By: Chrysa Smith

My friend Cleta is a woman of discriminating taste—in home fashion, couture, culinary undertakings and of course—friends. So, it took me by a bit of surprise that she recommended a trip up to the outer limits of Ottsville, PA. Ottsville? Yes, Ottsville.

Now if you know Ottsville, sorry to say, there ain’t much there. Some nurseries, pretty scenery, the entrance to the state park. But I do know that the Rolling Pin Bakery is up there, as is the Ottsville Farmer’s Market. And both have connections to fresh, local food. So, I travelled Rt. 412 to discover for myself, what Cleta had described to be the best ice cream this side of Nashville.

Now, while sweets are generally my friend, ice cream rarely calls my name. But the recommendation came so strongly, I had to at least give it a sample. And what did I discover? OMG! It truly is incredible.

owowcow http://www.owowcow.com/, yep, that’s the name, is a small batch, family-owned ice cream business that produces it’s unique flavor concoctions in small batches—5 liter batches to be exact. That’s about the size of a robust pound cake—and the shop’s freezer displays two dozen tempting varieties—-all made with locally grown ingredients from area farms. They’re part of the growing number of small businesses started in Bucks County, to help keep local dairies and other farms farming. At the shop, if you care to know, they even list the names of the farms where eggs, milk, mint, fruit came from; how much butter fat is in the ice cream (but trust me, it’s better if you don’t know and part of what makes it so creamy good).

Choose from flavors like Honey Lavender, Tahitian, Indonesian and Madagascar Vanillas, Tiramisu (where the espresso flavor tastes like you just brewed it), Coconut Almond Chocolate Chip (like an Almond Joy bar in icy form). There are fruit flavors, combos, pints and ice cream cakes. And all without a reproduceable recipe. Yep, according to Bless, the owner’s daughter, her dad John Fezzuoglio, is a man of discriminating tastes—–so much so in fact, that he has a knack for layering delicious flavors, thus creating some truly unique products. But as each batch of milk and cream have different taste subtleties, what John may add to each batch will have subtleties—-all in a quest for great taste with wholesome ingredients.

So, while summer is gearing up, I pass down Cleta’s advice. Head on up to owowcow for some sweet summer licks. And when summer takes its leave, no worries. Bless tells me they are open year round with some special treats for the fall—Pumpkin Spice, Pumpkin Ale and Sweet Potato varieties.

owowcow is on Rt. 412, in the brick shopping center directly across from the Rt. 532 entrance through Nockamixon State Park. Now also open on Rt. 413 in Wrightstown and in Lambertville.