Ambiente in the Hudson Air
written by Ashley Stickney
Stepping off the plane once again, into a country she barely knows. Their last visit was where the streets were cold, and the people of this city were hiding indoors. Now the streets are smoldering and full of life, feeling more like the Dominican Republic, their home, el calor pero no el ambiente. They wait for her sister to pick them up at Logan International, it had been two years since she has seen her sister and her nieces and nephew. Living in another country made it hard to see them as often as she wanted. There was always a physical distance, but never an emotional one. With the heat she thought back to moments with her sister, playing on the street and spending time at the beach, hot always hot, the only memory she could feel in the Boston sun.
“Is she here yet”, the sound of her daughter’s voice and a timbre snapped her back to reality, the call came through WhatsApp, which was not her sister as expected but her niece. Hola mija, the way she always answered calls from her children, soon her sister’s car was visible, and her own daughter screamed with excitement, but it was the voice on the other end of the line who stepped out of the car. With this excitement the call was abruptly ended, hugs were exchanged, hugs filled with tears of sadness and joy.
Since they were born, she thought of her nieces and her nephew like her own children, missing them but keeping up with their lives as if she was right alongside them. She held onto everything, clothes, pictures, anything her sister would send. Even though she wasn’t present physically for those memories, she held on to them. Now she looked forward to creating new ones, but still holding onto the distant ones that were hard to grasp. - Cion tia, brought back again to the present, - quiero eseñarte algo, I want to show you something said her niece.
They pulled up to downtown Hudson, the town her sister and niece now called home, busy with cars and the sweet and savory scent of coal. The engine abruptly went silent, ay que calor, she thought as the cool air cut with the turn of the keys. They walked Main Street, her niece pointed out the local shops rich in antiquities and bursting with color and creativity. It was all overwhelming, nothing like her hometown. When the smell in the air quickly shifted from coal to the aroma of freshly baked bread, she felt a small piece of home with her. She could smell the bakery she would walk past on her way to work; she could picture la gente walking up and down her streets. With a tap on the shoulder, her niece pointed out that their destination was just across the way.
They stepped through the doors, ¡que bella!, the shop was lit like Christmas and smelled like it too, with lights hung from the ceiling with care and the sweet smell of what reminded her of pan dulce, but all she could see cooking were ice cream cones unlike she had ever seen. Her niece escorted them to a large, green, school-like chalkboard, with some familiar words like “cookie” or “chocolate” and images that were all their own. She looked around and saw the shining surfaces, behind which people were smiling and laughing, making this unfamiliar space feel warm. Her niece explained what the board was trying to teach her, the treats she would be able to try. She tasted her sister’s favorite, cookies n’ cream, que rico, salted oreo, mmm…interesante, but in the end she went with vanilla.
The three walked to a table to take their seats, mira, look, the little one said. They turned and watched the plume of what looked like smoke rise from behind the crystal window. They had seen this before on cooking shows but never in person. The hypnotic process, from which their treats were born out of, had stopped them from even tasting what was in their bowls. ¿Todo lo hacen aqui?, she asked in disbelief to her niece, how could they possibly make all those flavors there? – Si todo, everything, her niece replied, who went on to explain the process. During this explanation she finally took her first bite.
There she was walking in her pueblo with her siblings after a trip to Tia Ruby’s house, a woman who used to make homemade helado. She would make it from fresh vanilla beans and with milk from the cows she had grazing in the backyard, something common in el campo. She could feel the heat of the tropics but with each bite she would feel el ritmo of her isla, the rhythm, love and community of her island. She was running in the streets, trying to bring her mother a taste before it melted laughing along the way. In the smooth and delicious folds of that confection she could really feel it, el ambiente.
But she was sitting there, in an American ice cream shop, seemingly far from home, tasting the helado from Tia Ruby’s. A tear fell from her eyes, - que te pasa, what’s wrong? - asked her niece. Nada mija, nothing my daughter, she said wiping the tears from her eyes, tiene el sabor de mi niñez, it tastes like my childhood, she said trying not to let more tears flow. That memory, one she had thought was forgotten, brought back on a trip to create new ones. With a single bite, an irretrievable sensation was hers again, el ambiente de la Republica Dominicana was in the Hudson air and memories were in the ice cream.
