Welcome to Back to Basics, where we classy ladies try to establish just how basic one can be in the Orlando area. Each month, we’ll be taking on a new theme, and we’ll be searching for the best in basic trends. We’ve all heard some of the most recent popular foodie trends: charcoal, galaxy and unicorn, as well as familiar classics such as pumpkin spice and peppermint. We hope we can inspire the rest of the Nonahood to embrace their inner basic.

Happy one year anniversary at Back to Basics! We are celebrating with plenty of delicious ice cream and a ton of fun as we ring in a whole new vibe for Back to Basics.

Place: Ice and Bites Cafe
Order: Coffee Taiyaki and Latte Taiyaki
Final Review Nicole: I was immediately upset when they were sold out of half of the flavors, two of them being the ones I would’ve tried (Green Tea and Lavender). I resorted to the new Latte flavor (which was a mixture of the vanilla and mocha flavored ice creams). I chose toasted coconut, Oreo, and caramel toppings, and it was all placed in a freshly made Taiyaki (fish-shaped waffle acting as a cone). It was good, but I’d love to have had the actual flavored ice cream I wanted to experience.
Final Review Vanessa: For reference, Taiyaki is a traditional Japanese dessert that features a warm waffle fish “cone” and any flavor of ice cream that you choose. It is topped with a variety of different toppings and sauces before being served to you warm. This dessert is absolutely delicious and is super customizable to each person’s palette. I love the way that the ice cream melts just enough when the cone is still warm. Of course, I got the coffee flavored ice cream (hi, did you read the last edition and see the ode to my coffee-obsessed heart?). The aesthetic of Ice and Bites is also so cute and is perfect for plenty of pictures and lots of fun.

Place: Five f(x)
Order: Lavender Rolled Ice Cream with Coconut and Whipped Cream and Green Tea Ice Cream with Kiwi
Final Review Nicole: Five f(x) has a super colorful interior and TONS of ice cream flavors! I got lavender rolled ice cream with coconut mixed in and whipped cream on top, and it was SO GOOD! This is what I’ve been waiting for. The ice cream was so cold, it was hard to scoop. I’m a bigger fan of soft serve ice cream, but I obviously love all types of the cold creamy goodness that make occasions special. I hope to be back.
Final Review Vanessa: Hi. I made a mistake. I ordered green tea ice cream and didn’t really consider that when I put kiwi in it (excuse me, my brain is out of service today). Outside of that, the rolled ice cream itself is actually really cool and fun to watch them make, and it’s quite delicious. I really enjoyed watching them make the dessert just because of the process of pouring the ice cream concentrate onto a silver plate that is 0 degrees Celsius (32 Fahrenheit). Then, they scrape it up and roll it into your plain bowl or a waffle cone bowl. The ice cream was tasty! Definitely worth the drive.

Place: redCone
Order: Chocolate Ice Cream in a Red Cone and Cotton Candy Ice Cream in a Red Cone
Final Review Nicole: Lying right on the outskirts of Lake Nona, only a two-minute drive from our office, redCone is known for, well … its red cone! It’s a raspberry-flavored waffle cone, and boy is it delicious! I’m usually one to opt for a bowl as cones are just okay in my opinion and I hate rushing to eat my rapidly melting ice cream, but I really did enjoy the raspberry waffle cone. It was subtly sweet, and the berry flavor definitely came through. Naturally, I chose my childhood favorite flavor of cotton candy because I’m a big kid at heart. This is the most colorful cotton candy ice cream I’ve had, but overall it was good. Not the best, but also not disappointed. It’s a nice place to swing by for a cheap fulfillment to your sweet tooth. Only $2.50 for a single scoop and cone!
Final Review Vanessa: My chocolate ice cream was good. The creaminess was there, and it had a nice consistency to it. I liked the way that it complemented the raspberry flavor of the red cone (which is their signature here, big surprise). The inside of the shop was nice and had a lot of bright colors, and it definitely seemed kid-friendly. The staff was awesome and super helpful, and it was incredibly clean. They even looked on awkwardly as Nicole and I attempted to take our “Happy Birthday Back to Basics” picture in front of the colorful ice cream wall. Very awkward, but very worth it for our high-quality photo result. I can tell you now, though, I am starting to get ice creamed out (SO. MUCH. ICE CREAM.).

Place: The Greenery Creamery
Order: Black Coconut Ash and Lavender Honey Ice Cream in a Black Coconut Ash Cone and Cardamom Rose Ice Cream in a Black Coconut Ash Cone
Final Review Nicole: I’ve been dying to try this place out since Van discovered it and told me about it. Hidden in the heart of downtown Orlando, this cute little ice cream shop is so homey and rustic, yet upscale. It features both dairy and vegan-friendly flavors that rotate, and boy are they amazing! As soon as I saw the flavors, I wanted to try them all! They’re not your average, basic flavors. These pairings have been carefully thought of and taste AMAZING. The cardamom rose was to die for. So light and subtly sweet, but oh so satisfying! I ordered a scoop of the lavender honey (had dairy) and a scoop of the black ash coconut (vegan-friendly, made with a coconut base) on a black ash coconut waffle cone. Can you say aesthetics? While all three of the flavors of ice cream I tried were mouthwatering, I was in love with the lavender honey ice cream. The cardamom rose was just as good, too! The black ash coconut ice cream was great, but not as flavorful as the other floral frozen flavors. I can’t wait to return! This was the best ice cream spot hands down!
Final Review Vanessa: DUDE. I fell in love with the cardamom rose ice cream. This ice cream is the perfect combination of flavorful and floral, with the notes of cardamom peeking through the soft pink folds of the ice cream. The ice cream and cone are also both vegan-friendly, which is a great option for those who don’t incorporate dairy into their lives. Side note: The Greenery Creamery features a variety of really stunning backgrounds that make great photo opportunities for all of us trying to get the best ice cream shot for the ‘Gram. Though the black color of the coconut ash can be a little bit intimidating at first, the taste and sweetness of the coconut make you completely forget any apprehension you had against trying it, almost instantly. You will love this place, I promise. But seriously, I’m in an ice cream coma now.

If you’re more of a frozen yogurt fan, be sure to check out the local Menchie’s and Yogurt Breeze to get your fix! We also attempted to hunt down Chill Pop, but their new location was not ready before our deadline.

We also have a very special announcement about the future of Back to Basics! Starting this October, Back to Basics will be transitioning from hunting down the best in food trends to a column dedicated to making your life easier. … That’s right, introducing Back to Basics: Life Skills 101, where the two of us will be looking for the best products, life hacks, and tools that will make your life easier! Be sure to check out next month’s edition to see what we try first in our quest to make our lives all the more BASIC!