If anyone knows anything about me, they know that I have a massive sweet tooth. Cookies, cakes, ice cream, you name it. If there’s a coyling amount of sugar, chances are, I will like it. Anyway, before writing this blog post, I contemplated writing one on all of the ice cream places in New Haven (there is a surprisingly large number of ice cream related stores in this little college town). But this year, I stumbled upon a new store that is so scrumptiously delicious that I needed to dedicate a whole blog post to it. Without further ado, Elena’s on Orange.
A new addition to the quaint neighborhood of East Rock, Elena’s on Orange is a neighborhood favorite. Minutes before closing, graduate students, young professionals, and my friends and I crowd inside the small brightly lit store. During the daytime, the store is unassuming. Situated right by the base of East Rock, Elena’s on Orange and its bright orange exterior is a comforting familiar sight after a long hike.
Proof of our soft-serve consumption
My initial interaction with Elena’s on Orange was by chance. After a post-dinner walk down Orange Street, the well-lit store beckoned me to investigate. To my pleasant surprise, it was a soft-serve shop and after very little hesitation, I decided to treat myself to a small treat. Over the next few weeks, walks to East Rock became the norm. Along with these walks, a soft-serve was also mandatory. Some days I ordered indulgent sundaes topped with caramel, hot fudge, toffee pieces, and whipped cream. Other days, when I want to feel slightly healthier, a mere cup of soft serve is all I need to satisfy my sweet tooth.
Soft-serve slowly became the highlight of my week. It was what motivated me to go to all of my classes. Dreams were dreamt over vanilla soft serve, meals were consumed hoping they would taste half as delicious as soft serve, walks were walked hoping I would end up in front of Elena’s. With springtime peeking through the seemingly neverending winter, I will definitely be making the most of increased daylight hours and warmer temperatures. For the next few weeks, if I am not in class or in my suite, you can probably find me either at Elena’s on Orange or on a walk there.
I can go on and on about Elena’s on Orange, but you need to taste it to understand. Sigh, it really is unfortunate that I am a senior, meaning I will soon graduate and leave the convenience of getting a weekly soft-serve. Sometimes, I can’t tell what I would miss most about Yale, but whenever I take a bite of my vanilla soft-serve doused with warm caramel sauce and topped with crunchy toffee pieces, I highly consider Elena’s to be the thing I’ll miss the most (sorry friends ¯\_(ツ)_/¯).
I am convinced this is what half of my paycheck is going towards but I think it’s worth it
