I’m a Philly guy. When it comes to ice cream, I know a thing or two…cuz I’ve tasted a thing or two…of the dairy delight.
I read years ago that Philadelphians eat more ice cream per capita than any other U.S. city (now surpassed by Long Beach, Calif., or Portland, Ore., depending on what you read). The City of Brotherly Love is home to Turkey Hill, Dolly Madison and Breyer’s ice cream brands. But I must say, Seattle wins out for creativity.
The Emerald City has scoops full of ice cream choices – and I’m not talking about that mass-produced frozen confection found at your local Safeway or Freddie’s. No, we have high-quality offerings here – including my five faves (alphabetically):
Full Tilt – I lived within two blocks of a small Full Tilt shop in the University District. The smell of freshly baked waffle cones was reason enough to visit and taste the goodness. If you timed it right, you could catch the server pour fresh batter onto a sizzling waffle iron as a future cone slowly came to life. The ice cream choices vary from week to week – but they’re all creative and delicious. Try the Mexican chocolate. Intense! According to Yelp, there are six locations around the city, including a Ballard shop that includes a pinball arcade, great music, seating and even cold beer. It’s experiential. (Dozens of businesses sell Full Tilt, as well.)
Molly Moon’s – Seattle has a love affair with Molly Moon and her ice cream shops. Across eight locations, you will undoubtedly see a line out the door almost every evening (Okay, except when the Seahawks are playing at night, it’s raining and we are in December or January) and fans just can’t get enough of it. I love it too. Fresh tasting. Fun flavor combinations. Molly Moon’s was where I first tasted salted caramel ice cream, back in 2010. It was a glorious experience – and well worth waiting in line. (This is a locally owned business, believes in wage transparency, is a no-tip operation and features a special fund in memory of Molly’s sister.)
Old School Frozen Custard – Every summer, my family would trek down to the South Jersey shore where soft-served ice cream was the bomb! It may sound boring but I loved my black-and-white twist cones on the Ocean City (N.J.) boardwalk. Seattle offers an adult version with Old School on Capitol Hill. In addition to vanilla and chocolate, the shop offers a fresh-made special flavor (or two) each day – usually featuring a fruit- or sugar-based ingredient. If you want more, just ask the servers to whip up a creation with soft-serve ice cream, crunchy/chewy toppings and sauces. I usually mix vanilla, fudge syrup and a warm brownie to make a calorie-busting, incredible-tasting dessert – any time of the day, any day of the year.
Salt & Straw – This is a popular newcomer to the Seattle ice cream landscape but many locals know of Salt & Straw from its Portland roots. This place is a delicious dairy equivalent to Portlandia’s Voodoo Doughnut, with two Seattle-area ice cream locations – on Capitol Hill and Ballard. The flavors – how about Meyer lemon blueberry buttermilk custard? – and toppings (on a cone or in a cup) truly tantalize the tongue. There’s even an S&S ice cream cookbook!
Shug’s – There was a time decades ago when going to the soda fountain for a root beer float or banana split with friends or a special someone was the thing to do on a Friday night. At Shug’s, every night (and day) is “Friday night.” Located just north of Pike Place Market on 1st Avenue, Shug’s keeps America’s love affair with fountain & ice cream shops going strong. Vanilla and chocolate ice cream concoctions are popular, sure, but Shug’s has introduced more adventurous options – S’more sundaes, brûléed banana splits and ice-cream cocktails. Oh, yeah! Sit at the counter and experience the 1950s for the first time.
Bonus scoop: Seattle Pops – I found Seattle Pops at one of the many food festivals around Seattle. I tried a coffee-flavored ice cream on a stick. Wow! I thought I was enjoying a full cup of coffee with cream. Delish. What makes the ice cream so good? The company uses fresh fruit and cream in a concentrated form – similar to
Mexican paletas – to deliver intense flavor. While it can still be found at local food events, Seattle Pops now has a full-time presence with a shop in Wallingford.
Five – plus a bonus scoop – is definitely not enough to cover all of the great ice cream options. There are many other local offerings and dessert-friendly restaurants that make their own creamy concoctions. All you need to do is scream for ice cream!