Heaven on a cone, please

“Island Delights” serves up tasty treats that are sure to satisfy

Story and photos by Jenna Burleigh

There are few desserts I prefer to a tasty bowl of ice cream. The sweet, creamy goodness and all the calories I could live without are far too tempting for my taste buds to resist. The dessert, in my eyes, is one of the constants out there. I find it is difficult to make an ice cream I don’t like; however, it is considerably challenging to find one I absolutely adore.

The first word to cross my mind is “Mmm,” quickly followed by “heavenly.” I have stumbled upon a rare treasure: a scrumptious little pit-stop christened “Island Delights,” and what a delight it is.

Nestled along a road-less-traveled in Isle LaMotte, VT, this little ice cream and pizza shop is home to a locally renowned treat: maple creemes (pronounced “cree-meez”). Many outside of Vermont would call this a maple-flavored soft-serve ice cream cone, but considering it is a Vermont-based delicacy, I’ll continue to call it a creeme.

Maple creemes are, like soft-serve, soft ice cream, but are exceptionally creamy. The dessert is smooth, rich, and goes down almost too easily. The frosty snack begs to be devoured, rewarding those to obey with a luscious mouthful, and an aftertaste that is, alone, worth the initial lick.

It lacks the gritty, frozen texture of some ice creams, encouraging seconds, and possibly thirds. One of its finest attributes is the lack of artificial flavoring for maple creemes at Island Delights. The Chevalier family, who owns and operates the business, uses real Vermont maple syrup (which they also sell at the shop), harvested in their own backyard. Mixing in the syrup gives the ice cream a genuine maple flavor and adds a little extra sweetness, too!

Not only does this delicious, frozen dish satisfy one’s sweet tooth, it does so at a reasonable price. A small creeme would fetch a price of $1.50, adding $0.50 for maple flavor. A large maple creeme, at $2.50, is well worth every penny as the serving-size is adequate. If a creeme is not to your taste, try a banana split or root beer float.

For those who can’t eat their dessert without dinner first, Island Delights also serves pizza, grinders, wraps, chef and Caesar salads, and more. With a small pizza costing only $6.50, a pizza and ice cream connoisseur of sorts can eat his or her fill without breaking the bank.

Island Delights is a small shop, not equipped for many to “dine in.” However, there are two

tables provided for customers; they reside just outside the door of the shop, casually tucked away on either side of a covered porch.

It’s not exactly a bow tie kind of place, but it’s fresh, clean, and comfortable. What may lack in aesthetics is made up for in service. As a family operated business, you will most-likely be served by Diane Chevalier or one of her two daughters; all of whom are probably sweeter than the desserts they serve.

If you happen to be hankering for a maple creeme after reading this, be sure to visit Island Delights on your next trip to the islands in Vermont. Grab a pizza, grinder, or salad, but be sure to save room for dessert!