NEW YORK CITY – General Sherman battled through one in 1864. The Sex Pistols went down in a blaze of glory during theirs in 1978. But Big Gay Ice Cream has never taken a Southern tour. Until now. Tighten your Bible Belts. It’s going to be a wild ride!
Big Gay Ice Cream is pleased to announce it is teaming up with the Southern Foodways Alliance for its first ever ice cream truck tour through five southern states. The road trip will kick off Saturday, October 18, in Raleigh, N.C., and will culminate with two days in Oxford, Miss., at the SFA’s 17th annual symposium, ending on Saturday, October 25.
This year’s symposium, “Who is Welcome at the Welcome Table?,” marks the 50th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act, which desegregated places of public accommodation including restaurants. The symposium takes a deep dive into the present, focusing on who is welcome at the contemporary welcome table, asking questions about inclusion and exclusion in the modern South, while taking into account old and new imperatives like ethnicity, sexuality, diet, class, gender and race.
This year also marks the 5th anniversary of Big Gay Ice Cream. As part of our continuing celebrations, we are proud to return to our roots and bring our tasty and whimsical treats to a completely new audience exactly like we did when we started: going old school in a rented soft-serve truck. Bestsellers, including our Salty Pimp and Bea Arthur cones, will be available alongside regionally influenced specialties.
Listed below are the tour dates, cities and restaurant partners, all of whom have been most welcoming in helping us make this trip happen.
• Saturday, October 18
Beasley’s Chicken and Honey
3p.m. – 10p.m. (estimated times)*
237 S. Wilmington St.
Raleigh, NC 27601
Chef/Owner: Ashley Christensen
• Sunday, October 19
Butcher & Bee
3p.m. – 10p.m. (estimated times)*
654 King St.
Charleston, SC 29403
Owner: Michael Shemtov / Organizer: Randi Weinstein
• Monday, October 20 and Tuesday, October 21
Bantam & Biddy
4p.m. – 10p.m. (Monday) (estimated times)*
12p.m. – 10p.m. (Tuesday) (estimated times)*
1544 Piedmont Ave. NE
Atlanta, GA 30324
Chef/Owners: Shaun Doty and Lance Gummere
• Wednesday, October 22
Highlands Bar and Grill
3p.m. – 10p.m. (estimated times)*
2011 11th Avenue South
Birmingham, AL 35205
Chef/Owners: Pardis and Frank Stitt
• Friday, October 24
Bottletree Bakery
12p.m. – 10p.m. (estimated times)*
923 Van Buren Ave.
Oxford, MS 38655
Owner: Cynthia Gerlach
• Saturday, October 25
Southern Foodways Alliance Symposium
University of Mississippi
Exact times and location to be finalized*
Chef Partner: John Currence
Organizer: John T. Edge
Big Gay Ice Cream began as a seasonal food truck in 2009, and since then has seen a whirlwind of publicity and acclaim to become one of the top ice cream companies in the country. With a playful attitude, Big Gay Ice Cream spins a new take on old-school soft-serve by creating fun and unique ice creams, toppings and frozen treats that appeal to a diverse clientele.
The first Big Gay Ice Cream Shop opened in 2011 in New York City’s East Village, followed by a West Village location in 2012. Additional shops in Los Angeles and Philadelphia are slated to open by the end of 2014. The shops have been ranked as the best ice cream parlors in the country (and #5 in the world).
Big Gay Ice Cream Truck has been named both the most influential food truck and the best dessert truck in the country. The truck also holds the distinction of being the only food truck invited to appear at the James Beard House in New York City.
The Southern Foodways Alliance documents, studies, and celebrates the diverse food cultures of the changing American South. The SFA sets a common table where Black and white, rich and poor – all who gather – may consider our history and our future in a spirit of reconciliation. A member-supported nonprofit, based at the University of Mississippi, the SFA stages symposia on food culture, produces documentary films, collects oral histories, sponsors scholarship, and publishes great writing. Please visit southernfoodways.org and follow on Twitter, @Potlikker.
*Times and locations are subject to change and will be updated both online and via social media before each scheduled stop. Follow the truck on Twitter and on Facebook for the latest info.
