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1. • CommentAuthorZedeff
   • CommentTimeJul 5th 2008

    
   Can anyone tell me what the deal is with this new ice cream place on Kenaston in the box malls? I've tried three times with my girlfriend to go there; the first two times we drove past, saw that the line was well out the door and into the parking lot, and decided to just go to the Banana Boat instead. Last night we wanted to give it a third shot, so we sucked it up and stood in line in the parking lot. Thirty five minutes later we were just barely inside the door (we'd moved about 1/3 of the way through the line) and decided that this was madness, so we left. In those thirty five minutes we could only remember seeing about three or four people leaving with their orders - which, admittedly, looked delicious.
   
   Now I'm bitter about this place, their lines, and their slow-as-mollasses employees who trudge around behind the counter like they're wearing lead pants. I just want somebody who's actually had the tenacity to stick it out in line to tell me what I'm missing: is their ice cream actually good enough that you'd spend six bucks on a cone and give up an hour of your life to get it?
2. • CommentAuthorFreakyGirl
   • CommentTimeJul 5th 2008

    
   I don't think it's worth it, but my friend thought it was. It's decent enough quality ice cream, but over priced in my opinion. We've been to a few in the US and it's a neat quirky concept but I think you are better off buying a tub of Hagen Daaz.
3. • CommentAuthorZedeff
   • CommentTimeJul 5th 2008

    
   Thank you! I need vindication on this issue, otherwise I just wasted half an hour for no reason.
4. •  
     CommentAuthorNorthlands
   • CommentTimeJul 5th 2008

    
   Well, I've been twice. Don't go during peak hours. I went at 1:30 in the afternoon. Only had to wait 10 minutes.
   
   The problem with the place is that it actually takes 5 minutes a person to make the ice cream. What they do there is basically customize your ice cream to the point that no one else has offered before. You can mix you flavors, add in basically any conceivable candy/berry mixing you can think of, and have it served to you in about 10 different ways ( ie , cones, sundaes, waffle bowls...etc ).
   
   The ice cream itself is pretty decent. They make all of their cones and bowls on site. The pricing really isn't far off from other places I have visited. You can run up a similar tab at Dairy Queen for a lesser kind of treat. What you are paying for is seemingly fresh ingredients. I don't know the story behind how or who makes their ice cream itself ( in the states it's said that they do it locally, maybe here too ) , but I'd safely say it tastes pretty good. Large variety of flavors. The unique part about the place is that when they mix flavors for you, it goes onto a frozen marble slab and it's mixed together on the surface with whatever other mixings you want in it. The ice cream gets to you stone cold too. No melting during all of that. Again, remember, you can build any kind of combination of ice cream treat you want out of everything they have at their disposal. The waits are so long because of this process. I don't see any way to avoid it really, beyond opening a couple more locations.
   
   Anyhow, that's my take on it. I won't go often, but I will go every once in a while at times I know others won't be there.
5. • CommentAuthormerek
   • CommentTimeJul 5th 2008

    
   I agree with FreakyGirl. Except that if you buy your own ice cream you'll miss out on the ambience of standing in a parking lot for an hour. We went there once but weren't impressed enough that we'd ever choose it over other places like Banana Boat.
6. •  
     CommentAuthorgrumpy old man
   • CommentTimeJul 5th 2008

    
   Okay. Never heard of Banana Boat nor Marble Slab.
7. • CommentAuthorUSApegger
   • CommentTimeJul 5th 2008

    
   I went there at 6pm on Thursday night, waited 5 minutes, it was delicious (Double Dark Choc) $7 for a cone. By the time we got our order, it was lined up out the door. I would go back, just at off peak times.
   
   I also sampled the birthday cake ice cream which I am sure that I will get next time.
8. •  
     CommentAuthorcancelbot
   • CommentTimeJul 5th 2008

    
   Moderator

   Posted By: Zedeff I just want somebody who's actually had the tenacity to stick it out in line to tell me what I'm missing: is their ice cream actually good enough that you'd spend six bucks on a cone and give up an hour of your life to get it?

   
   
   I think people just like getting excited about new things. There's really no good reason to stand in that kind of line for ice cream.
9. • CommentAuthorEdWin
   • CommentTimeJul 5th 2008

    
   We have Marble Slab out here in Edmonton. I've never been myself, but I've heard it's pretty good.
10. •  
      CommentAuthorNorthlands
    • CommentTimeJul 5th 2008

     

    Posted By: cancelbot

    Posted By: ZedeffI just want somebody who's actually had the tenacity to stick it out in line to tell me what I'm missing: is their ice cream actually good enough that you'd spend six bucks on a cone and give up an hour of your life to get it?

    
    
    I think people just like getting excited about new things. There's really no good reason to stand in that kind of line for ice cream.

