Popular Molly V's Homemade Ice Cream opens storefront in Victor
VICTOR – Two questions for Mike Vistocco got this homemade ice cream maker and purveyor to thinking.
First, what are you going to do in the wintertime when it’s not so easy to operate the trailer and cart from which you sell all kinds of unique flavors of your hard ice cream; go to Florida?
And two, as Vistocco recalls another commonly asked question of late, who in their right mind would open a homemade ice cream place in the middle of winter?
Vistocco, who started up the mobile Molly V’s Homemade Ice Cream in 2022 after retiring as business administrator for the Victor Central School District, would, that’s who.
To question one, Florida was out; so, Victor is in, specifically a small brick-and-mortar storefront at 31 W. Main St. in the village.
“I said, ‘Why not?’” Vistocco said. “Those are the two reasons: People asked for it and I needed something to do. Here I am.”
Molly V's finds a home in Victor village
The Molly V’s storefront — the business is named after the family’s late beloved goldendoodle — is cozy, but bright and immaculate. The front counter is a work of ice cream art, as it’s made to resemble a waffle cone.
Visitors have enough room to sit down for dessert after dinner at several of the neighboring eateries in the village.
Come spring and summer, Vistocco still plans on operating the trailer and cart for events large and small, but the storefront will also be open. He will have picnic benches outside the shop, and the nearby Mead Square Park is a perfect place to plop down with an ice cream.
From cart, trailer or storefront, there are plenty of ice cream options to choose from, of course. Back when he opened, Vistocco described himself as a scientist who mixes and matches formulas and ingredients until he gets it right.
Vistocco still is right on, as his shop, which technically opened just before winter, in November, served as a tasty laboratory for some holiday flavors. And when the storefront is closed, he may be inside, experimenting.
So, to question two, yes, Vistocco is in his right mind by opening a storefront in time for the holidays and the rest of winter. Here’s why.
Great flavors at Molly V's
Candy cane? Yep, a must-have at Christmastime. Gingersnap, but of course. And with a few leftover cinnamon rolls, he turned that into a chilled, holiday-themed dessert.
Some of the holiday flavors have cycled out, but he’s not done yet. He’s working on a Valentine’s Day-themed ice cream, with white chocolate, raspberry swirl and perhaps some chocolate flakes to top it off.
That’s not to mention the more than 25 flavors available now, and, thanks to the extra space at his new shop, you can now mix in a milkshake or two, too.
Some of the old standys include chocolate and vanilla, but also orange creamsicle, cotton candy and black raspberry, to name a few. Apple pie, key lime pie and pistachio, among several others, are in rotation. Want something with a little kick? Bourbon cream, margarita, kahlua fudge and others have a bit of alcohol to spice things up.
The most popular still seems to be is his caramel brownie, followed by cookie dough. When people kept asking for cookies and cream, he came through, but in his own way: More cookies than the traditional version, and you can see it, as the ice cream itself has more of a chocolatey tinge than vanilla.
“I don’t want to just make traditional things,” Vistocco said. “I try to make them a little bit different.”
Molly tracks, his take on moose tracks, is made with peanut butter cups and chocolate syrup.
And, like he’s done before, he makes a point of asking customers what flavors they’d like him to try to make.
Who has an ice cream idea for Molly V's?
Not many people are shy with suggestions. Around Halloween, a youngster mentioned candy corn. People have asked him for jalapeño chocolate.
Someone else – don't laugh – offered up a potential stumper, dill pickle.
Maybe some day, Vistocco said, but his wheels are always turning when it comes to making ice cream and making people happy.
“I’m still enjoying it, that’s why I’m doing it,” Vistocco said. “It started out as a hobby and now it’s turned into a business, but it’s a fun business.”
More about Molly V's
Where: 31 W. Main St., Victor.
Winter hours: 2 to 8 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays.
Details: https://www.mollyvshomemadeicecream.com/.
Mike Murphy covers Canandaigua and other communities in Ontario County and writes the Eat, Drink and Be Murphy food and drink column. Follow him on X at @MPN_MikeMurphy.
This article originally appeared on MPNnow: Molly V's parks the ice cream trailer and opens Victor storefront
