Frozen Hoagies brings delightful cold treats to Powderhouse Square

Two brightly lit windows, frost-covered and shedding warm, yellow light onto a dark street, look like an advertisement for holiday cheer. But the dazzling panes of glass and the store behind them are very real – in fact, the windows are the two most prominent features bedecking the stark white storefront of Powderhouse Square’s newest eatery. The sign above simply says “Frozen Hoagies Sweet Shop.”

Frozen Hoagies opened Nov. 21, quietly moving into the neighborhood during the Thanksgiving holiday break and discarding the “Opening Soon” window sign that had lingered for months. But while most Tufts students were away for its opening, the store was bustling on Saturday night. Business is picking up, as students and local residents alike discover this charming, hole-in-the-wall shop.

While the ability to draw a steady stream of customers is a feat for any new store or restaurant, it is especially impressive for Frozen Hoagies, which specializes in ice cream sandwiches. Deep in the December chill, cravings for frozen treats can be expected to lag, especially in comparison to the high-demand summer months. Perhaps in an effort to combat this very pitfall, Frozen Hoagies offers many seasonal delights in addition to traditional ice cream fare.

Apple crisp and cider fill out the menu, as do traditional gingerbread person cookies, which come -- just like in the storybooks -- with three buttons, M&M eyes and a little red nose. Specialty IBC sodas are available for purchase alongside a variety of floats: Milkshake, Root Beer and Hot Cider.

The majority of the menu, however, is dedicated to the impressive variety of ice cream and cookie flavors that can be paired together to create custom sandwich orders. Ice cream choices are fairly wide-ranging; patrons can choose from chocolate or vanilla, maple or mint explosion, pumpkin or apple caramel and many more. The cookie choices are homemade, vary from day to day and include traditional chocolate chip, chocolate peppermint (Nutella cookies studded with sugary shards of peppermint candy), vanilla bean and even macaroons.

Once the combinations are selected, customers are handed a “sandwich.” In a paper-lined bowl, the homemade cookies hug the sides of an (un)healthy dose of ice cream. While the scoop-to-sides ratio is, admittedly, a bit out of whack -- if not downright intimidating -- there are several techniques for conquering the cream, including eating the frozen hoagie like a sandwich. Insider tip: Remove the cookies to keep them from getting soggy. Then use a spoon to whittle away at the ice cream Everest before you, and -- when you feel brave enough -- reassemble the sandwich, then lift (using paper to stop drips) and proudly bite.

Other plausible methods of consumption include breaking the cookies into bite-sized chunks and sprinkling them on top to create a cookie sundae, or using a spoon to spread ice cream onto the cookie, like dip on a cracker. While thinking outside the bowl is to be applauded, beware: The more creative the method, the messier it will be.

Like the Froagie eating experience, the atmosphere of the sweet shop is unusual and -- necessarily, given the food's messiness -- casual. Most of the shop’s interior is dedicated to the kitchen space, left open for patrons to see behind the glass display case. While this behind-the-scenes view is interesting, it leaves much to be desired in terms of seating. Three stools sit at each of the two tiny bars inside the restaurant that run alongside the windows, giving limited options to visitors who want to stay and enjoy their snack; there is simply no way for groups to talk or socialize comfortably. Similarly, the barren, white walls (graced with only the menu board and a black and white photo or two) feel uninviting, and even a bit clinical. Perhaps this is the result of the origins of the concept itself -- Frozen Hoagies began as a truck-based company, like Tufts own Scoop ’n’ Scootery -- in which issues like seating and messy presentation were not likely to be concerns.

Despite these few inconveniences, however, the Sweet Shop (Frozen Hoagies' first permanent location) is a nice new addition to the Powderhouse neighborhood. Frozen Hoagies is located at 864 Broadway, and is open noon to 9 p.m. daily.