Part of It’s Custard Mon’s appeal lies in its laid-back, tropical atmosphere, which is achieved with faux doorways displaying a few inviting views of paradise, brightly painted walls and whimsical Caribbean artwork, a steady soundtrack of steel drums and island grooves, and a scaled-down palm-thatched roof over the register and serving area. The real hook, though, is that sumptuous creamy stuff itself. Called “gourmet ice cream” by fans, frozen custard differs from soft-serve ice cream for several key reasons: The former contains 10 percent butterfat and 1.4 percent egg yolk, has less air and smaller ice crystals (making it denser and richer). And because it’s served at a much warmer temperature than ice cream, it doesn’t freeze your taste buds, allowing for a more flavorful frozen-dessert eating experience. Customers can choose from four flavors — chocolate, vanilla, “special” (sugar and fat free) vanilla, and a “Flavor of the Day” — and all of these can be enjoyed alone or with a variety of toppings and “mix-ins.” 3739 49th St. N., St. Petersburg, 727-520-8608, www.itscustardmon.com.
This article appears in Sep 14-20, 2005.