Cheap Eats - Cream of the Crop

The girl behind the counter at Muriel & Sebastian’s must get tired of explaining. She’s patient, though. She understands that a lot of us were deeply attached to Jake’s Ice Cream, and a change like this isn’t exactly welcome. So she explains, over and over again, in as friendly a tone as she can muster, that the Midtown location of Jake’s had always been a franchise, opened by one of Jake’s earliest devotees, Robin Chism; and that Robin decided to rename the business after his 2-pound puppies, Muriel and Sebastian. Photos of the two dogs sit prominently on the counter as evidence. Plus, she says with enthusiasm, all your favorite ice creams are still available, but now they’re made in-house, in the restaurant’s gleaming new ice cream kitchen. You eye the ice cream case with suspicion — sure enough, there’s brown sugar vanilla. OK. Maybe, just maybe, you’ll give Muriel & Sebastian’s a chance.

Funky dorey: It’s some solace that, besides the name, almost nothing has changed at the quirky Midtown location. In the cozy back room, funky outsider art surrounds a framed ABBA poster on one wall. Sagging velvet sofas encircle the room, with a hefty wooden table and throne-like wrought iron chairs sitting in the middle. Spotting Trump the Game among a haphazard pile of board games, my husband reminisced about playing it with his brothers when it came out in the ’80s. For a somewhat cramped basement space, Muriel & Sebastian’s has got tons of personality.

The savory stuff: Besides a few new additions, the menu of sandwiches is the same. Chicken salad, honey-sweetened and studded with pecans and apple, won’t win any awards for creativity, but it’s an able rendition of a classic. On the other end of the spectrum is the Hardcore, a cider-marinated chicken breast topped with pepper jack cheese, slices of Granny Smith apple and a dab of ranch dressing. After a minute on the grill, the cheese gets all oozy and the flavors come together. It’s not the healthiest of sandwiches, but let’s be honest: If you’re here, you’re about to binge on ice cream, anyway, so why not go whole-hog and order a diet-destroying sandwich while you’re at it? Ease your guilt a little by going the virtuous route with your side — the homemade applesauce is absolutely heavenly. The apples, fragrant with cinnamon, are soft but haven’t been pureed to mush. If you like raisins, you’ll be delighted by the addition; if you’re a raisin-hater, they’re easy to pick out.

The sweet stuff: Let’s face it, the thing we really care about is the ice cream. I’m happy to report it’s as fabulous as ever. There’s a bevy of new flavors, including the subtle but scrumptious Sunflowers — vanilla ice cream studded with honey-soaked sunflower seeds. It’s inspired. Another worthy addition is Homer’s Breakfast, coffee-flavored ice cream with chunks of doughnut throughout. If you go for a little tart with your sweet, cherry-lime sorbet is a winner. For you diehards, classics like brown sugar vanilla and Key lime pie are still here. I didn’t spot the notorious Chocolate Slap Yo’ Mamma, but frankly, it was never one of my favorites. With summer fast approaching, I hope this sets worried minds at ease about where they’ll get their ice cream fix. Muriel & Sebastian’s will do quite nicely.