#52) Keeping Cool - And Creamy ~ In Key West

Did you know?

It’s hot in The Keys. Very Hot. But maybe the whole world already knows that?

Yet, just in case you’re planning a trip to Key West, Florida - and haven’t been thinking of the heat while planning that trip. Let this be your reminder…

You WILL want to COOL OFF while you’re there.

And while Key West in the winter is simply perfection on an island. Key West in the summer is hot coals - hot off the grill. Grilling hot dogs over those coals. Flatbread pizza in an open oven. Lava flowing from a volcano. The heat of the apocalypse.

The end of days.

Basically, if you’re just standing around in Key West on a random day in, oh, let’s say - mid-July - then you’ll do almost anything, and I mean anything, to cool off. To stop the sweat from pouring down your face. To stop wiping your brow. To stop drying off the moisture accumulating on your sunglasses, over and over, from the humidity. To see. To live. And to stay alive.

Need.
Something Cold.

Right.
‘Something’ Now.

And that’s where the old-fashioned standby comes in quite handy.

Ice cream.

Or, shall I say? The new-old-fashioned way.

Wicked Lick, located at 335 Duval Street in Key West, Florida, serves an altogether different type of ice cream than anything I’ve ever had before. And, residing straight in the heart of downtown Key West, the location doesn’t get any better than this.

The unique production of each serving of their cold, creamy and quite cool concoctions are custom-made, and churned in a stand mixer. Yeah - a stand mixer.

While each order really is made-to-order, on the spot, be prepared to wait just a bit. But it’s worth the wait.

Made with pure liquid nitrogen and custom flavoring put in to the mix, no two scoops and no two cones will ever be quite the same.

Quick service meets personalized service.

The liquid nitrogen, at a temperature of -321 degrees Fahrenheit, instantly freezes what it touches. Anything it touches. And while your ice cream is being prepared and spun and blended in the Florida heat, a magical looking steam flows off the mixer, enveloping the surrounding area.

I ordered the chocolate, size large - with sprinkles - of course.

And hubby ordered the coffee flavor - medium…. My dessert stomach has always been bigger than his.

As we chose two pretty standard flavors of cream, they had many other unique flavors, both sweet and savory. Like bacon. Bacon flavored ice cream, anyone?

And as this unique type of frozen fun served to us was very new to me, I would say that there was one thing about this place that was sorta strange to me… and that’s the price. Well, maybe the word isn’t strange, it was more shock.

And yes, the menu was right in front of us, and it was entirely our fault for not really adding it all up ahead of ordering. But, it ended up costing us over $20.00 for two servings of their ice cream. And after being told our total, swiped our credit card and paid, we walked away to find a seat. I reviewed our receipt, as we strolled. At this point we were both slightly shocked that a dessert on-the-go was that expensive. And basically it boils down to this:

For each order, there are two, possibly three or more, charges associated with it. There is the basic ice cream fee, which is the largest charge on the order. Then there is a cup size fee. A medium cup adds a $1.00 fee on to the itemized ticket, a large - $2.00. The third fee added onto our order was for sprinkles. They cost $1.50 per each cup. And we were charged this fee for both cups, despite the sprinkles being added to only one of our orders.

I am used to being up-charged for sprinkles onto an order, as we love going out for cold treats, and I love sprinkles just as much. But I'm not used to paying for sprinkles on an order that was not supposed to have them in the first place. And I’ll assume this was a mistake or oversight on behalf of the store, and not a deliberate up-charge.

But either way, the math boils down to this. After paying $6.50 for a large chocolate. And $6.50 for a medium coffee. Plus a $2.00 charge for a size large cup. Then a $1.00 charge for a medium cup. Then the sprinkle fee at $1.50 - per cup. Plus $1.43 in tax. Our order came to $20.43. Plus a tip we added on after that.

Expensive cold treat.

And, I know. Many would say, well... It's Key West. It’s a small island. We’re tourists. Expect to pay more… Especially on vacation?

Well, we did a lot while on the island. And this outing was the only venture in which the price shocked us as it did. And it happened to be one of the least expensive things we paid for on our entire traveling and road trip adventure early in 2020. And it happened to be the only place, out of everything we did, that we did not desire a return visit. So, while we enjoyed our treat, due to the so-called sticker shock of the receipt, we determined that next time we’d probably be trying a different dessert shop.

However, I only mention this not as a complaint, but to thoroughly and completely honestly review this outing for you. And make you aware of the cost and/or up-charges as you consider your own outings in the Keys - as you may also be considering and factoring in pricing to your outings if you are traveling there.

Regardless of price though, the ice cream itself was still very, very good. It just wasn’t out of this world good, or $20+ good, but it was still very good indeed.

Plus, we enjoyed walking around after our purchase. And we found a lovely little place to sit, and just chill out and enjoy our wonderful and unique surroundings, as we quickly ate our cold treat before it melted. As, yes, maybe when we’re talking about Key West, one other thing might go without saying… It’s a fabulous spot to do some good, old-fashioned, people-watching.

And there’s many options on Duval Street alone for a cold treat. So whether it’s Wicked Lick, or another treat shop, grab yourself a cone or a cup, and cool yourself off. Wipe all that sweat away with a cold one. And enjoy a night out, walking the streets of America’s Southernmost Point. You can’t go wrong on Duval Street. All you need - is The Keys. ~

Have you spent an evening walking Duval Street? Enjoying the sights, sounds, and smells of pure Americana at its finest? I’d love to know. Drop me a comment down below.

Howdy Y’all ~
Check out more of my adventures in the Florida Keys, right here:
42] Where Does The Chicken Cross The Road?
44] Nothing Finer Than Coffee In The Keys ~ The Coffee Plantation Cafe
46] Key Largo, Montego, Baby Why Don’t We Go?

And feel free to check out these other accounts and narrations as well… all straight from my Floridian Dreams:
1] Happy Birthday America! ~ 4 Simple Steps To Help You Have An Easy Americana 4th:
2] 3 Wows Plus 1 Piece Of Magic I Experienced At Jacksonville, Florida’s Cummer Museum Of Art & Gardens
3] The Dog Days Of Endless Summer
5] The Reef On SR A1A: Worth Pulling Over For
8] It’s Fall ~ In Florida ~ Y’all!
18] Sea & Sky Jax Weekend ~ Fun In The Florida Sun, Sea, Sky & Sand
22] Saturday On San Pablo Island
24] In Real Life ~ My First Visit To A Southern Living Idea House
29] Dinner & A Show ~ The 26th Annual St. Augustine Nights Of Lights

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Author:

Christine Pieper is an Artist and Lifestyle Blogger, living, writing, and painting in Jacksonville Beach, Florida, with her hubby and eight year old puppy. She made a major life change in 2017 by uprooting and moving from Illinois to the Sunshine State, and has been living her best life in Florida since - detailing all her many and varied adventures living and traveling the Deep South to share with you. Her mission is to help you live YOUR best life - by getting out there, going for it, and making that big change you always dreamed of. Christine will inspire you to get over yourself, show up for yourself, and get out of your own way. The only one stopping you - is YOU.

To catch all of Christine’s Floridian Dreams, sign up your email below now.

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