PHOTOS: Opening Day at Ample Hills Creamery

The long-awaited made-from-scratch-in-the-shop ice cream parlor finally opened today at noon.

It's the first in Brooklyn, possibly in NYC  a process that requires in-store pasteurization. 

At first customers filled the shop a few at a time, but after 3 p.m. they came in waves. But even with the crowds, the first afternoon went off without a hitch, despite the fact that only one employee had any previous retail experience at all.

Katherine Lerner, a 27-year-old opera singer, has a particular penchant for "fancy" ice cream, and moved to Prospect Heights on April 19, the same day Ample Hills was originally set to open. Due to the "auspicious" coincidence, she developed a great interest in the shop, and has been eagerly awaiting its opening.

"It was kind of surreal walking through the door. I know it sounds silly, it's just ice cream," she said.

And her scoop of salted cracked caramel? "It's really good. I like unusual ice cream and it's really salty. I can tast the burnt carmel and there are chunks of caramel. I'm really happy," she said.

Read a longer story on the opening here.

Ample Hills Creamery, 623 Vanderbilt Avenue at St. Marks, is open Sun-Thurs. noon to 10 p.m. and Friday and Saturday noon to 11 p.m. Phone number not yet available.