It's likely that ice cream invention is at its peak right now. While new businesses throw the term "chef" into the mix to challenge the very definition of what ice cream is, traditional creameries continue to produce vanilla bean wonders that have been developed over decades. Everyone benefits, especially given the high temperatures outside. These ice cream parlors embody everything that is admirable: new-wave artisan businesses that are pushing the idea of what belongs on a cone (or stick, or between cookies), classic parlors experimenting with new flavors, boozed-up scoops, plant-based creameries, and much more. Take a napkin, then. It will be beautiful chaos.
1. Awan: Los Angeles, California
Awan, which means "cloud" in Bahasa, is the creation of Indonesian-Australian chef Zen Ong and pays homage to his Indonesian heritage. After years of recipe testing and experimenting, Ong perfected the recipe for non-dairy ice cream. The trick: a concoction of coconut water and cream from Indonesia that has a gelato-like consistency and a rich, creamy mouthfeel. The original vanilla taste, which is a beloved classic and is made from carefully imported Balinese vanilla beans, is frequently accompanied by new varieties from Ong. His most recent products include the flavorful gula Jawa, which is named after the unrefined sugar obtained by gathering the sap from coconut palm tree flowers, and the scented lemongrass, a customer favorite.
2. The Bent Spoon: Princeton, New Jersey
The lovely college town is quite serious about its ice cream. The Bent Spoon, which has developed a devoted cult following in part because of its staggering 550 flavors that alternate in and out of the small shop 24 at a time, is the scene's standout performer. While you can always receive a top-notch conventional flavor or a modified classic (think Habanero Chocolate), this is a place where seasonality is king, and the establishment also engages in the kind of taste exploration typically done in science labs. Consider a dessert created with the prized fruit of the Garden State: Sun Gold tomatoes, Blueberry Mascarpone, chocolate, and ramps, or pumpkin and shiitake mushrooms. All of those things don't seem like they should be combined. But almost invariably, they're excellent—especially when served with one of the Spoon's renowned cookies.
3. Clementine’s Creamery: St. Louis, Missouri
As a result of its founder, Tamara Keefe's, childhood custom of making handmade ice cream to satisfy a sweet appetite her family couldn't afford to satisfy at their neighborhood parlor, Clementine's is in the uncommon position of nailing both novelty and nostalgia. Her attention to detail in tastes like sumptuous Tommy's Toffee Butter Brickle demonstrates her 25 years of experience in the culinary industry, but she has also succeeded in creating a collection of "naughty" ice creams that carry a boozy punch, including the wildly popular Maple Bourbon or the Manhattan (complete with maraschino cherries). But when you consider how creative flavors like asparagus and quinoa take frozen treats into a completely new and delightful realm, adding booze to ice cream seems like nothing.
4. Creole Creamery: New Orleans, Louisiana
The antique neon bakery sign gracing the façade and the parlor pink adorning the interior of NOLA's indisputable go-to for dairy-related delights create a slightly retro atmosphere. But it's undoubtedly not afraid to innovate (think flavors like Goat Cheese & Mission Fig and Lavender Honey). The distinctive Creole Cream Cheese uses a slightly sweet farmhouse cheese to reach a level of smoothness that might almost feel a bit too decadent until you realize what city you're in again. This is something seriously, if subtly, different.
5. Fifty Licks: Portland, Oregon
Fifty Licks began as a food truck, just like so many other things in Portland—including the massively successful multi-city powerhouse Salt & Straw—but rapidly earned enough notoriety to launch its modest brick and mortar shop in the city's thriving Clinton district. The ever-popular Kerns neighborhood now has a second location, drawing long lines for flavors like the straightforward-yet-amazing Tahitian Vanilla and more elaborate fare like a Thai rice scoop loaded with jasmine rice pudding, a mango flavor infused with spicy ancho chiles, a pink scoop with local strawberries, and adults-only butterscotch infused with actual Scotch.
6. Frankie & Jo’s: Seattle, Washington
Although ice cream may never genuinely qualify as a healthy snack, Frankie & Jo's makes it simple to think that it does. The completely vegan scoop store also incorporates popular components from the wellness industry, including Chaga mushroom powder, turmeric, activated charcoal, and ashwagandha. However, the outcome is more fantastic than goop. You don't even notice the lack of dairy because the texture is so creamy thanks to the base created with cashew and coconut milk. The flavors are also clever. Dark chocolate and cookie dough produced from almond flour are used to make the Chocolate Tahini Supercookie, while nutritional yeast and vanilla bean are used to balance out the flavor of Frankie's Brown Sugar Vanilla. Additionally, if you join Frankie & Jo's monthly club and are unable to visit the store, they will ship you one of their plant-powered pints.
7. Gati: Austin, Texas
Austin residents' eating habits are changing thanks to Jam Sanitchat. Texans who love dairy are drawn in droves to embrace the creamless lifestyle by the vegan ice cream made from coconut milk by the owner of Thai Fresh. (The community is also praising Sanichat's no-tipping business model, which pays employees a fair wage and offers benefits.) To become a superfan, all you have to do is try her delicacies at the independent cafe Gati, whether it's the gluten-free coffee cake or the homemade ice cream. The only way you'll want tea this summer is the silky, cool Thai tea, which is our favorite. There are about 40 varieties that rotate, and the majority of them only have four or fewer components. They are all gluten-free and vegan.
