It is that time of year: Heat waves, shorts, sandals, sweaty brows (and everywhere else, really), hot pavement, and thick humidity. Summer has arrived, and we’re all looking for relief. Air conditioning certainly helps, but a frozen treat makes cooling off far more joyful.
Last week I had the opportunity to visit Lost Borough Ice Cream as it opened its newest location in Inwood. I’d heard of them before, via social media, and looked forward to trying them. Clad in a bubblegum-pink sweatsuit (thankfully on one of the week’s cooler, 70-degree days), I made my way to Lost Borough Ice Cream (4791 Broadway) for some unique ice cream and treats.
Lost Borough’s name comes from its birthplace of Yonkers, which, along with Mount Vernon, decided not to join Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island as boroughs of New York City in 1898. Co-owners Patrick Cruz and Ka-wana Jefferson applied their former careers in public health and as a school psychologist, respectively, in creating Lost Borough Ice Cream. Their love of culture and community is churned together with an entrepreneurial spirit, generously sprinkled with creativity, and served in a waffle cone of independence (Yonkers style) and joy.
By the time I arrived at the opening, the line was out the door. The community had come to welcome Lost Borough and was eager to see what all the excitement was about. I stepped into the railroad-style space with chevron-patterned black tile and a hand-painted wall in primary colors, paying homage to Yonkers.
Lost Borough proudly showcases Dominican flavors like Cafe Bustelo, Grape-Nut, Bizcocho, Brigadeiro, and Mangochinolada (mango passionfruit sorbet). I couldn’t decide on my flavor combination immediately — my usual M.O. is to sample everything before deciding, but I was not going to postpone anyone else’s joy with my craziness. Fighting that instinct, I took the recommendation of Dominican vanilla and had to add a scoop of their cream-based Watermelon Sugar.
AmNewFOOD Editor Kysha Harris attend the opening of Lost Borough Ice Cream’s new Inwood location. (Kysha Harris video)
I strolled out to the front of the store to enjoy my cone that was delivering all the watermelon Now & Later nostalgia I didn’t know I needed. It was wonderful to watch community leaders and neighbors show up with genuine excitement to welcome Lost Borough to Inwood.
So when the summer heat gets to be too much, lose yourself in Lost Borough — and cool off in Inwood, Manhattan.
Thanks for reading and happy eating!
Kysha Harris is a chef, culinary producer, and food editor for the NY Amsterdam News. As a consultant and owner of SCHOP!, a personalized food service in NYC for over 23 years, she remains on the hunt for the city’s next great bite. Follow her on Instagram and on Facebook, @SCHOPnyc.
Questions, comments, requests, feedback, invitations! Email us at AmNewsFOOD@SCHOPnyc.com. Follow us on Instagram and Facebook, @NYAmNewsFOOD.
