If you asked me to describe New York Penn Station station in three words, the first three descriptors that come to mind are crowded, smelly, and old. However, when I walked into the Moynihan Train Hall this weekend, the newly opened expansion of Penn Station’s train hall, I realized I needed to update those adjectives to clean, sleek, and impressive. Never would I have imagined using “clean” to describe something in NYC, but I guess there is some truth in “never say never.” I won’t pretend I know how to describe architecture or buildings, but I will say that the open floor plan and high, glass ceilings presented themselves as a modern take on the grandness of Grand Central Terminal.

What truly won me over, though, was not the building itself, but rather the fragrant scent of freshly baked goods emanating from the glass-encased Magnolia Bakery, the tower of perfectly shaped French macarons from the pastel Ladurée cart at the entrance on 32nd Street and 8th Ave, and the promise of more NYC specialties all consolidated in one place in the bustling Food Hall.

The menu item that peaked our interest was the ice cream at Jacob’s Pickles. For just $5, we got a soft serve that was as large as my head and the flavors were distinctly unique (pickle [v], popcorn, or a swirl of both).

Because we couldn’t decide between pickle or popcorn, we chose to go with the swirl, which was surprisingly not bad! (High praise, I know.) The pickle flavor had the refreshing taste of cucumber with a punch of tartness from the “pickle juice” and the popcorn flavor was buttery and sweet with a light touch of savory nuttiness. Because the pickle flavor was vegan, it was more on the icy side while the popcorn flavor was rich and creamy in texture. The guy at the stand did a nice job of really packing in the ice cream so there was no empty hole that one normally sees in the middle of a soft serve swirl.

I was glad we tried the pickle, but we did all agree that next time we’d probably go all-in on the popcorn because we did strictly enjoy that one more than the pickle. (Pro-tip: ask if you can get a sample of the pickle before ordering so you can decide whether you’re all-in pickle, half pickle, or no pickle at all.) All that being said, the $5 ice cream at Jacob’s Pickles is probably one of THE BEST ice cream deals you can get in the city, and next time I’m back in the area, I’ll be sure to come hungry and with friends so that we can share not only another popcorn ice cream but also more of the amazing food options that Moynihan has to offer.