Much closer to the Square and a decisive stepdown the ice cream totem pole is Baskin Robbins, anational chain. The narrow Mass Ave. store andsparse selection of tables doesn't lend itself tositting down, but its prices--$1.43 for a singlescoop, $2.38 for a double--are among the lowest inthe Square proper.

We sampled our two standards and their flavorof the month, Kit Kat Crumble. The Chocolate andVanilla were unremarkable and had a mildlyartificial taste. The chocolate's "Grayish color"caused some reviewers a bit of concern, and thevanilla tasted a little too strong to be natural.

The Kit Kat ice cream concept went overwell--Kit Kats always disappear quickly from theCrimson's vending machine. But some reviewers saidthey preferred their candy "smooshed in", a laHerrell's and Steve's, rather than frozen with theice cream.

A notch below Baskin Robbins is Emack andBolio's, The local chain once held primestorefront property in the Square--its former shopnow houses the Ultimate Bagel Company. Now,Emack's fans have to travel along Mass Ave.halfway to Porter Square, where a few tables andsome video game are squeezed into a tinystorefront.

The walk is shorter than the walk to central,but Emack's is far more expensive thanToscanini's--one scoop is $1.65, and a double is$2.65. And it's far less tasty. The onceproudEmack's held the Best of Boston award in 1985, butthose heady days are long gone.

Emack's fed us Chocolate, Vanilla and ChocolateFlake--their answer to chocolate chip. The icecream was icier and less creamy than the otherstores' fare. Chocolate was a bit bitter, with ahint of coffee flavor. The Chocolate Flakes in ourspecialty flavor were too small.

Solely a take-out enterprise--but still popularamong our reviewers--is Swensen's, on Brattle St.Swenson's doubles as a David's Cookies, and thesmell of freshly baked cookies permeates the room.With no seats, Swensen's has little ambience--thecrowded store is covered with loud wallpaper andthe floor space is meager. Its prices are the sameas Baskin Robbins'--$1.43 for a single scoop,$2.38 for a double.

At Swensen's, we sampled Chocolate, Vanilla andCaramel Turtle Fudge. The ice cream was some ofthe thickest around, and the vanilla was suitablysubtle. The chocolate received mixed reviews--manyfelt it tasted too much like a fudgesicle. Andwhile the Caramel Turtle Fudge was a surprise hitwith some reviewers, others said it had a"supermarket" taste