A recipe that’s both affordable and delicious has gone viral, showcasing an Italian treat that relies on ingredients often found at roadside stops and casual coffee joints.
“It’s July, and you know what that means—afogato season at gas stations,” Samantha Brown, a travel expert from New York, shared on her social media recently.
Afogato, which translates to “drowned” in English, typically features a scoop of vanilla ice cream topped with freshly brewed espresso. But during her recent road trip, Brown had to get a little creative to enjoy this beloved dessert.
“You imagine yourself in Italy, alongside the gorgeous Amalfi Coast, but you’re really at a gas station on the Massachusetts Turnpike,” she reflected.
To replicate the experience, she opted for a cup of black coffee paired with an ice cream sandwich from the gas station.
She positioned her makeshift dessert atop the air pump and took a big bite, exclaiming, “It’s tasty!”
“Back in the car,” she remarked, ready to hit the road again.
This concoction, according to Brown, “blends the essence of a fancy treat with the reality of an American road trip,” and her video has garnered over 3.1 million views across platforms.
Many followers expressed appreciation for the creative approach, with one person commenting on Instagram about adding a bit of “road trip luxury.” Another noted they were eager to try it on an upcoming trip through Ohio and Pennsylvania while dreaming of the Amalfi Coast.
“As someone who couldn’t go to Italy this summer, this really resonates,” a TikTok user added.
Brown favors the most basic kind of ice cream sandwich—just the classic one wrapped in paper.
“I skip the Klondike bars or those fancy chipwiches,” she explained in an interview. “It’s all about the regular ice cream sandwich.”
This idea came to her during a family road trip a few years back. While searching for coffee-flavored ice cream, she found nothing available.
“So, I thought, why not try to make my own?” she recalled. “Desperate times call for creative solutions.”