Spanish to English
Ambiente – atmosphere
el calor pero no el ambiente – the heat but not the atmosphere
Hola mija – hello daughter
Cion tia – short for “bendicion tia”, sign of respect; literally meaning “blessed aunt”
Que rico – how delicious
Interesante – interesting
Helado – ice cream
El ritmo – the rhythm
Isla – island
New City Microcreamery Finalist in Toasty Awards!
Vote for New City Microcreamery to win the Food for Thought Leadership Award: Vote Now!
New City Microcreamery has been named a Toasty Awards finalist in Food for Thought Leadership honoring the teams dedication to giving back to the Hudson and Cambridge community by growing young entrepreneurs, helping youth understand financial literacy (through an open book management program), and teaching them to run a business by creating a culture focused on education and transparency.
The third annual Toasty Awards will celebrate the hard work and ingenuity of the diverse restaurant community. Toast will name the 2020 award winners on January 29, 2020. “We’re pleased to have the opportunity to celebrate the outstanding achievements of the Toast restaurant community,” said Aman Narang, president, and co-founder of Toast. “The 2020 Toasty Awards finalists are 20 top examples of outstanding leadership in the restaurant industry.”
New City Microcreamery was selected out of nearly 500 submitted entries as a Food for Thought Leadership finalist. Winners - selected by public vote - are eligible to receive prizes including a year of Toast software, a $15,000 donation to a charity of their choice, and a sponsored staff celebration. “Food for Thought Leadership” finalists which commend a restaurant that has pushed the industry forward through innovative hospitality and strong core values.
New City Microcreamery has advocated for grants totaling $100,000 to apply to financial literacy classes and education for their entire staff. Staff are eligible for profit sharing and learn about the business through its transparent business model based on Open Book Management. “We know that our teenagers and youth need a place to experience their first job. We want that first experience to be impressionable and to lead them down a path of self-discovery beyond their wildest dreams,” says Jason Kleinerman, Partner of New City Microcreamery.
New City Microcreamery’s Ice Cream Shop team was the first in Massachusetts to implement the Great Game of Business along with sister restaurant Rail Trail Flatbread Company. “We found ourselves in a unique position to write our own playbook leveraging our core principles. The restaurant industry has a uniquely high level of turnover which presents the opportunity for our team to find the solution to create a consistent Great Game of Business culture. When thinking about the solution, we found an important part was connecting hospitality training and embedding it with our financial training in order to have the highest level of impact and engagement on our young staff at New City Microcreamery,” says Kleinerman.
A LETTER FROM ZOE COLLINS: WHAT I HAVE LEARNED WORKING AT NEW CITY MICROCREAMERY
I had always expected life to carry out logistically, growing and growing until I finally reach a point of consistency and stability. But disproved by many people I have come to the realization that I will never stop trying to figure out the way life should be. I became certain of this after help from my young adult coworkers. I started working at a local ice cream shop at fifteen, so naturally many of my coworkers were much older than me. When I first started I still had the mindset that people have life figured out by their twenties, so meeting people in their twenties and thirties working alongside me took me by surprise. I had never expected to learn so much at my first job. I learned that success is still achievable without the stereotypical education, from my manager. She has been working with the company for a long time, eventually being recognized for her abilities to communicate and organize. Although she has not received a degree in business management she continues to better the company and make her credibility known through hard work and dedication. Her perseverance has taught me that even if I do not learn everything about an activity, success is still achievable and I will always be learning new things after I complete my formal education.
Another concept that I learned was that no matter what my job title is, if I utilize my resources effectively, doing what I love will be easy. Although employed as a barista, one of my supervisors is very dedicated to art. Expressing this to owners and higher ups, he is now able to do many ads, posters and other artwork for the shop building his portfolio. The way he is able to combine his interests taught me that if I reach out, opportunities to succeed are very attainable. Another example of finding great opportunities is the way the production manager can associate his job with his passion. With a major in journalism, production is not my first thought. But, he has always been interested in food blogging, so production is an amazing introduction to the industry.
Taking advantage of opportunities is a huge lesson that my supervisor and production manager have made me aware of.
Another thing that I learned about was succeeding in foreign environments. English is not the first language of many of the kitchen staff but they constantly impress me with their ability to communicate and succeed in the shop. Succeeding somewhere foreign must be so difficult but the way they carry themselves through this career has taught me the importance of dedication. They are completely devoted to practicing their English and communicating with the staff. This also influenced the behavior of all of the staff while we continue to improve our communication skills. Experiencing this taught me that language is not the only source of connection in humanity.
