Ice cream shops and parlors across America are offering incredible takes on the quintessential summer dessert. Here, Food & Wine presents 25 of the nation’s best spots for cool, creamy blends—from an artisan’s boundary-pushing flavor combinations to a New England dairy’s superb small batches.
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Columbus, OH: Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams
<strong>Signature Item:</strong> Salty Caramel ice cream
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<a href="http://www.foodandwine.com/articles/how-to-make-ice-cream-like-an-artisan">Jeni Britton Bauer</a> creates some of the country's best ice creams, sorbets and frozen yogurts in imaginative flavors like wildberry lavender and Thai chili. <em><a class="external" href="http://www.jenisicecreams.com">jenisicecreams.com</a></em>
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<em><a href="http://www.issuu.com/andiediemer/docs/portfolio" class="external" rel="nofollow">Photo © Andie Diemer</a>.</em>
<a href="http://www.foodandwine.com/slideshows/ice-cream-sandwiches" target="_hplink">
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<strong>Plus: More Ice Cream Sandwiches</strong></a>
Scottsdale, AZ: Sweet Republic
<strong>Signature Item:</strong> Cheese Course Duo (blue cheese with Arizona Medjool dates)
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This two-year-old shop prides itself on using exceptional ingredients, from milk and cream from local dairy farms to single-origin, fair-trade coffee beans for its espresso flavor. <em><a class="external" href="http://www.sweetrepublic.com">sweetrepublic.com</a></em>
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<em>Photo © Robin Calvert.</em>
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<a href="http://www.foodandwine.com/slideshows/frozen-desserts" target="_hplink"><strong>Plus: More Delicious Frozen Desserts</strong></a>
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Austin: Amy’s Ice Cream
<strong>Signature Item:</strong> Mexican Vanilla ice cream
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Amy’s offers more than 300 flavors on a rotating basis, including the Shiner Bock, made with the iconic Texan beer of the same name. <em><a class="external" href="http://www.amysicecreams.com">amysicecreams.com</a></em>
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<em><a href="http://www.kellybazelyphotography.com" class="external" rel="nofollow">Photo © Kelly Bazely</a></em>
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<a href="http://www.foodandwine.com/slideshows/vanilla" target="_hplink">Plus: 10 Terrific Vanilla Recipes</a></strong>
Cambridge, MA: Toscanini’s
<strong>Signature Item:</strong> Burnt Caramel ice cream
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In contention with Christina’s for best local ice cream. The floor-to-ceiling windows are superb for people watching. <em><a class="external" href="http://www.tosci.com">tosci.com</a></em>
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<em><a href="http://www.garywong.org" class="external" rel="nofollow">Photo © Gary Wong</a></em>.
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<a href="http://www.foodandwine.com/slideshows/caramel-recipes" target="_hplink">Plus: Great Caramel Recipes</a></strong>
Honolulu: Bubbie’s Ice Cream
<strong>Signature Item:</strong> Green Tea mochi ice cream
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One fan of Keith Robbins’ bite-size mochi (ice cream wrapped in a sweetened rice confection) is superchef <a href="/chefs/nobu-matsuhisa">Nobu Matsuhisa</a>. <em><a class="external" href="http://bubbiesicecream.gourmetfoodmall.com">bubbiesicecream.gourmetfoodmall.com</a></em>
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<em>Photo © Ric Noyle.</em>
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<strong><a href="http://www.foodandwine.com/slideshows/ice-cream" target="_hplink">Plus: More Ice Cream Desserts</a></strong>
Minneapolis, MN: Pumphouse Creamery
<strong>Signature Item:</strong> Sea Salt and Caramel with Praline Pecans
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Barb Zapzalka’s exceptional ice cream is made with organic milk and cream from a small dairy farm in Wisconsin. <em><a class="external" href="http://www.facebook.com/PumphouseCreamery">facebook.com/pumphousecreamery</a></em>
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<em>Photo courtesy of Pumphouse Creamery.</em>
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<strong><a href="http://www.foodandwine.com/slideshows/chilled-chocolate-dessertss" target="_hplink">Plus: Chilled Chocolate Desserts</a></strong>
New Orleans: The Creole Creamery
<strong>Signature Item:</strong> Creole Cream Cheese ice cream (made with a curdled cream cheese local to New Orleans)
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This desserts shop has fountain-shop classics like banana splits and sundaes, along with rotating ice cream flavors. <em><a class="external" href="http://www.creolecreamery.com">creolecreamery.com</a></em>
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<em>Photo courtesy of The Creole Creamery.</em>
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<strong><a href="http://www.foodandwine.com/slideshows/ice-cream-sundaes" target="_hplink">Plus: Perfect Ice Cream Sundaes</a></strong>
San Francisco: Bi-Rite Creamery
<strong>Signature Item:</strong> Salted Caramel ice cream.
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Almost everything at this excellent ice cream shop is made from scratch, including the marshmallows for the Rocky Road. <em><a class="external" href="http://biritecreamery.com/">biritecreamery.com</a></em>
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<em><a href="http://www.alamodejournals.com" class="external" rel="nofollow">Photo © Rick Poon</a>.</em>
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<strong><a href="http://www.foodandwine.com/slideshows/ice-cream-party" target="_hplink">
Plus: Ice Cream Party Ideas</a></strong>
Berkeley, CA: Ici Ice Cream
<strong>Signature Item:</strong> House-made ice cream cones
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Mary Canales, a former pastry chef at Berkeley’s illustrious Chez Panisse, is now famous in her own right for phenomenal ice creams in flavors like brandied cherry and rose. <em><a class="external" href="http://www.ici-icecream.com/">ici-icecream.com</a></em>
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<em>Photo © Tomoko Kanamitsu.</em>
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<a href="http://www.foodandwine.com/slideshows/ice-cream" target="_hplink">Plus: Fantastic Ice Cream Recipes</a></strong>
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Seattle: Molly Moon Ice Cream
<strong>Signature Item:</strong> Theo Chocolate (dark chocolate ice cream made with melted Theo bars)
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Molly Moon Neitzel uses mostly local fruit to flavor her ice creams—the farthest south she goes for fruit is Napa Valley for blood oranges. <em><a class="external" href="http://www.mollymoonicecream.com">mollymoonicecream.com</a></em>
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<em>Photo © Joanna Lee.</em>
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<strong><a href="http://www.foodandwine.com/slideshows/best-ice-cream-spots-in-the-us/12">Plus: 15 More of the 25 Best Ice Cream Spots in the U.S.</a></strong>
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#1 Leon's and #2 Kopp's
This place is not your old fashioned Ice Cream Shop. It is more like the local ice companies delivery truck ran into an Ice cream store and an Italian Ice shop and shook things up a little....check them out when your on the boardwalk in Ocean City, NJ or visit them online at www.myPLANETice.com.
What about Mitchell's Ice Cream in San Francisco?
Mitchell's has been around since 1953 (being an offshoot of a family's small dairy farm in San Francisco, and is still owned by the same family since the late 1800's). I have not ever seen their mom and pop ice cream shop empty, even on cold days in the City.
Mitchell's has won over 50 gold, silver and bronze ribbons, and 2 gold medallions at previous California State Fairs.
Mitchell's has 33 standard flavors, 12 tropical flavors, 23 sorbets, 8 seasonal flavors, their sundaes and milkshakes are to die for....And, they make Thee Best non-alky egg nog in the World at Christmastime.
I'm sorry...I'm biased, but Mitchell's is the absolute best ice cream in San Francisco!
http://www.mitchellsicecream.com/html/welcome.htm