Fifty Licks - Portland, OR

I returned to the PNW in June 2018 after three years! I did get a small scoop at Fifty Licks when I visited in Fall of 2015, but didn’t snap a photo. This time, I made sure to get post material to feature this trendy Portland creamery. There was no line on the Thursday night I was there, and I was able to sample a few of their dreamy flavors. FL does very concentrated and “serious” flavors. I was overpowered by the lavender in their Lavender Mint Chip, and found the Butterscotch whiskey to be too intense so I settled on scoops of the mild Thai Rice and Marbled Halva.   I had never tried Halva so I was definitely curous about that one.  Halva is usually made from tahini (sesame paste) or other nut butters, such as sunflower seed butter. The primary ingredients are nut butter and sugar. Marbled meant this version had some dark cocoa as well (cacao for true Portlandia-philes). To be honest, I could have done with reallyyyy small scoops because I was a bit full already and they are so rich and decadent. I’m pretty sure I left an entire scoop behind. Come on an empty stomach!

Try this Marbled Halva Recipe from the internet!   https://www.joyofkosher.com/recipes/marble-halvah/

Molly Moon’s - Seattle, WA

Molly Moon’s seems to be the unanimous local favorite spot for homemade ice cream in Seattle. With a creative giant like Salt n’ Straw in town, that’s saying something. Several locals referred me to Molly Moon’s and I am happy I listened. Easily one of the best customer service experiences (on par with Jeni’s and SNS) but at a better price point. At the Capitol Hill lcoation, I tried the three seasonal ice cream flavors (not the sorbet) as well as the Earl Grey and their proprietary “yeti” flavor... all were marvelous. 

“Inspired by its Spring counterpart Sasquatch, this delicious flavor is made with sweet cream ice cream that's swirled with homemade vanilla bean caramel and tons of homemade yeti granola and Theo chocolate bits.”

I decided on the Caramel Cone Crunch because it was Seasonal and I love a chocolate covered cone crunch! I had just eaten a delicious happy hour pizza at Via Tribunali (highly recommend!!) so I opted for a single scoop for $4.50 (Ha! pictured above you will see that was plenty).  When I cashed out the attendant didn’t charge me for a super cute English Bulldog sticker. <3 I would definitely return here and am sad that I am missing their current seasonal menu, featuring Arnold Palmer sorbet!

The Phoenix Pharmacy & Soda Fountain - Knoxville, TN

Stopped here en route to Asheville, NC (where I unfortunately did not have any ice cream but made up for it with an abundance of craft beer) and got a scoop of cookies and cream with hot fudge. 

Guys, the hot fudge... it was basically melted milk and dark chocolate and it was gooood.

It was a pricey place - I think this came out to $5 and was rather small, but I had just eaten a bunch of tamales right before so it hit the spot. Must get the fudge!!

Honorable Mentions: Sprinkles Ice Cream, Multiple Locations

Strachan’s Homemade Ice Cream and Desserts - Dunedin, FL

“Popcorn, get your popcorn!” - I imagine a carnival barker beckons from inside Strachan’s, nestled in quaint Dunedin... only he means popcorn ice cream. It was my second stop in Dunedin on a trip to see my engaged bestie Lairyn. We walked over after dinner at Casa Tina (awesome TexMex and margaritas) around the corner. I couldn’t resist a scoop each of cotton candy and buttered popcorn (!) ice cream side by side, topped with mini gummy bears - perhaps my favorite candy topping of all time.

Hyppo and Peak Season pops - Florida small batch popsicles

Any sane ice cream blogger or general human being who loves ice cream PROBABLY also loves a fresh, gourmet ice pop. I *definitely* do. Before I moved to Nashville, I hit the Winter Park farmer’s market pretty regularly to snag a pop or two from the one woman show that was Peak Season Pops. It was just one little cart on the outside corner of the market when I first discovered them, but before I left (a regular by then), Jana had a small staff and multiple carts. I just learned on facebook that she sold the company late last year and moved to Georgia. Congrats Jana!!

Peak Season had a bunch of stellar flavors but my notable favorites were: Arnold Palmer, Raspberry Honeybell, the lemonade tri-color “Bomb Pop” for July 4th one year, Avocado Lime, and Coconut Cinnamon (basically horcata, pictured above)!

Icesmile - Tampa, FL

My first ever rolled ice cream experience! This hole in the wall is next to the “home of the $12 pedicure” in a Tampa outlet mall, so perhaps uninviting from the outside. Once you step inside, a colorful array of neon post it notes with random sayings on white walls provide a nice touch... and you learn about the locals. Ex. “Kayla waz here”, “Kimmy and Billy 4 Ever”, “IceSmile rocks my socks”, and so on. 

My order: thai tea rolled ice cream base with matcha pocky, mochi, and coconut. Each creation is topped with a LOTTE Koala cookie for added cuteness.Along with being supes adorbs, I enjoyed this confection quite a bit. The cons to this novel idea are: no samples, you can’t get two flavors side by side (only mixed), and it’s one size only which led to me not finishing my “rolls”.

Van Leeuwen Artisan Ice Cream - Los Angeles, CA

This place is right on par with Jeni’s and Salt n’ Straw for unique, edgy flavors and an upscale modern atmosphere. I sampled Honeycomb, Passionfruit layer cake, Vegan Matcha before landing on the seasonal Hazelnut Caramel Brownie. I enjoyed EVERY SINGLE SAMPLE and wish it were socially appropriate to sample everything (I got the vibe their employees were running out of patience with me). My friend Jaden and her friend split the traditional sundae (above) with honeycomb ice cream as the base. It looked awesome and there wasn’t a bite left. VLAIC is a bit pricey, but a nice splurge for an ice cream lover.