Nearly every edible on earth is improved upon when made into a sandwich. Ice cream is no exception. A mainstay of ice cream trucks nationwide, the ice cream sandwich is unmatched in the frozen dessert world regarding nostalgia and portability.

Ice Cream has become undeniably trendy in recent years, with non-dairy alternatives and exotic, creative flavors popping up everywhere. Much less attention has been given to the ice cream sandwich, which is a shame given the creative potential of this humble snack.

The standard ice cream sandwich features vanilla ice cream of questionable quality layered between two chocolate wafers that are neither soft nor crisp. There’s a time and a place for these, but those yearning for something on another level should head up the seacoast to New Hampshire’s premier restaurant definition: Portsmouth.

Here you’ll find Ceo’s Gelato Bistro, a place so serious about their craft that simply calling it a “gelato shop” would have been an injustice. The visionaries behind the counter recently began offering an item that is nearly impossible to find around here: Gelato con Brioche.

Take one or two scoops of any flavor of gelato, stuff inside of a buttery French brioche roll and you’ve got Gelato con Brioche. A literal ice cream sandwich.

This idea did not conceptualize out of thin air. In fact, it is a popular treat in southern Italy. Sicily and the surrounding towns can be swelteringly hot during the summer months, so it only makes sense that someone decided to take the frozen staple of gelato, sandwich it between bread and call it breakfast (yes, they do that).

There’s more to Gelato con Brioche than pure novelty appeal. Both components are top quality. Every flavor of gelato and sorbetto at Ceo’s is made on site in small batches with pure ingredients. The result is some of the creamiest, full-flavored gelato imaginable. Flavors rotate regularly, with offerings such as dirty chai, bananas foster, smores and citrus with pistachios.

The brioche is supplied by nearby Maison Navarre, a popular French pastry shop, café and wine bar that makes each roll by hand.

There’s the option of filling the brioche with one or two scoops of gelato. Get two; the roll is more properly filled with two scoops. Plus it’s more gelato; not much more needs to be said.

Take a bite and you’ll notice how the mildly sweet and rich bread practically cuddles the smooth and creamy gelato. The soft, yeasty bread is just sweet enough to make sense as the vehicle for ice cream, but not so sweet as to evoke a toothache. It’s one of those experiences that feels like it should be illegal, but you’re very glad that it isn’t.

I chose blackberry swirl as my flavor. The mild tartness of the fruit added a level of refreshment that evoked the summer months. I took the package outside and ate it in about four minutes. That’s probably several hundred calories per minute, but the experience was worth each and every one.

Check out Ceo’s Gelato Bistro at 43 Pleasant Street in Portsmouth.

References:

https://www.seriouseats.com/2014/06/italian-ice-cream-sandwich-brioche-con-gelato.html