Rumor on the street is there are some Blast haters in town, which quite frankly, has me stumped. If you are in this boat of critics, I implore you to keep reading. By the end of this article, you will be convinced of my assertion: The Blast is not only the best place to get ice cream in town; it’s also one of the best businesses in town, period.
As any sane individual knows, when the ice cream craving hits, it will simply not go away. Here in Northfield, we do have a couple of options when it comes to fulfilling this craving. Hogan Brothers serves scoops, McDonald’s is always an option, and, for those custard-lovers, Culver’s is pretty close by. And, of course, one cannot forget the Pause. But none of these locations come close to The Blast when you combine the factors of location, options, price, quality, and quantity.
Firstly, let’s talk about the menu: The Blast has, by far, the most extensive menu of any ice cream shop I’ve ever visited. Going with friends, but not in the mood for ice cream? Never fear! There are smoothie and slushy options in just about every fruit variation one could ever wish for. In terms of ice cream options, there are no fewer than 45 flurry flavors, in addition to a wide variety of soft serve, floats, frosties, and sundae options.
The quality bears no further commentary, truly speaking for itself, so I shall move on to the location. The riverside setting, complete with a gazebo, swing, and path for walking, is simply unmatched.
The only grounds one might have for complaint — if one can justifiably call it that — is the seasonal nature of The Blast’s hours of operation. As you may know, Sept. 27 was The Blast’s final day of the season. We must now wait patiently for spring to return, settling for second-rate ice cream in the meantime.
Madeline Altman
Madeline is a senior English and political science major from Portland, Ore.. When not busy writing or editing for the Mess, she can be found hammocking on the quad, planning her next trip to Europe, or curled up with a good book. After St. Olaf, she is looking forward to living in a big city, adopting a cat, and pursuing a career in writing (possibly journalism…?).