LuAnn Thibodeau

On a hot and sunny Saturday afternoon (a true rarity this summer), a stop for ice cream seemed to be just what the doctor ordered. So off I went to find my treat and drove down Park Avenue in Worcester, with Holy Rolls as my destination. After passing it by (my sense of direction is virtually non-existent, even with GPS), I turned around and came back in the other direction and found the place. There were no available parking spots nearby, so I parked a ways up the street and walked back. Now I was really in need of that ice cream. 

Upon entering the shop, I noticed how bright and cheerful the place is decorated, simple yet elegant.  I was warmly greeted by a pleasant young lady. I asked her if she was the owner, and she told me that she was just a manager. She asked me if I was ready to order, but I hadn’t made up my mind yet as to what would hit the spot. So she graciously told me to take my time in pursuing the menu. I also told her that I was doing research for the article that I was writing, and asked if I could take some pictures, and she said sure. So the camera came out and did its work. 

 Ok, I was now ready to order.  I said you can’t go wrong with a root beer float- my all time favorite. Unfortunately, they were out of root beer, so I opted for an orange float. Watching as she was making it, my mouth began to water as I was envisioning the treat. After paying for it, I sat down at one of the quaint tables, inserted the straw into the drink, and took the first sip. It was fantastic! And completely thirst quenching, as I drank more of it. 

 Watching customers come in, I also watched as another employee was preparing some of the ice cream rolls. I had never heard of or seen rolled ice cream, so this was a treat to watch. The ice cream is placed on a round surface, which resembles a pizza pan. It’s a chilled surface, and the ice cream is worked back and forth as it’s rolled into shape. The circular coils are then placed in a cup, and topped with almost anything you can imagine. 

 So now, I just had to try one of these rolled ice cream concoctions. The choice of flavors of ice cream is somewhat limited-vanilla, chocolate, coffee, ubae(a flavor derived from the ube, or purple yam), coconut, and Thai. I opted for vanilla. I then chose Reese peanut butter cups and strawberries for the mix in ingredients, and sprinkles and walnuts for the topping. Add to that the caramel drizzle and whipped cream, and my treasure was ready. 

 It definitely did not fail to please. And while it was very tasty, the ice cream didn’t have the same texture as ice cream normally does, due to the rolling. Nevertheless, it was great. So all in all, a pleasant experience and a place that I will surely return to. The shop has been open for about three months, so they are still in the experimental stages. New flavors and new treats may be added as time goes on. 

Thumbs up, Holy Rolls. I’m glad that I stopped by and got to enjoy the shop and the marvelous creations.