LINK: www.yelp.com

You know how sometimes you want REAL ice cream. Not Ben & Jerry's flavors. Not the McDonald's Sundae. Not the Turkey Hill Mint Chocolate Chip. Not even the Skinny Cow.

Maggie Sundae is just the place for such an occasion. The ice cream is fantastic. It is creamy and hits the spot.

They have a variety of dairy offerings and I think coffee too.

LINK: www.yelp.com

Maggie's scoops a great cone, with tons of great flavors (my favorite is Tiger Paws), but they also serve up Seattle's Best Coffee, espresso, latte, and several other pastries and goodies. The store is clean, well-lit, and the walls are covered with beautiful artwork. They have XM satellite music playing all the time, and it's always a happy atmosphere.

The staff is excellent, and they are friendly to pets, as well.

It's up the street from where most people stop looking around Amesbury, up Friend Street right by Town Hall, and there's a public parking lot RIGHT BESIDE the shop, so you can get there easily.

If you're visiting from out of town, stop in. They are open year round.

LINK: www.NewburyportNews.com

AMESBURY - Adele Fasso is living the "dolce vita" as she spends her time in the small cafe on Friend Street she has now owned for four months.

Fasso, of Amesbury, took over Maggie Sundae in late August after the former owners wanted to branch out and do other things, Fasso said. Since then, Fasso has been working to maintain the integrity of the business and keep things the same while adding new features she thinks Amesbury residents are ready for.

"We are keeping it as is and adding soups and paninis, which have worked out quite well, and our Italian pastry selection," Fasso said. "It has been phenomenal."

Fasso, who has dreamed of running her own coffee shop since she lived in Rome, Italy, for two years before marrying a Roman man and moving back to Amesbury, said owning Maggie Sundae has been a "dream come true."

Fasso herself is Sicilian. Her two boys, Stefano, 9, and Alessandro, 7, help around the coffee shop with their father, Danilo.

"We have a bakery in Milan ship pastries to us once a week," Fasso said. "I tell people, 'these are the real McCoy.'"

White chocolate and dark chocolate mousse profiteroles, strawberry mousse cake and Italian style creme brulee are just some of the weekly offerings that arrive at the shop each Thursday morning.

Fasso worked at Ristorante Molise in Wakefield before taking a job as a paralegal in Framingham. All the while, anytime an opportunity to cater an event or office party came up, she jumped at it.

"The whole time I was looking for a space," Fasso said, noting she recently starting working with a broker from the Boston Restaurant Group. "Cooking, entertaining are my hobbies; they are fun for me."

Fasso has lived in Amesbury since 2003 and saw the transition of the location from a laundry to book shop to coffee shop.

"Every time a business closed, I thought about buying it; I had my eye on it," Fasso said. "This time, it was meant to be."

Fasso said she will not change the name of the business and will keep the bright yellow and blue color scheme as a tribute to the shop that has been so successful up to this point.

"This is Maggie Sundae; I want to keep it like that," Fasso said. "It was born as a fun, family place, and I really couldn't change it. It has worked so far, why change?"

Fasso said she hopes to be able to rent kitchen space at a local church in the future in order to grow her ability to cater events.

As for new coffee shops moving into town, Fasso says what sets Maggie Sundae apart is the family-friendly atmosphere you won't find other places.

"For Amesbury to grow I want every business to succeed," Fasso said. "Variety is good, but Maggie Sundae is fun, and it is more kid-oriented. Amesbury is a family town."

LINK: www.NewburyportNews.com

AMESBURY - Eighty-six children in the Amesbury After-School Program participated in the second annual coloring contest sponsored by the Amesbury Lions Club. Students enrolled in the after-school program at CES, AES and AMS were asked to color a page from the Lions International Coloring book. First prize in grades 1 and 2 went to Angel Tricoche; second place went to Ursula Siegfried. First prize in grades 3 and 4 went to Michael Yell; second prize went to Carolyn Sullivan. First prize in grades 5 and 6 went to Spencer Moavenzadeh, and second prize went to Victoria Wadsworth. First- and second-prize winners each received a check for $25. Every child who participated received a coloring book and a gift card from either Maggie Sundae or Carriagetown Chocolates. Prizes were awarded by the Lions Club's "Mr. Lion."

LINK: www.WickedLocal.com

AMESBURY - Faso, the owner of Maggie Sundae, says she'll celebrate her three years in business at 60 Friend St. with a party this Saturday, and part of the proceeds will go to the local food pantry, Our Neighbor's Table. She'll be giving away free coffee from 9-11 a.m. and there will be free gifts for kids all day. A fire truck and police vehicle will be parked out front for kids to explore, under the watchful eye of public safety personnel, of course. She's hoping for a good turnout.

"The more (business) we can do, the more we can help support the community," she says. She acknowledged it's a tough economy for a business to give such a party, but she's philosophical.

"I know the economy is tough," she says, "but we hear all this dark news. We need to do something to change morale. I need to do what I need to do."

Faso, who's lived in Amesbury with her husband and two boys for five years, says she loves town, and just wants to do her part. "I really want to help Our Neighbor's Table," she says.

Also on hand from 1-3 p.m. Saturday will be the original owners of Maggie Sundae, Kim and Scott Richards, along with the shop's namesake, a "goldendoodle" named Maggie.

Regular hours are Monday to Friday, 6:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.; Saturday 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. and Sunday 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Faso says she'll extend her weekend hours in the summer.