Several years ago, when Rhino’s received its kosher status and decided to advertise to the Jewish community, Josh Miller was spokesperson for the soft serve operation. He is son of Rob Miller, owner/operator of the Shell gas station that features auto repair, a carwash, and a convenience store, along with the Rhino’s soft serve operation inside that convenience store. The time of year was mid-February, and the days were cold, raw, and dreary, mostly — a lot like the past few weeks, minus a day or two here and there. On that bitter February day, even with the wintry weather swirling outside, there was a steady stream of patrons milling about the soft-serve area, deciding on flavors, on toppings, on cones or cups, and perhaps whether a squirt of hot fudge was better than a spurt of hot caramel as the pièce de resistance topper.
We talked about the flow of traffic through the soft serve area, and he said it was steady, if slower, in the cold-weather months, but in March when warmer days would begin to occur is when the numbers would increase. “Some people like to treat themselves to the soft ice cream and the yogurt and sorbet even if it is cold outside. And the kids, they are always up for a treat, and they don’t seem to care how unpleasant the weather might be. But right around March, things start to heat up — spring is in the air — and then you see more people coming in and getting a cup or a cone,” he said. He added that the first warm day we’d have going forward he would not have to know the temperature outside to know that it was an “ice cream” day.
A cup of my Valencia orange sorbet, with Butterfinger crunch and a cherry on top, all kosher
Today is March 7, so those warmer days are imminent, and already we’ve had a few spring-like experiences. But warm or not, Jewish diners-out will find something that is exceedingly rare in Greater Cincinnati and the Midwest generally — a kosher spot dedicated to one’s sweet tooth.
While yours truly has not witnessed it personally, owner Bob Miller and others who watch over the soft-serve operation have told me of the many times that Jewish families have come through the door with kids in the lead. To set the scene, the adults in the party generally approach with modest smiles on their faces. The children are smiling too, along with chattering energetically, excited, eager, fully engaged — like kids in a candy store, as the saying goes.
From Miller’s perspective, the adults are happy because infrequent are the times when these parents are able to take their children to a dessert spot such as Rhino’s. There just are not many, if any, soft serve operations out there with kosher creds.
So, what to have when you go to Rhino’s? When I go there, I know what I want even before I arrive. Make mine sorbet, and if it happens to be the cherry flavor, all the better. Rob Miller, who is the inspiration behind Rhino’s, says he always has at least one sorbet in the mix of flavors and types in his soft serve operation. For me, whether it’s cherry or orange or lemon or some other flavor, sorbet is the ticket, especially on a hot day. On cooler days, my natural ambivalence may take me toward the soft ice creams and yogurts that Miller offers. Those remind me of being a kid, when a swirl of chocolate and vanilla seemed among the most wonderful treats the world had to offer.
Whatever the sorbet flavor of the month, there are a total of 15 different flavors and flavor combinations to be enjoyed. Always you will find a chocolate and a vanilla in the mix, what Josh Miller described as the two most popular flavors. Other flavors we enjoyed include cookies and cream, cheesecake, peanut-butter cup, Dole pineapple, mixed fruit, brownie batter, mountain blackberry, blackberry cobbler, triple chocolate, and birthday cake. The flavors rotate on a loose monthly basis, but my sense is that you’ll find something for every taste, and especially for the palates of the kids.
A shot of some of the add-in trays
In fact, one of the joys of going to Rhino’s is watching the children at work making decisions about the spigot they want to pull — serve-your-own, after all — and the add-ons they wish to sprinkle on top. Some kids sweep in the door and do a quick survey of the flavors and choose one or a combo. Others, and the majority, I think, survey the flavors and then the fun of deciding starts. They dither, they take polls, they ask mom or dad what they think. But ultimately, every kid makes the decision, takes the plunge, and is off to the add-in stations, which are loaded with kosher choices as well. It’s pure, tasty fun!
See you at Rhino’s Frozen Yogurt & Soft Serve!
