VICTOR — And then there were four.
What a delicious chore awaits customers of Molly V’s Homemade Ice Cream in the weeks ahead as they decide the best of four ice cream flavors suggested by customers as part of a wildly popular contest. Need proof? More than 200 entries were submitted in the contest.
The four flavors of ice cream are prepared, frozen and ready to sample, courtesy of Molly V’s owner and ice cream maker Michael Vistocco. Beginning this week, customers can sample each of the four and determine the contest winner, who will receive free ice cream for a year.
A team of judges — Stephannie Joseph, Fox Rochester/13 WHAM TV morning anchor; Kitty Van Bortel and her team at Van Bortel Subaru; Ontario County Sheriff David Cirencione; Alexandra TePoel-DeWitt, director of food services at Victor Central School District; and me, from the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle and Canandaigua Daily Messenger — pored over the entries to get to this point.
And it wasn’t easy. The massive number of entries struck TePoel-DeWitt.
“I was amazed by the creativity,” TePoel-DeWitt said in an email. “Some recipes had me scratching my head due to the ‘out of this world’ combination of ingredients, while others made me laugh with the creative names for their flavors.”
Without further adieu, here are the finalists, in no particular order.
The Molly V’s Homemade Ice Cream contest final four
- Gramma’s Cookie Drawer: White chocolate ice cream with shortbread cookies and raspberry swirl.
2. Coffee Bliss: Coffee ice cream with swirls of caramel throughout, roasted almonds, Heath bars and chocolate pieces.
3. Elvis Pretzley: Banana ice cream with swirls of chocolate and peanut butter along with pretzel and bacon bits.
4. Chocolate Cookie Dough Swirl: Chocolate ice cream with cookie dough pieces and a ribbon of peanut butter.
Vistocco, who did not judge the entries, said he also was surprised at the number of entries and pleased by the creative flavors. He came up with the contest because so many customers would ask him if he could make an ice cream with … and fill in the blank with ingredients.
He also met a lot of nice people during what was a positive experience overall for him and he hopes for customers, too.
“People put a lot of thought into them, which I appreciate,” said Vistocco, who started his own ice cream business in 2022 after retiring as business administrator from the Victor Central School District.
What’s next in the Molly V’s Homemade Ice Cream contest?
The final judging will end around mid-June. Check the ice cream shop’s social media at and https://www.instagram.com/mollyv_icecream/.
In the meantime, clear your palates and get ready to make a difficult decision. And be sure to embrace the task, like TePoel-DeWitt expects to do.
“I love ice cream,” TePoel-DeWitt said. “Therefore, I am very excited to try the new flavors.”
More about Molly V’s Homemade Ice Cream
Molly V’s Homemade Ice Cream is at 31 W. Main St., Victor. Hours are 1 to 9 p.m. daily. Molly V’s ice Cream trailer and cart is available for events. Contact MollyVsHomemade@gmail.com or call 5585-433-5911.
Mike Murphy covers Canandaigua and other communities in Ontario County and writes the Eat, Drink and Be Murphy food and drink column. Follow him on X at @MPN_MikeMurphy.