    
    
    Or new restaurants, movies, concert tickets, Electronics store mega sales ( read : Boxing Day ). People will do what they must.
11. •  
      CommentAuthordefiantscribbler
    • CommentTimeJul 5th 2008 edited

     
    I have to keep telling myself I'll end up on a whole different cold slab if I eat too much ice cream ( ADDICT!)
    Haagen Daaz is for babies, it's Ben & Jerry's all the way!
12. • CommentAuthorFreakyGirl
    • CommentTimeJul 5th 2008

     
    Ben & Jerry's is now owned by Unilever... not much better than General Mills that owns Hagen Daaz mind you. I was so sad when Unilever bought B&G and totally threw their wholesome philosophy down the drain :( They now use milk with growth hormones in it, for one example, which is much against the original owners way of thinking.
    
    I actually make my own ice cream, it is in no way low fat but tastes darn good!

    Thankful People: Zwikster
13. • CommentAuthorSam
    • CommentTimeJul 5th 2008

     
    "I actually make my own ice cream, it is in no way low fat but tastes darn good!"
    
    
    At least you can control what you put in it! Besides who cares if it isn't low fat. That's half the fun of eating ice cream.
14. •  
      CommentAuthorjim
    • CommentTimeJul 5th 2008

     
    Still like the stuff no matter how fattening.
15. •  
      CommentAuthorVote_for_Pedro
    • CommentTimeJul 5th 2008

     
    Moderator
    Box malls taste gross.
16. • CommentAuthorMr. Nobody
    • CommentTimeJul 5th 2008

     
    7 bucks for a cone.....almost as nutz as 5 bucks for a coffee.
    
    
    99 cents, McDonalds vanilla.
17. •  
      CommentAuthorcherenkov
    • CommentTimeJul 5th 2008

     

    Posted By: anonymousWe have Marble Slab out here in Edmonton. I've never been myself, but I've heard it's pretty good.

    Is that the one on white ave? I've been to that and it was quite good. I was thinking that if somebody opened one on Corydon or Academy it would do real well. I'm too much of a lazy-ass to make something like that happen though. It's good to hear that somebody else did. Whereabouts on Kenaston is this? In the McGillvary area?

    Thankful People: EdWin
18. • CommentAuthortrebor204
    • CommentTimeJul 5th 2008

     
    It`s at
    Kenaston Common
    (Across from Rona, same side as Costco)
    180, 1600 Kenaston Boulevard
    Winnipeg, MB R3P 0Y4
    (204) 487-SLAB (7522)
    
    I havn't gone to the one in Winnipeg yet, (I will try and go next week) but I've been to one in Calgary a few times.
    
    Yep, there is one on Whyte avenue.
    
    Whyte Avenue (At 104 Street)
    10358-82nd Avenue
    Edmonton, AB T6E 1Z8
    780-433-3636
    
    
    
    I notice on their webpage, that a second store is coming soon to Winnipeg.
    
    http://www.marbleslablocations.com/locate/locations.aspx?METHOD=STATE&STATE=MB&DIS=Manitoba&NAT=CA
19. • CommentAuthorZedeff
    • CommentTimeJul 6th 2008

     

    Posted By: Mr. Nobody7 bucks for a cone.....almost as nutz as 5 bucks for a coffee.
    
    99 cents, McDonalds vanilla.

    
    
    This is slightly different than the coffee argument, if you don't mine me stepping up on a soap box here.
    
    Three or four years ago when you went to Starbucks, there was a staff member behind the counter who you could watch grind the beans, measure the beans into the portafilter, load the portafilter into the espresso machine, brew your espresso and make sure you had a good extraction, and then use the espresso to make whatever beverage you'd ordered. There is some specialized training - not brain surgery, but training - involved in this procedure which makes me comfortable paying a premium price. These days I've noticed that most Starbucks stores use fully automated machines. The new process is that I order, the kid behind the counter mimics George Jetson and presses the "go" button, and the machine spits out my beverage, which the kid hands to me after dumping in some milk or whatever.
    
    In other words, today's Starbucks is basically vending machine coffee at a premium price. Nobody would feed $6 into a vending machine for coffee no matter how good it is, but nobody bats an eye at the prices charged by a Starbucks "barista" who merely takes your money and hands you a cup.
    
    At least with the Marble Slab, they DO something. They supposedly make the ice cream, the cones and other treats on site, and you can watch them custom prepare your order. I'm still not comfortable with $6 for some frozen bloody milk, but at least I know that I'm paying it for a reason. Coffee shops these days feel like a total scam.
20. •  
      CommentAuthorNorthlands
    • CommentTimeJul 6th 2008

     

    Posted By: Mr. Nobody7 bucks for a cone.....almost as nutz as 5 bucks for a coffee.
    
    
    99 cents, McDonalds vanilla.

    
    
    Feel good that your ice cream comes in the same big plastic bag that dispenses your McDonald's milkshakes as well. Trust me, there's a reason why they sell it for $0.99 .