The most effective components of summer season is a visit to the ice cream parlor. It’s a pleasure that spans generations.
As a child, I at all times walked as much as the counter with nice anticipation, learning the lengthy listing of flavors intently though I at all times picked mint chocolate chip in a sugar cone topped with chocolate jimmies (what you name sprinkles in Philadelphia). I attempted to shortly devour the deal with earlier than I dropped it (which I typically did) or dripped it throughout (which I additionally did).
One lick of ice cream and people candy recollections come again, even now.
Most of us don’t want an excuse to devour a chocolate malt or banana break up, however if you’d like one, July is Nationwide Ice Cream Month, designated by President Ronald Reagan in 1984.
It’s simple to relive the ice cream delights of your childhood in Tallahassee as a result of there are such a lot of decisions, with longtime favorites and some newcomers. Not less than three spots have opened in 2018 — Magda’s, N2Sweets and Sugar Rush Bar, with sweetFrog frozen yogurt store transferring quickly to Bannerman Crossing.
The primary flavors nonetheless rule — together with my favourite mint chocolate chip — however we now have so many choices. You possibly can splurge on ice cream frozen with liquid nitrogen, slurp milkshakes topped with a slice of cheesecake or pig out on greater than two dozen scoops served in a kitchen sink. Gluten-free, sugar-free and vegan options are additionally out there.
That can assist you scope out the perfect scoops within the metropolis, right here’s our information to actually cool locations for ice cream, gelato, frozen yogurt and snowballs. Now that’s candy.
Barb’s Gourmand Brittles: For 17 years, Barbara McGarrah has been promoting her fastidiously crafted do-it-yourself ice cream in a quaint cottage in Lake Ella. The crowning contact: Most flavors are spiked with items of McGarrah’s personal brittle. Flavors embody blueberry pralines ‘n cream, made with bits of pecan praline items, bubble gum with items of bubble gum or what she dubs chocolate “virgin” brittle as a result of it has no nuts. You would possibly wish to seize a bag of of Barb’s brittle earlier than you permit for a very candy deal with. The Cottages of Lake Ella, 1671 N. Monroe St.; 850-385-9839.
Massive Straightforward Snowballs: Right here’s a spot the place you could find snowballs on a 90-degree day. These New Orleans-style frozen treats can be found in additional than 98 flavors from amaretto to white chocolate, plus sugar-free varieties and seasonal picks like sangria, honey melon and horchata. One specialty is a “stuffed” snowball – any taste with a scoop of French vanilla soft-serve ice cream within the center. Lake Ella, 1621 N Monroe St.; 850-329-6010.
Bruster’s Actual Ice Cream: To mark Nationwide Ice Cream Month, Bruster’s is serving two new flavors — chilly brew espresso ice cream spiked with chocolate flakes and Cookie Craze with blue vanilla ice cream and Oreos. The outlets provides 24 rotating flavors, yogurt and sorbet, with ice cream muffins and pies on the lengthy menu. Deliver your individual banana to Bruster’s on Thursdays and get a banana break up for half-price ($three as a substitute of $6). 2475 Apalachee Pkwy., 850-309-0712; 1709 W. Tharpe St., 850-383-9782.
Chilly Stone Creamery: Decide your ice cream taste, alternative of mix-ins and it’s all melded collectively utilizing two spades on a frozen granite stone, for a made-to-order confection. Chilly Stone additionally serves yogurt and sorbet, with gluten-free and low-fat choices, plus ice cream sandwiches, muffins and pies. Centre of Tallahassee (inside, by AMC Tallahassee 20), 2415 N Monroe St., 850-553-4560; 1444 W. Tennessee St., 850-425-1150.
Dairy Queen: The three Dairy Queen outlets provide traditional chocolate and vanilla soft-serve and Blizzards plus burgers, grilled rooster and sides. 2227 N. Monroe St., 850-386-3326 (open till 2 a.m. on weekends); 1725 Capital Circle NW, 850-210-1493; 1319 Capital Circle SE, 850-402-0424.
