Does Woodbury Have LI's Best Ice Cream?

Shoehorned into the corner of a little shopping center in Woodbury is In the Mood Coffee and Ice Cream, considered by many to have the best homemade ice cream on Long Island.

The store offers 32 flavors and all kinds of coffee drinks, herbal teas, malteds, egg creams, smoothies and much more. Owner and ice cream chef Ana Mocete dreams up her own flavors, constantly brainstorming for more brain-freezing varieties.

Her latest creations include Howling Brownie, made with cookie dough and brownies, Chocolate Heath Bar Crunch and Deep Dark Secrets, made with cherries, chocolate chunks and brandy. I asked Ana what kind of brandy she uses and she said, "It's a secret."

Ana also stocks Boylan Sodas and has her ice cream packed in freezer containers, ready to go. She carries Tate's Cookies from the Southampton bakery and has incorporated broken cookies into her own flavor: Caramel 'n Tate, a delicious solution to her crumbling cookie situation. Tate's is considering offering her ice cream in their stores.

In the Mood also does ice cream catering, where Ana wheels in an ice cream freezer filled with her homemade varieties and serves your party or meeting. Prices per person are as little as $4.50.

Ana makes all the ice cream in the store, which has several tables good for relaxing with a dish of dessert or a hot cup of cappuccino. Lately she has been working with several chefs who want to include her creations on their catering menus. They dream up a flavor like Buttermilk Cinnamon, and she makes it.

She recently expanded to offer a menu of pressed sandwiches including Cuban, Monte Christo and various melts, plus chopped salads. But the great homemade ice cream here is worth a trip from anywhere. We are lucky to have it just down the road.

Ron Beigel is the former Long Island editor for Zagat. Follow him on Twitter @tweatersdigest.