The Ample Hills Founders Open Their New Ice Cream Shop "The Social" In Prospect Heights

The rise and fall of Ample Hills Creamery, as a family-owned and -operated ice cream business, has been well documented, not least by founding couple Jackie Cuscuna and Brian Smith themselves. The instant success of their whimsical parlor on Vanderbilt Avenue in 2011; the expansion to eleven locations, supermarkets nationwide, and a huge factory/museum in Red Hook; the bankruptcy, declared one day before the Covid lockdown in March of 2020; and, finally, the $1 million buyout by the Oregon-based manufacturing company Schmitt Industries, and the departure of Cuscuna and Smith shortly thereafter — it's been a wild ride, and now the duo is back.

On Sunday, Cuscuna and Smith opened their all-new venture with more than a little fanfare, an ice cream parlor and donut shop in Prospect Heights called The Social. There was a ribbon cutting ceremony with Senator Chuck Schumer, a DJ out on the sidewalk, and a long line of fans stretching down Saint Johns Place, prompted in part by the promise of free scoops to the first 100 customers.

"It feels surreal and terrifying and exciting to be doing this all again," Cuscuna told Gothamist just before the doors opened. "This past year I missed having a community of people, of ice cream lovers in Brooklyn, for so many reasons. It's just great to be back. There's a lot of ice cream out there now, which wasn't really true when we first opened, so although we're not reinventing our style of ice cream, we are going to try and make it as deeply delicious as possible."

Based on the four scoops I tried during opening day, they have succeeded in the deliciousness department. The Social ice cream reminded me of first-wave Ample Hills, more small batch than mass-produced, the base super creamy and richly flavored, the mix-ins adding to fun without overwhelming the experience. The Bubble Mallow, for example, could have been a gimmicky throwaway--it's basically bubblegum ice cream with "rivers of fluffy marshmallow"--but Smith shows a deft touch, uses only all-natural ingredients, no artificial colors, and the end result is subtle and sophisticated.

Other winners were Double the Dough, which is cookie dough ice cream studded with chunks of actual chocolate chip cookie dough, and Oh Captain, My Captain, billed as "your favorite breakfast cereals in ice cream form"—that one combines a Cap'n Crunch infused base with clusters of white chocolate tossed Fruity Pebbles. Yes, they are sweet, but not at all cloying and, again, the mix-ins are delivered with admirable restraint.

Some of the more intriguing-sounding flavors aren't quite ready yet (looking at you, Ooeyer and Gooyer), but a good Orange Creamsicle leads a contingent of sorbets; Peanut Butter Double Dutch Fudge looks like a Reese's-lover's dream come true; Strawberry and Cream is advertised as "brightly fresh and berry forward;" Go Go Bananas and Vanilla Bean keep it simple; and vegans can get decadent with the luscious, coconut-milk based Fudge Crackle.

Next time, which will be soon, my order will also include The Old Ballgame, a popcorn ice cream with homemade peanut brittle that got a rave review from Anna Whitehouse and Ed Backlund, who arrived some 90 minutes before the doors opened and were first on line. "We've been longtime fans of Brian and Jackie," said Backlund, who lives in Prospect Heights, "I love the ice cream, love the vibe they've cultivated." And Whitehouse came all the way from New Jersey for the occasion, saying, "I took the PATH, took the 2 train... I wouldn't miss it. We're very excited to be here."

The Social functions as a first-rate donut shop, too. Smith's deep-fried pastries are cake-style, modest in size, and dense with flavor. There are four varieties to start, including Cookies and Cream, a sticky Old Fashioned Glazed, a buttery Plain, and a crunchy Cinnamon Sugar. These all go nicely with The Social's full coffee program, or as the foundation for the Donut Sundae, which piles on any two scoops of ice cream, housemade whipped cream, and "whatever toppings you want."

The interior is surprisingly large and sprawling for an ice cream parlor, and has a fair amount of personality, especially considering that The Social sits on the ground floor of a bland luxury rentals tower with a generic exterior. There's a row of booths by the windows, some wide bleachers to sit on, and a back dining room that doubles as an event space and comes complete with a ping pong table. Lawn chairs and a piece of turf were set up out on the sidewalk on Saint James Place for an impromptu outdoor seating area.

"Brian and Jackie had to close down right before COVID, but that didn't daunt them," said Senator Schumer during his brief remarks on Sunday. "They kept fighting and fighting and now here we are at something that's going to be great for Brooklyn and for Prospect Heights, a neighborhood I live right next to, so I'll be coming here plenty with my two-year-old grandson. So I want to thank them for opening... it shows that Brooklyn always gets better."

The Social is located at 816 Washington Avenue, at the corner of Saint Johns Place, and is currently open on Sunday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., and on Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. (thesocialbrooklyn.com)