Although these experiences gave me a new understanding of others in a work environment it also gave me a new look on my daily life. After meeting these people I made efforts to be more like them, I tried to be dedicated like my manager, in my job, of course, but in school as well, taking advantage of my opportunities to take more rigorous classes in subjects that I find interesting. I also began finding and taking opportunities like my supervisor and production manager, starting to become a barista at work, but also trying out new clubs and sports to seek new interests. I am trying to better my communication skills like the kitchen staff, by learning common words in their language but also communicating and becoming friends with people of all different backgrounds in my diverse community. Working with these people has completely changed my look on others and myself, the things I learned constantly helping me become a better version of myself.
Visit the Best Orchards in Massachusetts while getting the Best Ice Cream in Massachusetts
Hudson, Massachusetts has both the Best Ice Cream in Massachusetts and the Best Apple Orchards in the State!
We find so much inspiration from our neighbors along the borders of our town. The farms are bursting with apples, pumpkins and beautiful iconic New England scenery! Bonus, Hudson makes for a beautiful day-trip from Cambridge where we have our new location on 403 Mass Ave.
Some of our favorite ice cream flavors have been inspired by the beauty that is New England in the fall. Pumpkin Cheesecake is a rich blend of local Massachusetts pumpkins that we roast and steep in farm-fresh Massachusetts milk. We make our own cheesecake swirl and graham cracker crumble that we swirl in while flash freezing it all with liquid nitrogen. Another homage to our hometown is the Apple Pie! Massachusetts has the best Apple Orchards in the country and we have the best ice cream, so it is a natural pairing! We take local Massachusetts apples and use an heirloom apple pie recipe to make lots of pie that is then whipped into sweet cream and flash-frozen with liquid nitrogen.
Honey Pot Hill is only three miles away from us here at New City Microcreamery. It is a go-to for us! The farm is run by third and fourth generation family farmers Steve and Chelcie Martin. There are fresh cider donuts made at the farm, loads of beautiful apples to be freshly picked or available in their shop and a corn maze! It’s fun for all ages and they also have pumpkins and fresh-cut trees in the later months.
Tougas Farm is only six miles from our shop and it is a gorgeous drive. We recommend taking backroads through Berlin to get there because the views are SO stunning! There are even plenty of places to make a quick and spontaneous pit-stop to take a midday hike or stroll. Tougas has a large playground making it an excellent stop for a little extra fun! There are goats, llamas, and pigs to visit! They have rides to and from the orchard and even on the busiest Saturday afternoons—we find it quick to get around the farm!
Bolton Spring Farm has been running now for 82 years! We love going to visit and roaming the farm—it is 150 acres! There is a cute farm shop, plenty of variety in apples and pears to pick and it is a very family-friendly place!
We love Ferjulian’s farm (pictured below) which is down the street from us in Hudson! We always get so excited when we see their iconic pumpkin bins lining the rolling green hills that are ever so slightly changing to the golden tones of fall. Produce is still available until Thanksgiving and we love picking up local honey and Mrs. Ferjulian’s famous jam. It is very close to New City Microcreamery so be sure you stop by when you are in for a scoop!
After a long day exploring we always get Rail Trail Flatbread for extra fuel before a big scoop of our liquid nitrogen ice cream or an affogato!
We do have to admit... Fall might just be our favorite season to explore Hudson, MA! It is such a quaint town, filled with great local shops and family-friendly activities!
New City Microcreamery Wins Best Ice Cream in Massachusetts
Whoa. We just really want to thank our loyal fans and Mass Live for voting for us as the best ice cream in Massachusetts! The voting process was really cool (pun intended) to watch unfold. The first wave started with our community letting Mass Live know what their favorite shops were in Massachusetts. That narrowed the finalists down to ten. Each region of Massachusetts had a chance to win the best ice cream in Massachusetts!
The team from Mass Live joined us on their first stop to taste our ice cream.
The team tried Vanilla, Key Lime Pie and Hazelnutty.
Mass Live writes...
