Oddfellows’ décor is Americana with a side of oddity, like ice cream Jesus

When I heard about OddFellowsIce Cream Co. the Billyburg scoop shop that former wd~50 pastry chef Sam Mason opened with Holiday and Mohan Kumar, I knew it was only a matter of time before I’d be trying it. Then I read they were serving chorizo caramel swirl. That sealed the deal. Last Saturday after my latest Thai chicken skin mitzvah I stopped by the newly minted scoop shop,which lies just a cone’s throw from Smorgasburg.

Flavors range from classics like chocolate chunk to oddballs like chorizo swirl.

I was so eager to try OddFellows I poked my head in before they’d even opened for the day. Two hours later I returned with my pals Siobahn Wallace, co-author of the excellent and hunger-inducing New York à La Cart and Chris Crowley, a fired-up young food writer who is to the Bronx as I am to Queens. I was somewhat doubtful Siobahn would still have an appetite for ice cream after downing a pie shake from Butter & Scotch. And Chris said he was saving his appetite for some Bronx birria. I, on the other hand had plenty of room for ice cream. The question as I perused the menu was whether to go with the classics like chocolate chunk and Battenkill sweet cream or oddballs like maple bacon pecan and chorizo caramel swirl.

Chorizo caramel swirl is surprisingly subtle.

Ultimately I went with the bizarre flavors ordering two smalls ($4.95 each) consisting of two scoops apiece. First up chorizo caramel swirl. Rather than mix it with another flavor I decided to appreciate it on its own. I found it to be excellent. The ice cream itself was a rich custard that brought to mind Timmy O, the one-time custard king of Corona. The chorizo caramel was lovely, and far more subtle than I expected. Chris did not like this one at all. And Siobhan as I suspected was too full although I think she did manage to polish off a small cup sprinkles flavor, which I did not try.

A scoop of corn bread crowned with one of maple bacon pecan.

The second cup I got was a little more adventurous. A scoop of corn bread ice cream topped with maple bacon pecan. It was like summer picnic with bacon pralines for dessert. Chris liked it far more than chorizo caramel swirl. “I have a question,” Chris said rousing me from my bacon-butterfat-corn bread reverie, “Would you still like it if was called Oddfellows Artisanal Ice Cream Co?”  “Um, sure unless it sucked,” I said.

Mohan Kumar stopped by as I was giddily stuffing my face with his crazy frozen confections. He gave me the, ahem, scoop on his plans for Oddfellows first sundae: corn bread ice cream, blueberry compote, a sprinkle of fresh greens, all topped with bacon-infused whipped cream. Now if that doesn’t live up to the name of the joint I don’t know what does.

OddFellows Ic Cream Co., 175 Kent Ave., 347-599-0556