Folks who don't live in the Forest Square/Western Ave area of Brattleboro may not be aware of the hot anticipation with which many of us have been awaiting the delivery of the soft serve ice cream machine at Avenue Grocery. But as of Thursday at roughly 4:30 pm, it's official — Avenue Grocery serves creamy, delicious soft ice cream, just in time for the warmer weather.
Owners Jean MacLean, Pat Bozetarnik and Judy Wisell have been hinting that soft serve was in the offing since late last year. Said Pat, "We remember how great it was to get ice cream when we were kids, and we wanted to continue the tradition."
The great part is that for many people living in inner Brattleboro, Avenue Grocery is within walking distance. You can have your ice cream and then walk it off on the way home.
Avenue Grocery is selling cups and cones of vanilla, chocolate, and vanilla chocolate twist ice cream in cones or dishes, with or without sprinkles. Jean said that they went with the higher fat content ice cream because they wanted it to taste really good. Based on the free cones they gave us to celebrate opening day, I can attest to its flavor and creaminess.
Located at 82 Western Avenue, Avenue Grocery is open 7 days a week and provides a neighborhood focal point for the otherwise residential area at the top of Union Hill. You can often find folks in there chatting, either over coffee and donuts in the morning or later in the day, as people wander in for newspapers and other daily essentials. Now, soft serve ice cream gives neighbors one more reason to stop in.