the same thing. Well, if you're tired of the same old thing for your ice cream, check out the Big Gay Ice Cream Truck. I would have never thought that sriracha or olive oil and sea salt would taste good on an ice cream cone, but you know what? They're AWESOME.
Furthermore he's got the most delicious creation ever -- the choinkwich. Bacon and chocolate ice cream in a sandwich. Although, a word of warning, bacon tends to go early in the day, so if you wait until he's in Midtown in the evenings you may be out of luck. Also, he was feeling sadistic on a very hot day when I had my choinkwich and was making people sing songs to get them. Luckily, my poor music skills were enough to score one of his fine creations.
Normally a visit to the ice cream is get in and out quickly, but the Big Gay Ice Cream Truck makes it fun. Hurrah!
Bye bye, BGICT... yesterday was the truck's last day of the season as the cold weather is settling in. I said adieu to the truck with a salty pimp - vanilla softserve sprinkled with sea salt, drizzled with dulce de leche, and dipped in chocolate. Seriously awesome. Not too sweet or rich. The owner is also a total doll. I would've gotten the Affogayto Mexicano (vanilla soft serve topped with whipped cream and hot chocolate made of Scharffen Berger cocoa powder and cayenne pepper) as well, but I had a packed eating night and had to control myself. Until next year!
Follow them on Twitter. Chance would have it that The BGICT was in my hood, as I was coming home… Read more »
Honestly, I can't gush enough about the BGICT. There are only a few Mr. Softee owners as sweet as Doug, and anyone that proclaims themselves the Big Gay Ice Cream Truck is awesome in my book! (I'm also in love with the graphics.)
Now, to the serious stuff - toppings! I'm all about the gourmet stuff. What I've tried so far:
Choinkwich - caramelized bacon wheel, chocolate ice cream, chocolate cookie sandwich.
Choinkwich blanco - bacon, cookie, vanilla ice cream, and my requested super thin smear of nutella.
Saba and berries - sweet balsamic-y vinegar and blueberries on vanilla ice cream.
Malt n salt - crushed malt balls and sea salt on vanilla ice cream.
Honestly, I love them all. I've absolutely fallen in love with the sweet and savory combinations, and the Choinkwich is the ultimate in decadence. Totally worth the future heart attack. :)
the BGICT is seriously no joke! i went the other day for the Gobble Sundae and i was blown away!
how can something taste better than my favorite nilla wafers / dulce de leche combo?
The Gobble features vanilla soft serve, graham cracker crumble, pumpkin butter and whipped cream - and tasted like a pumpkin pie a la mode!
i'm sad to see the BGICT go on hiatus but i'm looking forward to the awesome creations Doug makes for next year!
and if you haven't already gone, hurry up - the last day is October 9th and is well worth a cone (or two or three) :)
I'm in LOVE with the Big Gay Ice Cream Truck! The genius behind this truck, Doug, combines Mr.… Read more »
Had a relatively simple concoction but still it was delicious. Butterscotch and vanilla. Like others said may not be that different from mr. softee, but the people running it are very friendly and they definitely have unique toppings (even if i didn't try any of the crazy ones).
Whole thing cost me 3 dollars. Nothing there was more than 5 so its really priced pretty reasonably unless you do something crazy with their premium toppings.
I heard about this place a week after I got to NY and made plans to go before they disappear until spring. I finally made a trip there two days prior and stood in front of the truck for a good 10 minutes just trying to decide what to get. My boyfriend was a little overwhelmed so I ordered the nutella with vanilla ice cream for him, just to be safe. For myself, I went with the olive oil and sea salt. The ice cream is nothing special but the toppings are amazing. Olive oil, sea salt and pine nuts were tenderly sprinkled over the ice cream and my first bite was pure bliss. I felt extremely bad for choosing something so safe for my boyfriend but I was too happy with my choice to be concerned. The pine nuts really are the kicker. If you haven't tried it, definitely go there as soon as they come back. It's to die for.
to me, soft serve is the same everywhere. but i'd rather support this truck over the mister softies of the world. who wants their mister to be soft? that's not very sexy.
besides, if i have a choice of waiting in line with randoms at a generic ice cream truck, or, wait in line with a bunch of fellow queer lovers while cha-cha music is playing at the big gay ice cream truck, i'm going with the queer lovers and the cha cha music. i wish i had cha cha heels to wear on line, but my parents refused to get me those for christmas last year.
the location at the moment is rolling, and this truck may even cruise the streets as opposed to staying in one location. i know you can go to the website and see where locations will be for the summer months. the owner is super friendly and the wait wasn't too long. the prices were average, affordable. who cares. it's ice cream.
the options range from the obvious to the eccentric. they offer toppings like sea salt, nutella, and bacon. i stuck with old faithful, vanilla soft serve.
however, i did gay it up with some rainbow sprinkles.
I stalked the BGICT on Twitter on a trip to NYC, and ended up getting lost:( The next day, we just happened to run into it in Times Square, and were so excited! Doug was super friendly, and made some suggestions for us 1st timers. We tried the Coconut Curry, Dulce de Leche with Sea Salt, and a plain twist with Chocolate dips and sprinkles. Everything was delicious!! Doug even left us with the truck while he ran errands, and yes, we did consider driving away with all his yummy goodies:) Can't wait to go back to try some of his other creations!
Inventive, unusual toppings - cayenne pepper, wasabi, bacon (!) - and more conventional but still rare for ice cream trucks - peppermint syrupt, crushed chocolate mint cookies, vanilla wafers. Plus the driver is super friendly. Couldn't ask for more!
overcome with ennui, two midtown office slaves…
