Last Bite: The Ice Cream Sandwich at the knack
The Ice Cream Sandwich at the knack
If you have ever been to the knack in Orleans, or its second, year-round location now open in Hyannis, you’ll know that they have achieved their mission: the ideal roadside destination for classic Cape Cod fare after a day at the beach. Conveniently, this also applies to a day on the links, working around the house or at the office. It’s the perfect way to top off a fine day or salve the wounds of a rough evening the night before. The single or double burgers dripping with juices and sauces come in a multitude of mouth-watering combinations, each of which could be better cleaned up with your beach towel than meager napkins. Hot dogs, lobster rolls, fish sandwiches, shakes, and fries are all represented on a menu of delectable comfort. The thinly sliced onion rings come with a suggested side of horseradish mayonnaise, and the combination is a revelation!
For dessert, soft serve ice cream is available, but why not have yourself a house-made ice cream sandwich. The knack has gone to great lengths to remove the guilt often associated with dessert. With every dessert, whether it be a cup, cone, sandwich or shake, the knack donates 10% of sales to local charities such as Cape Abilities, Habitat for Humanity of Cape Cod, and Cape Cod Children’s Place, among others. So far, the knack has donated over $103,000. As co-owner Van Haidas says of the donations, “This was in the business plan. It’s one way to directly connect with the public on a constant basis.” The list of organizations has grown with the addition of the second location of the knack. “We started with three and now we’ve grown the list to ten,” he states. When making your dessert decision, remember: It’s not gluttony. It’s giving.
As for the ice cream sandwich itself, can we talk about sandwich construction for a moment? This sandwich is properly built. Many times, sandwiches are destined for failure right out of the gates due to poor design. (I’m looking at you, egg sandwich with sausage links instead of patties.) Here, the house-baked snickerdoodle or peanut butter cookies (or even brownies) are paired with either vanilla or chocolate ice cream. A healthy portion of the soft serve is pressed between the cookies, removing any air gaps and leaving a good inch of ice cream to enjoy. The knack takes the extra step and places the sandwich in the freezer to firm up. This protects against the dreaded squeeze-out when one bite into the sandwich can result in either losing precious ice cream to the ground below, or it leaves you scrambling to lick off the excess. In those cases, the crucial ice cream-to-cookie ratio is irredeemably altered. But not with this ice cream sandwich!
Brothers Van and Michael Haidas opened the original location of the knack in 2015, a stone’s throw from the Orleans rotary on Route 6A. They are the next generation of a venerable Cape Cod restaurant family whose grandparents opened the Kream & Kone in West Dennis in 1953. Haidas’ father, James, and uncle Connie established Cooke’s Seafood. The Hyannis location of Cooke’s closed in the fall of 2020. In its place along Route 132, the knack quietly opened its doors to the completely renovated space this past January. They’ve now built two roadside destinations to enjoy with or without a beach visit beforehand. You can’t go wrong no matter which ice cream sandwich you choose, but it is a difficult decision. So, why make it? Get two. It’s for a good cause.
the knack — Orleans
5 Route 6A
the knack — Hyannis
1120 Route 132
