It was not Tom Cruise. Sorry to disappoint, just thought I should clear the air before anyone thought I was going to share an exciting celebrity-spotting experience from my time in Nashville.
The Tom Cruise click-bait is of course in reference to the 1988 classic Cocktail, which seems Tiny Tom throwing bottles up in the air and garnishing his libations with flair and gusto.
I bring this up because that is clearly what the sundaesmith was trying to emulate at today’s review location: Matthessen’s Ice Cream, Cookies, and Fudge.
This ice creamery is a chain, and thus lacks the local charm of Mike’s Ice Cream and Coffee Bar featured last week. But does it make up for it in their offerings?
No. Again, sorry to disappoint.
Back to Cocktail. My dad and I ordered our hot fudge sundaes. The flavors were much less appealing than what we had the night before—I settled for vanilla chip and cookie dough.
The man behind the counter immediately grabs the sundae vessel in one hand and a squeeze-bottle of fudge in the other. He starts squishing the fudge into the cup, and then pulls the fudge bottle further and further from the cup as the stream gets longer and more unwieldy. He gives the sundae cup a few twirls and continues to squeeze, ensuring the entire cup is absolutely coated in fudge.
The result is about what you’d expect.
Quality of Fudge
It was pretty obviously chocolate sauce by the way it flowed so effortlessly from the squeeze bottle.
Besides that, this is just a terrible way to distribute fudge in a cup. You’d think you get fudge with every bite, but that’s from the truth. It just turned everything into a homogenous chocolate ice cream. We need a little separation to ensure a delicious bite!
Quality of Toppings
Cherry, whipped cream nuts. Table stakes. Nothing special, nothing to report.
Level of Comfort Ordering the Sundae
Overall, not too terrible. Though I wasn’t sure what to do while the guy was cocktailing all over my sundae. Should I watch? Pretend to look impressed? Make eye contact? I did all of the above.
Would I Rather Get a McDonald’s Sundae?
Yes I would. Not that this was bad—it was a tasty dessert. But I’m not on this quest for tasty desserts. I’m on this quest for tasty hot fudge sundaes.
Final Score: 6.7/10
Therefore, Mike’s Ice Cream & Coffee Bar wins my vote for the ideal Nashville sundae experience. Way to go, Michael.
Hot for Fudge 