Brindle's Gelato

I've decided that the best thing about having children is the food.

How else, as an adult, can you indulge in the comfort of Kraft macaroni and cheese without looking over your shoulder to see if anyone's watching? At least if the kids have been eating it, you can finish off what's left in the pot and claim that you had to finish it because it would be wrong to waste it.

Kids are a good excuse to have Oreos in my pantry, or to get a candy at the bank.

Having children is very convenient when you go out for ice cream. There are so many flavors to choose from. I would like to ask the person behind the counter for a zillon samples, but I might start an angry riot with the people behind me. However, when you have children, everyone orders something different, and you get to try a bit of them all. The more children, the better - all the more flavors to sample.

I've never met a carton of Baskin Robbins Rocky Road that I didn't like, but I have to say that Brindle's, an independent gelato shop located at Huebner and I10, has turned my head. A favorite of our family for several years now, Brindle's has over two hundred tempting choices. Only about forty are available at any given time, but I asked them once for the list of all the flavors, and it was quite impressive.

Have you ever tasted avocado ice cream? Cucumber sorbet? Habenero gelato? I didn't think so.

Ok, neither have I. For being the adventurous eater that I generally am, I have not yet brought myself to go into such uncharted territory, but I feel oh-so-sophisticated for even entering such a progressive establishment.

I have, however, enjoyed cake batter ice cream, and amaretto gelato, along with many more traditional offerings. I've sampled the bright blue lollipop flavor that my daughters love. I suspect they really like this one because it comes with lollipop chunks nestled in the ice cream, and they must think that this is somehow a loophole to my ONE DESSERT policy. That, or they like the unnatural colors that their tongues turn in to.

If two hundred flavors were not enough to make a non-committal person shake in their boots, Brindle's offers sugar cones, waffle cones, waffle bowls, chocolate cones, chocolate-dipped cones, chocolate-dipped-AND-sprinkled cones, and an array of toppings that I won't even begin to get in to. Whew!

The atmosphere at Brindle's evokes a local coffee shop hangout. It is colorful and quirky, and attracts people of all ages to sit and visit, and make new friends. I once met an old man there, sitting alone with his book and his ice cream. He complimented my girls, and we engaged in an hour-long conversation where I learned about his life and his history. Talking with him became the cherry on the top of the outing. Good thing, because I hadn't ordered a cherry on top of my gelato.

When the weather is nice, especially in the evenings, the outside tables become coveted as a post-movie theater crowd wanders over and blends with the artsy types coming from the bookstore next door.

As I write this, my husband is getting ready to wrap our pipes, as we might hit freezing tonight, and yet the thought of a cup of Brindle's gelato still sounds good.

I am being kept warm, next to my frosty window, by my youngest daughter, who just crawled into my lap and fell asleep. This was just after she told me that I am "sparkly", which I can only attribute to the eyeshadow that I have not yet washed off.

As she slumbers here, so cozy, so peaceful, so beautiful, I think that after all, THIS is the best thing about having children. But the food is still a close second.

Brindle's: 11255 Huebner Road 210-641-5222.

HINT: Ask for the frequent-user card. You will get a punch for each cone that you purchase, except for the children's portions. After 12, you will get a free one.