From Welly’s in Port Angeles, Washington, to the Bent Spoon in Princeton, New Jersey, I have tried numerous ice cream dishes throughout the country, and consider myself an ice cream connoisseur. Ice cream is my one true love, and something I have immense passion for.
Over the years, I’ve developed an exceptional talent for finding the perfect ice cream spot, whether it’s the headlined tourist attraction or served in a small shack on the beach. Along the way, I’ve learned what signs indicate a memorable ice cream experience.
That being said, I’ve put together a short guide on how to find the best scoops no matter where you are. Here’s how to chase down a delicious sweet treat, from reading reviews to scoping out the area.
Tip #1 – Go Beyond the Tourist Scoop
One of my favorite ice cream spots is Serendipity in New York City. This iconic New York diner and tourist attraction features a wide menu offering 12 oversized Sundae options. Ranging from “Unicorn Bliss Sundae” with rainbow-striped cake and the “Insanity Sundae,” with hot fudge and butter pecan ice cream, this small parlor has it all, and reservations are needed in advance. Of course, any ice cream is better than no ice cream, but this parlor is notorious for its outrageous desserts rather than the taste of the ice cream itself. However, if you are ever traveling to New York, this is a critical place to stop for a sweet treat. Contrasting the giant servings and long lines, Gelati Celesti in Richmond, Virginia, is one of my favorite ice creams I’ve ever had. Featuring a total of 25 flavors, this ice cream shop is a family-owned and operated business with only two locations: Richmond and Virginia Beach. The ice cream is exceptionally creamy and has the perfect ratio of cookie dough chunks to ice cream in chocolate chip cookie dough. Although this place doesn’t offer the extreme desserts like Serendipity does, this local place is in my top 10 ice cream experiences of all time.
Tip #2 – Quality Over Quantity
My regular ice cream place is Good Vibes, located in Dunwoody. The dessert is reliable and just what I need to satisfy my craving for sweet treats on a Friday night. However, their ice cream overall is mediocre. Good Vibes offers numerous flavors, which is part of the problem. An ice cream shop with too many flavors makes it hard for the dessert shop to specialize in one flavor, ensuring the ice cream is as sweet and creamy as possible. The perfect example of this phenomenon is The Dairy Godmother, located in Alexandria, Virginia. The Dairy Godmother is a custard/ice cream shop with three total flavors: chocolate, vanilla, and the flavor of the day. The small selection of ice cream allows this shop to specialize and take more time creating each of its flavors, resulting in superior ice cream. Whenever my family takes a trip to D.C., we always stop at this ice cream shop. Fun fact: here, there is a chair dedicated to where President Obama sat when he came to get ice cream with his daughters!
Tip #3 – Look for Wooden Spoons
My favorite and most essential tip is one that may not be as familiar, but is critical to the ice cream hunting process. One singular item can truly determine whether you are in for a fantastic sweet treat: wooden spoons. If an ice cream shop serves tiny wooden spoons in a small cup on the counter when giving out samples, it is a fantastic indicator that incredible ice cream is about to reach you. Of course, nothing is necessarily wrong with sub-par plastic spoons, but the wooden spoons are hard to come by and usually follow a memorable sweet treat.
Whether you’re wandering through a small town or a bustling city, I hope these tips come in handy when trying to find the perfect sweet treat. Hunting for ice cream is one of my favorite parts of traveling. It allows my family and me to explore all the nooks and crannies of wherever we are while enjoying a sweet treat afterwards. These tips will help you both find the best ice cream and make it an enjoyable experience.
