ICE CREAM SANDWICHES. For some reason, despite all the good food and dessert options in NYC, the one food we really don’t have enough of is ice cream sandwiches, which is truly unfortunate. The marriage of a cookie, or two, with ice cream, is one of the best unions ever.

Melt Bakery opened in 2012 at the Orchard Street location after becoming popular at the nearby Hester Street Fair. The shop may be small, but Melt makes all their ice cream and cookies from scratch daily.

There were only a few options when I was there, but the website boasts six flavors: chocolate chip walnut cookies + vanilla ice cream, red velvet meltcakes + cream cheese ice cream, snickerdoodles + cinnamon ice cream, oatmeal cookies + buttermilk ice cream, vanilla meltcakes + strawberry ice cream, and brownie cookies + peanut butter ice cream.

Although I asked about each flavor, it was clear to me that the Lovelet had won my heart before I even saw the beautiful red meltcakes. I of course love the combination of the two flavors, but the texture was what impressed me most. The meltcakes were soft and smooth, but not mushy. It was a great contrast with the cream cheese and successfully held all the ice cream together. For 5 bucks, you’ll be pretty happy.

Tip: Wait 5-10 minutes before devouring. I know it’s a difficult request, especially when it’s in your hand already, but the sandwich is frozen and best when thawed.