Season after season, I was that lone
pig-tailed girl stuck with a rambunctious, all-boys team (thanks Dad!). But
luckily, I held my own until middle school that's when teams were, oh at last,
separated by sex. Now, those years of Little League generate a twinge of
nostalgia not a therapy session analyzing my gender diffidence. So with my
spirit of sport inquiry in tow and the thermometer's reading of
netherworld-like temperatures I treated myself to the afternoon off and headed
to sports heaven, otherwise known as Last Licks Ice
Cream.
The
Upper East Side's sports enthusiasts' paradise
opened its gates just three weeks ago and has already established itself as a
home base for kids and family. Licks is modeled after an adults sport's bar,
providing the requisite ice cream counter (lined with painted wooden bats),
barstools (styled after baseballs), and of course, a plethora of big-screen TVs.
The eatery also provides a dugout for pigging out! This design is time tested
there are three other locations in suburbia surrounding the city, and it's all
cute, but really, you're in New York
City bring your A game. So what exactly elevates Licks
from the strip malls of Lizzie
McGuire to the boulevards of Gossip Girl, or for a more appropriate
comparison, from the minors to the majors?
Well, wrap
your helmet-hair head around this: Licks claims a spot in the big leagues with
monthly opportunities to meet and greet some of sports' biggest powerhouses. Due
to its partnership with Steiner Sports Brandon Steiner founded the ice cream
bar in 2000 Last Licks gets first dibs on athletes ranging from New York
Yankees' Paul O'Neill (my personal favorite) to closer Mariano Rivera. And
although many of the store's visitors tote pinstripes, athletes of all breeds
have been known to pay a visit. Licks promises ten appearances per year per
store. But even if you can't catch a star (or even a baseball for that matter),
don't fret Licks is an ice cream shop at heart. That means the freedom to
ingest flavors like Mint Chocolate Chip (Mr. O'Neill's preference), Cotton
Candy, and Louisiana Pecan Crunch.
Last Lick's
Ice Cream, 245 E 93rd
St (646-596-7984, lastlicksicecream.com). Subway: 6 to
96th St.
A small is priced at about $3. Madeleine
Kronovet |
