L'Artisan des Glaces - Snack Spot Review

I'm pretty excited to start a new kind of entry here - snack spot reviews!  It can be hard to pick where to grab a quick bite to eat when you're meandering around Walt Disney World, so here I'll be giving you all the info you need to make an informed decision as to where you want to take a break and get a few nibbles in before you head off for more magical adventure.  Alternately, snack stops are also perfect for grabbing something and continuing on your adventure without taking much of a break at all!

The first place I'll be taking a look at in this series is L'Artisan des Glaces, the ice cream shop in the France Pavilion in Epcot's World Showcase.  I remember when they first announced an ice cream shop opening up where the former bakery was, and I was quite ecstatic (especially since it actually marked the expansion rather than the death of the bakery).  The location itself bears a small town ice cream shop feel, with a relatively small counter, brightly lit colorful ice cream in display cases, and decor that brings to mind a provincial dairy farm.  Now that I have consumed all of the different options on the menu (if not all of the ice cream flavors), I feel 100% confident in sharing with you my thoughts on each item.

So many choices...

First, we shall start with the star attraction, and what makes the rest of the items on the menu possible: the ice cream.  This is some of the best ice cream I've ever had - perfectly creamy, not overly sweet, and whatever flavor the ice cream is intended to be really stands out.  My personal top three favorites, in no particular order, are the pistachio, hazelnut, and caramel fleur de sel.  They each have a certain savory or salty quality that compliments the sweetness of the ice cream very well.  Of course, I have yet to try every single flavor available, but I'll let you all know in my trip reports as I try new ones - this blog is all about new experiences, after all!  The waffle cones that they offer are quite good, too - nothing too extraordinary there, but worth a mention if you prefer to eat your ice cream vessel.

Like a tasty flying saucer made of brioche and ice cream.

Next, we'll take a look at my usual order: the croque glacé, a unique take on the ice cream sandwich.  For this item, you select your ice cream flavor, choose between chocolate or raspberry syrup (or no syrup at all, if you prefer), and then they take a scoop of the ice cream, place it inside of a halved and slightly hollowed out brioche bun, and put the whole thing on a sandwich press.  What comes out is sheer magic: a hot ice cream sandwich.  Now, that description really doesn't do this item justice and sounds just plain sticky and messy.  The brioche, which is quite soft, warm and delicious, encircles the ice cream, which surprisingly remains cold enough to keep it from melting all over the place as you bite into what could potentially be a melty bomb.  I'm not quite sure what kind of sorcery is at work here, but the finished product is absolutely outstanding.  Of all of the items on the menu, this one is my highest recommendation.

Just makes you want to sing La Marseillaise, doesn't it?

Pumpkin spice - because fall, that's why

The macaron ice cream sandwiches are the third item I shall cover.  These were probably the thing that impressed me the least, though that is certainly not saying that they were bad.  I think it may have something to do with the fact that they are prepared ahead of time, and sit put together for a while, making the macaron not quite the ideal consistency for such a confection.  Mind you, when I say "ideal," I really mean above and beyond, because the one that I had was still quite good.  These are currently available in chocolate and vanilla (French flag) form, and will definitely sate your sweet tooth.

Ice cream and alcohol?  Let's do this!

Lastly, we arrive at the one menu item that is 100% for adults: the ice cream martini.  Two scoops of your preferred flavor (or flavors) in a martini glass, topped with your choice of Grand Marnier, whipped cream vodka, or rum.  The first one that I had was chocolate and caramel fleur de sel ice cream topped with a generous helping of Grand Marnier.  Once the ice cream and alcohol start melting together, the flavor produced is quite rich and delicious.  If you're doing the Epcot drink challenge, you can definitely do worse than this item - plus, it makes for a good dessert round.  One warning to the wise, however: there will be some liquid left in the stem of your glass.  If you decide to drink it down, it will be far more alcohol than melted ice cream, so if you're not prepared, it will definitely burn a bit.

So, next time you're wandering World Showcase and your sweet tooth starts to ache, make your way to the back corner of the France Pavilion and check out L'Artisan des Glaces.  It's très bien!

Until next time, stay magical, everyone!