Dennis’ Ice Cream celebrates a decade of sweetness

Celebrating 10 years of sweetness, Dennis Caso, owner of Dennis’ Ice Cream, reflected on the decade of treats for which he has become known throughout Tompkins County.

“It all began when I was a kid,” Caso said. “I grew up on my grandma’s dairy farm in PA. She had this old crank-style ice cream maker. It was back in the days when they were looking to give kids something to do to keep them busy.”

After attending Elmira College and then receiving his master’s in acupuncture and oriental medicine from Northwest Institute of Research, Caso rediscovered his love of dairy delights in a big way after college.

“I’m a certified instructor practicing Reiki, Tai Chi, Energy Healing and Pranic Healing,” Caso said. “I had worked for a division of the Arnot Healthcare system in Elmira, specializing in Pranic Healing. I had worked there for about 10 years.”

Pranic Healing is a highly developed system of energy treatment that uses prana to balance, harmonize and transform the body’s energy processes. Prana is the Sanskrit word that means life force. According to some beliefs, this invisible bio-energy or vital energy keeps the body alive and maintains good health.

“I began making ice cream during that time and would set up at the Ithaca Farmers Market,” Caso said. “I had to take a few years off from the Saturday Market because I was expected to work on Saturdays with Arnot.”

Looking for a way to balance his love of healing and his love of cold confections, Caso wanted to find a place in Tompkins County that would allow him easy access to his work with Arnot in Elmira and the Ithaca Farmers Market.

“I found this spot in Newfield where I’m at now that was perfect,” Caso said. “Within days of closing on this house, they announced that where I was working at in Elmira would be closing. I decided then to set up a room here to practice healing. I was doing that and balancing everything up until COVID hit. Now, I am back to practicing here during the off season in the winter.”

After purchasing the house nestled next to Decker Pond at 1076 Elmira Rd. in Newfield, Caso decided to set up a stand there to offer his creamy concoctions in addition to his booth at the Ithaca Farmers Market, finding the location ideal for visitors to Robert H. Treman State Park and locals alike.

Treman Park has over 7 miles of trails that wind through the park and offers hiking, camping and the renowned Lucifer Falls that cascades beside a stone staircase and down 115 feet of rock face.

“We get a lot of people coming past here that are coming into town to visit the parks and the gorges,” Caso said. “People even stop by during the winter. I will come outside and frequently find people that have pulled in and are parked, curious to see if they can get ice cream even then.”

Known for his high-quality ingredients and unique flavors, Caso has become renowned through the region for his artisanal flare.

“I used to have a taste tester,” Caso said. “He was an ice cream connoisseur of sorts. He had a job that required travel and he would actually book places to stay with his job that were near ice cream places he wanted to try. When I was working on a new flavor, I would ask him to come over and taste things and tell me what direction to take.”

Unfortunately, the taste tester is no longer in the area, Caso said.

“Now, I’ve grown to know what I’m looking for and can taste and adjust for myself,” he said. “For instance, last year, I debuted our peach ice cream for summer. It took several tries, and I had to think it through until I got it just right.”

Offering flavors that include black sesame seed, ginger snap and mango sorbet, Caso is always coming up with unusual creations to offer the county that anxiously awaits what every new season brings. Noting that his unusual flavors are frequently sought after, Caso said that the most popular flavor is still vanilla.

Recently, Caso had a freezer failure, putting his business in recovery mode.

“I lost most of the ice cream,” Caso said. “For the immediate time being, we will be using the ice cream truck, which holds eight flavors, at our Newfield location. I’m waiting on someone to come out to assess the freezer and do the repairs. During this time of labor shortage and costs rising, it’s taking some time. The cost of some of my ingredients to make the ice cream has almost tripled, and with the labor shortage, that’s the option we’re left with at this time. We lost a lot of ice cream and had a late start, but we’re back on track and ready for the season.”

Dennis’ Ice Cream can be found at the Ithaca Farmers Market, Moosewood Restaurant and at his Newfield home base located at 1076 Elmira Rd., Newfield hours are Fridays from 3 to 9 p.m., Saturdays from 1 to 9 p.m. and Sundays from 1 to 9 p.m. Announcements and updates can be found on his Facebook page, tinyurl.com/2xtmxme7.

Newfield Notes appears every Wednesday in Tompkins Weekly. Send stories ideas to editorial@VizellaMedia.com.

In brief:

History of America’s flag

On June 14 from 6:30 to 8 p.m., to celebrate Flag Day, Newfield Public Library’s Victoria Cody and Martin Clark will give a presentation on the history of American flags from the American Revolution to present. The event will be held at the library, 198 Main St. The study of flags is known as “vexillology.”

While all Americans instantly recognize the “Star Spangled Banner,” few know the actual history and evolution of our beloved national flag. From its heraldic roots in Europe to our current 50-star standard, staff will look at the significant events and personalities that have shaped “Old Glory.”

From its Revolutionary origins, through the “blood and fire” of the Civil War and two World Wars, our Star Spangled Banner still waves, “O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.”

Sample flags and books on the subject will be on display. All ages are welcome. Visit tinyurl.com/27upt6r2 for more information.