Put down the cereal spoon and the egg beaters. This Saturday, ice cream shops across the region will be celebrating the entirely informal, but exceptionally delicious holiday of Eat Ice Cream for Breakfast Day. There will be great deals, special flavors, and fundraising for good charitable causes.
So take advantage of the opportunity at these fine creameries:
Hodgies Too, Newburyport and Salisbury
Hodgies Too locations in both Newburyport and Salisbury will open at 8 a.m. to serve up special flavors like Breakfast of Champions (coffee ice cream studded with tiny chocolate donuts), Farmhouse Feast (sweet cream ice cream swirled with maple syrup, bacon, and biscuit bits), Blueberry Muffin (blueberries and muffin chunks in a vanilla base), and more. A portion of proceeds will benefit social services agency Pettengill House.
251 Low St., Newburyport, 978-255-2163; 136 Rabbit Rd., Salisbury, 978-463-0214; hodgiestooicecream.com
Holy Cow, Gloucester and Peabody
For the big day, Holy Cow has put its award-winning flair for flavor into a limited-edition flavor in collaboration with local gourmet breakfast chain Crack’d Kitchen. Wake ‘n Bacon features a maple brown sugar base generously flecked with candied bacon made in-house by Crack’d. Available only in pints, the flavor is expected to sell out, but the good news is you can pre-order online now. The Peabody location will open at 10 a.m.; Gloucester will open at noon.
80 Pleasant St., Gloucester, 978-281-0313; 86 Andover St., Peabody, 978-587-2255; holycowicecreamcafe.com
Cherry Farm Creamery, Danvers
From 8:30 a.m. to noon, Cherry Farm will be scooping breakfast-inspired flavors (cinnamon ice cream with cinnamon roll chunks and buttercream swirl, anyone?). They will also be amping up the breakfast content with waffle and donut sundaes and donut ice cream sandwiches. The shop will also be collecting donations for the Danvers People to People Food Pantry, and donating a portion of proceeds to the organization.
210 Conant St., Danvers, 978-774-0519, cherryfarmcreamery.com
Putnam Pantry, Danvers
Enjoy this new-fangled celebration at an old-fashioned ice cream parlor with a trip to Putnam Pantry, opening at 7:30 a.m. for the big day. For $10, you’ll get two scoops of ice cream – special flavors will be available – nestled atop a Belgian waffle and topped with whatever catches your fancy at the legendary toppings smorgasbord. More conventional breakfast foods will also be available, and 50% of proceeds will be donated to Care Dimensions Hospice Houses.
255 Newbury St., Danvers, 978-774-2383, putnampantry.com