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If youve ever had a hankering for a caramel coconut fudge ice cream but just couldnt find one anywhere, then you should go and see Steve Tyminski, owner of Sweet Ashleys. Steves idea of a day well-lived is when a customer comes in and asks for a flavor he doesnt already make and thats no easy task since he always has 40 different flavors ready for scooping.
Steve grew up around ice cream his mom and dad owned Baskin-Robbins stores in Stamford and his uncle owned another in Westport. After graduating from the Danbury State Teachers College, now Western Connecticut State, Steve decided that teaching wasnt for him after all, so he went into the family business, opening and running the Baskin-Robbins in New Canaan for 17 years.
The idea of making his own ice cream had always appealed to Steve, so in 1992 he launched Sweet Ashleys, named for his baby daughter. He makes several flavors every day. I make the ice cream in small batches, just 5 gallons at a time. Thats two of the tubs we scoop from. Its always fresh. Steve uses just milk, sugar and a varied selection of flavorings. Cones start at $2.25 for a kiddie size and go up to $5 for three scoops. Talk about value!
The two biggest sellers are Coconut Chip and Chocolate Malted Crunch. I got a phone call out of the blue one day from someone who worked with Rosie ODonnell. Shed heard that we made Coconut Chip and it was her favorite flavor, Steve says, telling how hed sent a tub over to the TV station and received rave reviews.
Ice cream cakes are another specialty and come in a variety of sizes. Customers pick a flavor for the bottom layer and another for top -- the middle is a layer of chocolate cookie crunch, though recently a client picked nerds instead. Small cakes serve four to five people and cost $16.95 but if youre feeding a crowd, Steve can make one for forty to fifty people for just $69.95.
Sweet Ashleys is located at 248 East Avenue in East Norwalk on the corner of Van Zant Street, not far from the beach. For more information, call (203) 838 2013.
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