"No. 1 -- New City Microcreamery, Hudson
Kit's take: New City Microcreamery, which makes all of their ice cream in-house, earns our number one spot for creating a texture and taste of ice cream like no other. The liquid nitrogen process, concocted in an old-fashioned Hobart machine, froze and whipped the cream simultaneously, a delight to watch, and even more to taste. The first spoonful took my breath away at how frozen, yet creamy it was. The vanilla, made with vanilla beans soaked for three days, tasted like frozen frosting. A drizzle of their homemade hot fudge, made with real butter and cream and a high percentage chocolate, and I was in love. Each of the all-natural ingredients and add-ins at New City Microcreamery take the flavor to the next level of intensity. The key lime pie, made with real lime and a graham cracker pie crust throughout the ice cream, tasted so good it made me prefer the ice cream over the pie. Creativity flows like water at New City Microcreamery and you are bound to find an original flavor that will make you come back for more, whether it's fennel pistachio, Hazelnutty, mocha blanca raspberry or ginger Thai basil."
We are honored to have been voted the Best Ice Cream in Massachusetts! We look forward to another cool year with our community! Thank you again!
https://www.masslive.com/expo/news/erry-2018/08/7b52a4a1bb6644/best-of-mass-ice-cream-winners.html
Rail Trail Flatbread Co., New City Microcreamery and Less Than Greater Than featured in Forbes
HUDSON, MASSACHUSETTS
Rail Trail Flatbread Co., New City Microcreamery and Less Than Greater Than founders Michael Kasseris, Karim El-Gamal and Jason Kleinerman are featured in Forbes for applying the practice of Open Book Management to their business model. The article focuses on the core values of the establishment, good profit. The business defines stakeholders not just as the owners and investors, but the guests, the community, the team and the environment.
Rail Trail Flatbread Co. has been reaping the rewards of the process in the form of better financial results, highly engaged employees and loyal guests. As quoted by Forbes, “Business owners like Rail Trail’s partners play a central role in every American city and town.”
To view the full article that was published on Forbes click on this link here.
HUDSON, MASSACHUSETTS
Rail Trail Flatbread Co., New City Microcreamery and Less Than Greater Than founders Michael Kasseris, Karim El-Gamal and Jason Kleinerman are featured in Forbes for applying the practice of Open Book Management to their business model. The article focuses on the core values of the establishment, good profit. The business defines stakeholders not just as the owners and investors, but the guests, the community, the team and the environment.
Rail Trail Flatbread Co. has been reaping the rewards of the process in the form of better financial results, highly engaged employees and loyal guests. As quoted by Forbes, “Business owners like Rail Trail’s partners play a central role in every American city and town.”
To view the full article that was published on Forbes click on this link here.
We Love The Fall Season in Hudson, MA!
When we think of fall, we think of cozy flannel shirts, pumpkin spice everything, apple picking, picturesque foliage, hayrides and crisp weather! Fall is such a great season and it is the perfect time to wander around beautiful Hudson, Massachusetts, where you can find all of these fall staples and more!
Hudson has everything you need for the perfect seasonal adventure--we love bringing our friends and family to visit some of the local orchards like Honey Pot Hill, Tougas Family Farm, Davidian Farm and more. Many of the local farms offer apple picking, pumpkins and hayrides which makes for a fun day! Of course—you will need fuel for your adventure!
When we get hungry, we head to Rail Trail Flatbread Co. to fuel up with tasty flatbreads and fresh, hearty salads or a juicy burger. Rail TrailFlatbread Co. is offering up a fresh new fall menu and showcasing the best of what fall has to offer. Classics like the Butternut Squash Flatbread and Hot Tots will warm you up after a day in the fields! There is something for everyone: a brand new take on the Veggie Burger, hearty rice bowls packed with fall vegetables, and a kids menu using the same fresh ingredients.
Sometimes (ok, ok, all the time) we crave dessert and a Pumpkin Spice Latte. New City Microcreamery is the place for the season’s sweetest treats. Chef Alyssa worked her fall magic on scratch-made ice cream and created the best seasonal fall ice cream in Hudson, MA! Pumpkin Spice, Cran-Cherry and rich Chocolate Covered Cherry are all new fall flavors on the menu at New City Microcreamery.
We do have to admit... Fall might just be our favorite season to explore Hudson, MA! It is such a quaint town, filled with great local shops and family friendly activities!
THE BEST ICE CREAM IN BOSTON
We have had quite the exciting "SUMMER OF 2017" at New City Microcreamery! Eater Boston recognized our shop as one of the Coolest New Boston Ice Cream Shops for the summer of 2017. Jenna Pelletier of Boston Magazine also gave us a shout-out as one of the TOP FIVE ICE CREAM SHOPS in Boston this summer.
