Chilling Out at McCool's Ice Cream and Coffee Bar

True factoid: Patch has spotted a “MCCOOLS” license plate in northern New Jersey. What if any association this had with the very excellent Madison ice cream parlour of the same name remains unknown, but seeing it was enough to get Patch jonesing for a milk shake.

Jonesing, for the postmodern unhip, is a chronic, insatiable craving for something you just can’t get out of your system. And, if you’ve had the good fortune to suck down a shake at , then you know from whence we speak.

And, as shakes go, there are a lot of reasons to like. Forty-five, more or less, based on McCool’s variety of ice cream flavors, any of which they’ll gladly toss into the mixer. These range from royal red velvet cake to peanut butter twist, brownie batter extreme or outrageous oatmeal cookie. Or mix them together, it’s your shake.

Speaking of ice cream, McCool’s serves Hershey’s brand as well as its own proprietary flavors including sugar-free varieties and sherbet.

There’s more than ice cream if you’re so inclined, including smoothies and yogurt. McCools can also host your birthday party or other event and provide the ice cream cake for it, too.

Smoothies are made from fresh-frozen fruit, juices and daiquiri mixes, and along with plantains and frozen yogurt. The latter is available in mixtures nearly uncountable, with a vast selection of flavors ranging from candies and pumpkin blended into the base yogurt flavors of vanilla, chocolate, or coffee.

McCool’s can conveniently boost your mix with an array of nutritional supplements, from protein powder to energy boosters to antioxidants, according to its website.

What you also might not know is that McCool’s serves coffee, fresh from the barista. Lattes and cappuccinos as well as frappes, a foam-covered iced coffee beverage, to help parents relax while the kids have their ice cream.

Patch is thinking about getting a "FRAPPE" license plate.

McCool’s Ice Cream and Coffee Bar is located at 26 Main Street in Madison. Call (973) 301-0303 or (866) 866 506-6153. Store hours are noon - 9:30 p.m. Sunday-Thursday and noon - 10 p.m. Friday-Saturday.