8. Jaxon’s Ice Cream Parlour: Dania Beach, Florida
A roadside bar meets retro ice cream shop in this unassuming Ft. Lauderdale strip mall under the red and white striped awning. Since 1956, Jaxson's, a quirky South Florida institution, has been providing hot beachgoers with relief by maintaining its historic charm. Children ride ponies and buggy rides that accept coins as grownups have their fill of fried food towers. You may occasionally see someone ordering the infamous Kitchen Sink, a sundae with 36 scoops of ice cream served in a real kitchen sink. However, even if you don't have a huge appetite, you may still enjoy the gigantic scoops topped with American flags or the head-sized lollipops.
9. Margie’s Candies: Chicago, Illinois
The original Margie's Candies, which opened in 1921, had stories of famous guests, including the Beatles and Al Capone. This Bucktown institution has kept its vintage furnishings and atmosphere, and it has a talent for preparing homemade candies, chocolate, and fudge. You can choose traditional scoops of ice cream or save room for one of the shop's renowned banana splits. Bring a group to enjoy "the world's largest terrapin," an enormous treat that includes 15 scoops of French Vanilla ice cream and is topped with a mountain of hot fudge, caramel, whipped cream, nuts, and banana before being crowned with a cookie.
10. Moomers: Traverse City, Michigan
Rarely do you get to enjoy a beautiful meal while gazing at the animals that made up the components, owing to the numerous ways a burger can go wrong? However, this quaint country creamery in lovely upper Michigan lets you enjoy your choice of 160 (!) excellent homemade ice cream flavors, including variations on regional favorites like Superman called SuperMoo, and cupcake and Chocolate Monster. Get your scoops in sandwich form or share the Wholey Cow, which includes 10 scoops and every topping, before you sit down and give Bessie a grateful nod before falling into a wonderful diabetic coma.
11. Mount Desert Island Ice Cream: Bar Harbor, Maine
This retro-tiny store is located on an island in Frenchman Bay. Not only is it a sweet little shop in a tiny town, but everything here is made slowly and by hand, from pressing the juices to dipping pretzels in chocolate. This place only makes five gallons of stuff at a time, but the things they make are incredibly amazing. They make everything from a great Blueberry Sour Cream Crumble to Cinnamon Cardamom and a drink named The Dude that anyone would agree to. Since then, the location has grown to include the mainland, with locations in Portland and Washington, D.C. With a chaser of ocean air, you can only find it in its purest form on desert islands.
12. Pretty Cool Ice Cream: Chicago, Illinois
Pretty Cool Ice Cream sells a variety of frozen novelties, including ice cream bars, ice cream sandwiches, and ice pops (vegan ones, too! ), and was founded by pastry chef Dana Salls Cree and Michael Ciapciak of Bang Bang Pie & Biscuits. This restaurant stands out for its inventive taste combinations, which include custard bars with flavors like Peanut Butter Potato Chip, Coffee Pretzel Toffee, and Caramel Horchata Crunch, as well as fruit-flavored "truck pops" like Passion Fruit Hibiscus. It's a quirky (handheld) spin on a traditional scoop shop, and because of the expertise of its staff and the quality of its offerings, Pretty Cool isn't going anywhere anytime soon.
13. Sassy Cow Creamery: Columbus, Wisconsin
The ice cream at Sassy Cow is the freshest around unless America manages to develop a cow with udders that can dispense ice cream. That is due to a dairy farm owned by the same family that is a half-mile north of the creamery. Additionally, you can get ice cream in the summer two to three days following the milking of the cow. There are 30 kinds of that delectable ice cream, with 10 to 15 new ones added each season. Don't miss out on the Caramel Overload, which combines caramel pretzels, whipped cream, and cherries with the wildly popular Salted Caramel ice cream with pecans.
14. Wanderlust Creamery: Los Angeles, California
After husband-and-wife pair Jon-Patrick Lopez and Adrienne Borlongan opened a booth at Smorgasburg LA, among other markets, their Tarzana tiny business quickly became well-known. If you haven't guessed, the flavors here are drawn from far-off places: An Ube Malted Crunch, influenced by Adrienne's Filipino-American upbringing, represents the Philippines, while a dessert from Montélimar, France, is transformed into a nutty, mouthwatering treat with Provençal lavender honey and crunchy almond nougat. Thailand's famous Mango Sticky Rice dessert is transformed into rice milk with coconut cream and swirls of Alphonso mango.
15. An’s Dry Cleaning: San Diego, California
An's Dry Cleaning will satisfy your want for a creamy gelato treat that is unlike your standard scoop shop offering, but they can't assist you with your laundry. Unique titles and creative pairings pay homage to perennially popular chocolate-covered strawberries, such as Lingerie (strawberry gelato with shredded chocolate), while Cypress, a bar of intense chocolate, is similar to eating a gelato brownie. Burlap is a vegan option with a coconut milk base, peanut butter, and chocolate bits that are modeled after Reese's Pieces.
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