There is something primally refreshing about an Ice Cream cone on a warm summer night, when the sweet-toothed inner child in all of us is overcome with smooth sugary bliss.

I'll surely take heat for not picking local legends Bischoff's or Conrad's or Van Dyk's, but I've been to all three, and think Ice Cream by Mike is better.

Mike Elias recently moved from a tiny, narrow space in Hackensack to a bigger, brighter spot in Ridgewood.

The red-and-white-trimmed Maple Shade Custard Stand , which dates to the 50s, is a scoop of vanishing Americana, with its walk-up counter and DRIVE IN sign atop the roof.

First of all, it's quite a production: Milk, cream and sugar are poured, pounded and scraped on a flat surface, then fashioned into a half dozen rolls.

Choose your flavor of ice cream first (vanilla, chocolate, coconut), add your choice of toppings later, and you're good to go.