Desserts Make Me Insanely Happy: The Popsicle Part II: Dark Chocolate Mixed Berry with Hazelnuts

The fabulous Irene with
her fabulous creation

I never thought I'd utter "popsicle" and "genius" in the same sentence, but boy, Pop Bar, do you deserve it.

So gourmet popsicles are kind of a big deal right now. I make this bold statement based on the fact that in one day, I ran into TWO different popsicle places! (I tend to exaggerate. A little. Ok a lot). I thought the Doughnut Peach Basil Popsicle was inventive. Holy wow Pop Bar, you took the popsicle to another level entirely.

My friend Irene and I had a somewhat disappointing dinner--gorgeous atmosphere but hello Flavor, we missed you. Needless to say, we were very hesitant to try their dessert.

That's when Irene brilliantly suggested Pop Bar, which happened to be around the corner. At first the idea of another popsicle wasn't that exciting to me. I had just tried a doughnut popsicle that afternoon, and there were sooooo many other dessert places I wanted to try. But when she described how unique this popsicle place was, I couldn't resist.

What's so different about Pop Bar? You get to customize your popsicle! Allow me (and Paul, the personal popsicle professional) to walk you through this fun, easy process.

Step 1: So many flavors, so little time!

Step 1: Choose your Flavor. A wide variety of fabulous freshly frozen flavors are available, made from Gelato, Sorbetto, or Yogurt: Blood Orange, Grapefruit, Mango, Chocolate, Strawberry, Pistachio, Peach...you get the picture. I chose Mixed Berry, a combination of (I think) Blueberries, Strawberries and Raspberries. Yay for summer fruit!

Step 2: Choose your Chocolate. White, Milk, or Dark. You really can't go wrong with any of these choices. Your popsicle can be fully dipped or half dipped, depending on your preference. I of course chose to let my popsicle completely submerge in the yummy pool of dark chocolate.

Step 2: Chocolate Time! I like dark chocolate because
it contains antioxidants. That makes it good for you.

Step 3: Choose your Nuts. Almonds, Pistachios, Peanuts, or Hazelnuts. Decisions, decisions! While Paul was pushing pistachios, the hazelnuts were calling to me. Here I reveal my complex thought process: chocolate + hazelnuts = Nutella. Done.

Step 3: It's nuts in here. Paul was encouraging
pistachios but I was feeling hazelnutty.

Et voila! The Dark Chocolate Dipped Mixed Berry with Hazelnuts Popsicle, made just for me!

The finished masterpiece!

These little treats were exactly what we were looking for, and completely made up for our dinner misadventure. The crunchy hazelnuts added a unique texture to the smooth, rich dark chocolate, which elegantly coated the sweet frozen berries. Refreshing, sweet, and savory-yum yum yum.

To complete the wonderful experience, we headed to the park across the street and sat on a bench, enjoying our tasty creations on a warm, beautiful night.

Thank you, Irene, for informing me AFTER we left the park that hundreds of little mice were running around our feet THE ENTIRE TIME. (She wisely concluded that I would freak the hell out. Which I did, later).

In conclusion, I highly recommend visiting Pop Bar. I also highly recommend not eating them in the park.