Mango Ice Cream from Pagoto Organic, Dish #81

Welcome to 100 Dishes to Eat Now, the tasty countdown leading up to our “Best of 2012” issue. Tune in each day (weekends too!) for a new dish from the Fork in the Road team.

[See More 100 Dishes: Summer Squash at Fort Defiance, Dish #84 | Aji de Gallina at Morocho, Dish #83]

Late July is, no doubt, one of the best times of the year. C’mon, it’s peak summertime–you know, that moment during the season when it’s been hot for awhile, sure, but not yet long enough for you to be sick of it. You’ve come up with summer songs and playlists that are still playing in your head. You’ve gone to the beach (but probably not enough). And if you’re lucky like me, you may have even talked your girlfriend into getting a bicycle. It’s a blissful time, no matter your age, and the best way to celebrate is with a big, gloppy scoop of ice cream, like the mango flavored frozen dessert that I found earlier this week (on a bike ride!) at Pagoto Organic on Bedford Avenue in Williamsburg.

For five bucks, it’s a little pricey (you can get a pint of Ben & Jerry’s Half-Baked for about four bucks at the bodega on the corner), but Pagoto’s servers don’t hold back. Not only did my “one scoop” actually consist of four smushed down into a sugar cone, the creamy goodness is extremely filling as well. The mango flavor somehow acted as a thirst quencher, too; it was juicy! To top it all off, I even managed to snag a chair at one of the tables in front of the store. I almost didn’t finish it, but then I remembered what life is like in late January and had no trouble scarfing the rest of it down.