Magic Fountain ice cream: Mattituck's year-round purveyor of flavors familiar and unexpected
MATTITUCK, N.Y. - Even frigid temperatures can't stop lines from forming at North Fork ice cream shop Magic Fountain.
"Our locals keep us busy all year round," owner Choudry Ali said. "We have to make ice cream every day to keep up with the demand."
A native of Pakistan, Ali moved to the United States in 1985. After marrying a Mattituck local, he bought the ice cream parlor she had grown up visiting.
Despite sharing a history with several New Jersey ice cream parlors of the same name, Mattituck's Magic Fountain is now independently run, with an approach all its own.
Ali offers the classics year round but says his experimental and seasonal offerings are what make his shop unlike any other.
Rotating flavors include chocolate-chili and honey-lavender.
"At home, I have a small ice cream maker. A lot of the stuff, I try it out at home in a smaller batch," he said.
Experiments that pass the taste test graduate to the larger machine at the shop, where his staff help develop the recipes.
Ali believes in highlighting local ingredients, often partnering with nearby growers.
"We got the local honey. We got the local fig," he said.
Sometimes, he sources from his own garden.
"Cucumber ice cream—the cucumbers come from my backyard," he said.
Even as he adds to the menu, Ali is committed to preserving the community feel of his long-running shop.
"This place has been in business since 1966, so it has some memories," he said.
Magic Fountain
9825 Main Rd.
Mattituck, NY 11952
(631) 298-4908
magicfountainlongisland.com