– The Good Berry
The Good Berry: Right here’s a spot the place you could find toppings like bee pollen and chia seeds as a substitute of sprinkles and sweet bars. The Good Berry focuses on sorbet produced from South America’s sweet-tart berry, açaí. Homeowners Joan-Manuel Pouparina and Ariel Sonnino, each current Florida State College grads, serve açaí bowls together with smoothies and avocado toast. When you’re attempting to find stylish blue spirulina, which is derived from an algae powder, you possibly can add it to your Inexperienced Glow smoothie on the new Good Berry School City location. 1325 Thomasville Rd., 850-778-5167; 631 W. Madison St. (by the Catalyst flats).
Isabella Pizza: Together with Neapolitan pizza and salads, Isabella’s provides six rotating flavors of house-made gelato, many with a style of Italy. Present decisions embody peanut butter, tiramisu, strawberry cheesecake, nutella and stracciatella in cups or waffle cones. School City, 799 W. Gaines St.; 850-558-6379.
Lofty Pursuits: Tallahassee’s best-known ice cream store, owned by Gregory Cohen, options cones, floats, rickeys, malts, freezes and yips (blended seltzer with syrup and ice cream) plus almost three dozen sundaes. The massive problem right here: the 26-scoop sundae, with each topping, served in a duplicate of a chrome steel kitchen sink. Lofty Pursuits rotates greater than 200 flavors, together with vegan decisions. The store can be identified for its Victorian-style sweet, referred to as Public Shows of Confection, made in-house on gear from the late 1800s. Lofty Pursuits serves brunch every day so you possibly can even have pancakes or waffles with ice cream at 7 a.m.. Try retro toys and video games any time of day. 1355 Market St.; 850-521-0091.
Magda’s: Open since February, Magda’s is likely one of the latest ventures from the staff behind For the Desk Hospitality (Madison Social, Township Tallahassee, Centrale Pizza Parm & Bar). The School City sweets store provides a Fortunate Goat latte made with cereal milk, which tastes just like the milk left from a bowl of Fruity Pebbles, a craze that hit massive cities like Miami and Manhattan. Flavors embody the fundamentals, birthday cake and salted pretzel served in a retro, Miami-inspired setting. FYI, Magda’s will get its title from the eccentric neighbor in One thing About Mary. 815 W Madison St.; 850-321-8272.
Nuberri Frozen Yogurt: The store, with two websites, is thought for its self-serve frozen yogurt (with low-fat and no-fat choices) plus gelato, custard, sorbet and Italian ices with dozens of toppings. 101 N. Blair Stone Rd., 850-222-2374; 2910 Kerry Forest Pkwy., 850-727-5257.
Peterbrooke Chocolatier: You may get a free scoop of gelato or sorbet each Wednesday in July at this store identified for its hand-dipped candies. Peterbrooke provides 16 rotating flavors of gelato or sorbet, together with cappuccino, roasted coconut and mango served in cones, cups or by the pint. 1817 Thomasville Rd. (by Entire Meals); 850-577-3111.
Sprinkles Paradise Treats: Scott Flowers and his household have opened a brand new ice cream parlor referred to as Sprinkles Paradise Treats on Mahan Drive the place you possibly can actually chill with ice cream cones and cups, elaborate sundaes and shakes or seize some Fortunate Goat espresso, doughnuts, scorching canines and old school chili canines. 1373 Mahan Dr.
Sugar Rush Bar: Open since January, Sugar Rush is likely one of the hottest spots on the town for over-the-top cool confections. Milkshakes have names just like the Cereal Killer (with Fruity Pebbles and Cap’n Crunch), Cookie Monster (with a jumbo Oreo sandwich) and Unicorn (with an ice cream cone for a horn) plus you possibly can order a shake garnished with a slice of cheese cake or birthday cake. When you desire the fundamentals, get your favourite taste in a cup or cone, plus there are bins of sweet. Sugar Rush, owned by Juan Severini, began out as Shake Store in Donut Kingdom but it surely’s undoubtedly developed. Specialties are embellished to order so be ready for a wait. Followers would say: Value it. 414 All Saints St.; 850-778-9227; Bannerman Crossings, 6668 Thomasville Rd.; 850-727-5790.
Rochelle Koff writes about meals and eating at TallahasseeTable.com. Attain her at [email protected]
