Create Wonderful Summer Memories at Martha’s Dandee Creme!

I have driven by Martha’s Dandee Creme for years. I’ve stopped for ice cream several times, but eat there? That never occurred to me.

We stopped in for lunch on a beautiful Sunday afternoon. We decided to share an order of Fried Pickle Chips to kick off the meal. I’m really particular about my fried pickles. They have to be chips, not spears. They have to be crispy on the outside but slightly soft on the inside. These pickle chips more than measured up. The side of Cucumber Wasabi added just the right amount of heat. If I could change one thing, I would leave out the salt in the breading. There is enough salt in the pickles to carry the dish through.

I knew I would be having dessert; after all, we were at Martha’s, so I decided to keep my main course healthy. I chose the Chipotle Chicken Salad. First of all, it was huge, but it was served in a sturdy plastic bowl, complete with a lid! I’m guessing a lot of people ask to take home the leftovers. There was a generous portion of mixed lettuce mixed with a corn and black bean salsa topped with cheese and tri-color tortilla strips for a little crunch. The grilled chicken was juicy and rubbed with a spicy blend of seasoning. The dressing they served with the salad was a Chipotle Ranch, but I had to ask for a side of regular ranch. I needed something to cool some of the heat from the chicken.

One of my companions ordered the Philly Cheese Steak. They asked him what kind of cheese he wanted. He opted for the Ghost Pepper Jack. He thoroughly enjoyed the cheese steak and I had a little roll envy. The roll the cheese steak was built on was crusty on the outside and soft and doughy on the inside. I have shared many meals with this companion and his preference is the hotter, the better. He was sweating as he finished his cheese steak! My other companion chose the Clam Strips basket. With most clam strips, there is more breading than clams, but not in this case. The clam strips looked like chicken fingers, and there were plenty of them. The clam strips were served in a basket with hand-cut French fries and a side of cole slaw.

Of course, you can’t go to Martha’s without having dessert. One of my companions ordered the large twist cone. It had to be a foot tall! My companion did a respectable job of attempting to finish the cone, but couldn’t seal the deal. I ordered a vanilla ice cream sandwich. Martha’s serves these sandwiches year-round, and I know why. The chocolate cookie was thin and crisp, and the ice cream, though soft serve, was just the right consistency between soft and hard. I think what really surprised me was that the ice cream sandwich was not overly sweet. I don’t have much of a sweet tooth, so this ice cream sandwich was perfect.

I must say I was very pleasantly surprised by the food at Martha’s. I will definitely be back! ■

Summer’s the perfect season to visit Martha’s Dandee Creme, 133 U.S. 9 in Queensbury, New York. Call 518-793-0372 or visit marthasicecream.com to learn more about this Queensbury landmark.

Written by: Joanne DiMarco

Joanne DiMarco lives most of her life living the Good Life in upstate New York.  She graduated from Paul Smith’s College with a degree in Hotel and
Restaurant Management.  She is known for her exceptional networking skills, fund raising and charitable works.  Check out her blog at UpstateGoodLife.com.