We are stoked to be the only shop on the list offering scratch-made ice cream with a liquid nitrogen process. Our Executive Pastry Chef, Alyssa Lieberman's favorite flavor this summer, Vanilla Saffron—made for quite the beautiful photo in Boston Magazine! Thank you to all of our loyal customers!
*Photo credit Boston Magazine // Toan Trinh // Styling by Monica Mariano
Check out the Eater Boston List Here: Eater
Read more about the Best Ice Cream Shops Right Now in Boston Magazine here: Boston Magazine
Announcing Hudson Fall Flavor Weekend
We’re teaming up with Medusa Brewing and Rail Trail Flatbread Co. October 20-23, 2016 to create the perfect fall flavor for everyone to enjoy!
When these forces combine you get a perfect intersection of Witchfinder Smoked Pumpkin Stout made with pumpkins prepared by Chef Tom of New City and Pumpkin Stout Ice Cream made with said beer at New City Microcreamery prepared in beer float format and served together in the Rail Trail Flatbread Company!
In the spirit of Fall and community collaboration, we are proud to be a part of downtown and cannot wait for you to enjoy the flavors right here on Main Street in Hudson, Massachusetts.
This is an event for everyone. Bring the whole family for an ice cream, or stop by Rail Trail Flatbread Co. for a taste of their brand new fall menu.
UPDATE:
Thank you to everyone who came out to Hudson Fall Flavor Weekend! The weekend was a complete success, and just another example of how wonderful our local businesses and patrons are. A great time was had by all. What should we create next year?...
Boston Globe Find’s Delight in < >
The cobbler adjacent to New City has received some impressive praise from Boston Globe correspondent Andrea Pyenson:
“At < > (read out loud as “Less Than Greater Than”), a hidden cocktail bar in Hudson from the team behind New City Micro-creamery and the Rail Trail Flatbread Co., some of the most exciting potions are neither shaken nor stirred. Instead they are frozen with liquid nitrogen, creating a bit of drama and a lot of smoke.”
We’ve always wondered what the locked door in the back of our ice cream shop led to… It seems the people of Hudson and Greater Boston have already found out.
To read the full article, which features our own chef Tom describing his favorite frozen cocktails, click here.
New City Featured in Boston Magazine
Hudson’s flourishing culinary scene is starting to turn heads - so much so that Boston Magazine recently featured some of Hudson’s coolest eateries.
We’re happy to say that New City Microcreamery made the cut, as did the “shoe shop” next door.
Check out what Brittany Jasnoff of Boston Magazine had to say about Our little Ice Cream & Coffee Shop:
“The Rail Trail team added something sweet to their arsenal this past May, with a 5,000- square-foot ice cream shop directly across the street from the restaurant. Not content to churn the Mapleline Farm dairy the old-fashioned way, executive pastry chef Elaine Stella (Harvest, L’Espalier) is flash-freezing flavors like rum-Raisinet and chipotle-mezcal with liquid nitrogen. The process, with its clouds of smoke, results in not only a smoother, creamier product, but also a rapt audience. Don’t even think about ordering yours without a buttery waffle cone and a sprinkling of “funk”—toppings such as torn chunks of orange–olive oil cake.”
It looks like we may have more Bostonians on our hands in the coming weeks!
To read the entire article, check out BostonMagazine.com. To experience our top-notch ice cream, coffee, and pastries yourself…well, you’ll just have to drop by.
What is an Americano?
If you’ve visited New City for a coffee, you may have noticed our Americano offering on the chalkboard. but do you really know what it is?
In the United States, drip coffee reigns supreme. But when you look at how coffee is consumed globally, you’ll find that the Americano is actually SECOND in popularity only to a typical Italian Espresso (again, not drip coffee).
Origins of the Americano vary, but the most widely believed take is the most interesting to share. You see, when American soldiers came to Italy during WWII, they needed their coffee bad. The only problem was that Italian espresso was much too strong for their drip coffee taste buds. So they did what any level-headed American would do - they mixed it with hot water. Ahhh, brilliance.
Well, the Americano has stuck around, and for good reasons. Our Counter Culture Espresso is rich and earthy, so you get to really taste it when added to hot water. It’s up to you whether or not to add cream or sugar, so it’s a low-calorie option compared to a typical latte, and yet will keep you warmer for longer than a single shot of espresso.