Scooperbowl: An Old Fashioned Ice Cream Competition
Anyone who knows me knows that I am absolutely obsessed with ice cream. So obsessed that while living in Argentina (where there is incredible ice cream) I went out with not one, but two different guys based mostly on the fact that they offered up ice cream.
So when I heard that one of my favorite St. Louis restaurants and ice cream providers, The Fountain on Locust, was hosting a soda jerk competition called the Scooperbowl, I couldn’t have been more excited.
The competition involved 6 of their best soda jerks. The original plan was to have 5 different events, but time constraints took it down to 4. No matter, there was still plenty of action and free ice cream for the audience. All the ice cream made throughout the competition was raffled off to the audience after the judges displayed their scores. Waitresses were also circling the dining area throughout the competition offering up samples of their trademark ice cream martinis.
A sample of the dreamsicle ice cream martini. A little shot of happiness!
Event #1 – World’s Smallest Sundae
The first event involved the The Fountain’s infamous World’s Smallest Sundaes (WSS). Each soda jerk was challenged to make as many complete WSS in one minute as they could. Fudge, whipped cream and saucers were flying all over the place.
Concentrating on getting the whipped cream to the required 2 inches.
Pedro was the lucky winner of 2 of the World’s Smallest Sundaes!
Event #2 – Best Chocolate Shake
The next event was not timed, this one was based on taste and presentation. The action was significantly less intense, but the announcer chatted with the contestants and kept us entertained. I was not the winner of a full shake, but the judges did send some leftovers my way. Normally, I’m not big on chocolate ice cream, but I can honestly say it was the best chocolate shake I have ever tasted.
Two 10s and a 9.75 for the winning shake. Yum!
Event #3 – Team Competition
I thought this event was especially creative. Instead of raffling off random ice cream treats, raffle tickets were chosen to allow some lucky audience members to choose whatever ice cream dessert they desired. The orders were then rung up as they would be during normal business hours and teams of 2 worked together on the creations. They were judged based on speed, accuracy, and presentation. This event allowed the audience to get a good look at some of the unique menu items offered at The Fountain, such as the Standing Banana Split, which is served upright with a bruleéd banana, and the Dark and Sinister, which is made with Zanzibar chocolate ice cream and topped with marshmallow creme sauce, whipped cream, and a chocolate coin.
Scoop, team, scoop!
Event #4 – Most Beautiful Sundae
The final event challenged each competing soda jerk to create the most beautiful sundae possible. Each soda jerk was allowed to use any of the ice creams and ingredients in any way they wished. This resulted in some pretty picturesque sundaes! I was lucky enough to be presented with the winner of the competition. Take a look at this beauty:
It was even more delicious than it looks.
Delicious and Exciting
I was like a little kid throughout this whole competition. With the announcers, refs, and emcees, the entertainment portion was covered. The Fountain’s high-quality ice cream brought the entire event together wonderfully. I love this restaurant and would eat here every day if my metabolism could handle it. This event was the perfect excuse to splurge.
Hooray for the winner! The trophy had a golden ice cream scoop on top.
The Fountain on Locust is yet another St. Louis restaurant that I wholeheartedly recommend, both for sweet and savory dishes. If you are in St. Louis, you absolutely must make time for an ice cream martini at The Fountain.
