“Better” Than the Ice Cream Made by Pat Mitchell in Endicott?!?

Many people who grew up in the Endicott area contend ice cream has never been the same since Pat Mitchell retired from the business after serving up thousands of cones for decades.

But there are some ice cream lovers in the region who claim you can actually get something better than the stuff created by Mitchell if you take a short drive northwest of Broome County.

Raymond "Pat" Mitchell operated his ice cream mecca at the corner of East Main Street and Vestal Avenue in Endicott for three decades before he sold the business. Mitchell died in December 2002.

During an intense discussion of ice cream quality over the summer, an Endwell resident declared that the stuff being made at Cornell University Dairy Bar in Ithaca was superior to the frozen concoctions churned out by Pat Mitchell.

The assertion prompted a half-dozen ice cream aficionados to take an investigative road trip to Ithaca.

Detailed results of the unscientific review aren't being made public. Those involved in the taste test agreed the Dairy Bar ice cream was very good or excellent.

Repeated efforts to discuss the highly-praised ice cream with Cornell representatives were unsuccessful. A university media relations specialist ultimately reported "we do not have anyone from the dairy bar that would be able to interview with you."

A 2021 story in a Cornell alumni publication reported the ice cream was made with "milk produced by cows residing in the Vet College teaching barn, a mere quarter-mile away."

The Dairy Bar doesn't offer as many flavors as Pat Mitchell typically did but the selection is fairly comprehensive. At last check, the place also won't accept cash as payment. If you decide to conduct your own investigation, be prepared.

AND A SWEET GALLERY... Images from the Cornell University Dairy Bar in Ithaca.

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Contact WNBF News reporter Bob Joseph: bob@wnbf.com or (607) 545-2250. For breaking news and updates on developing stories, follow @BinghamtonNow on Twitter.

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