By Leslie Weinberg & Amy Strauss
Fill in the blank, on a warm summer’s night, hands down the best way to cool off is with a refreshing ________.
A. Trip to Antarctica
B. A slip and slide
C. A refreshing cup/cone of ice cream or water ice
D. All of the above
The correct answer is C, unless you are really bold. Did you know that America is the number one ice cream consuming country in the world? Right up there with Mom’s apple pie, ice cream is the dessert of choice of Americans and even Ben Franklin, Thomas Jefferson and George Washington snagged a cone or two in their day. The warm weather is ready to come out, so Dish has searched far and wide for old favorites and new spots for some frozen fun.
Brown Cow Inc.
30 South Main St., Phoenixville, 610-933-0695
As a perfect nightcap after a downtown stroll around Bridge and Main Street, Warren Brown’s Brown Cow boosts America’s oldest ice cream company, Bassett’s amidst a town-appropriate Blob-wich, vegan frozen treats and tasty gelatos. Family-friendly and classic-styled, this local joint also scores with their overabundant offer of jimmies and marvelous milkshakes.
Capri’s Homemade Italian Ice
238 E. Lancaster Ave., Wayne
Noon until 9 p.m (until 10 p.m after Memorial Day)
In the short eight years that Capri’s Homemade Italian Ice has been in Wayne, they have made quite the splash. It was named best water ice by Main Line Today (in ‘07, ‘09, ‘10), named Best of Philly, and was featured in Dessert Professional (a magazine dedicated to the world’s best desserts). All of their smooth and creamy water ices are made from scratch and their 22 flavors are constantly changing. Capri’s has varieties for kids of all ages: bubblegum, blue raspberry and cotton candy for the little ones and Frappa Cappuccino with chocolate pieces, Cherry Bordeaux with cherry halves and Lemon Peel with lemon zest for adults. This Main Line mainstay is only open for spring and summer, so be sure to get your delicious fix before the summer’s end.
Chester Springs Creamery of Milky Way Farms
521 Uwchlan Ave., Chester Springs, 610-363-8500
Spring, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, 1 to 9 pm; Summer, Tuesday through Sunday, 1 to 9 pm
Celebrating 11 years, the local Matthews family farm swirls their highly-raved milk into all-natural blends that range from classics like Black Raspberry, Butter Pecan, Rich Coffee and Vanilla, to Chai Tea, Brownie Bliss, Margarita Lemon Sorbet, Rainbow Sprinkle Cake, Peanut Butter Fudge and the seasonal Fresh Strawberry. A selection of these blends is too available on Amani’s BYOB’s dessert menu.
D’Ancenzo’s Gelato
132 E Gay Street, West Chester
Mon. – Fri.: Noon to 11 p.m.
This quaint gelatoria scoops out authentic gelato in 24 bold flavors. Fantastic flavors include limoncello (made from homemade limoncello), papaya, Blackberry Cabernet, Chocolate Raspberry Chambord, chocolate hazelnut, amaretto, and many more! Their soft and creamy creations are rich in taste, made from all-natural ingredients, but still have less sugar and fat than traditional ice cream. It’s adorable courtyard is a perfect spot to relax on warm night and take in a delicious evening.
Gumdrops and Sprinkles
155 E. Lancaster Avenue, Wayne,
Mon. – Thurs.: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Fri. – Sat.: 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., Sun.: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
This colorful candy shop will please kids from ages two to 102. Instead of just plopping toppings into their ice cream, Gumdrops and Sprinkles adds ingredients like finely chopped bananas, black cherries, Oreos or strawberries right into the ice cream base for an incredibly flavorful fusion. In case you are craving something other than their 18 homemade varieties, they serve floats, shakes, lemon ice, soft serve, smoothies and soda shakes. What is a soda shake? It is a blend of soda and ice cream (I recommend vanilla and orange soda), but this refreshing drink is not thick like a shake or separated like a float, it is a wondrous blend of the two. Every cup or cone comes with free trip to their amazing topping bar filled with sauces, candies and more. Pull up an ice cream cone seat and take in the view of the rest of their colorful and bountiful candy store.
Handel’s Homemade Ice Cream
576 Lancaster Avenue, Berwyn
Sun.-Thurs.: 11 a.m to 9 p.m., Fri. – Sat.: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Handel’s is family-owned and operated and these sweet treats are perfect for your family. Handel’s brings the community together, it is a great place to bring a date, your family, or catch up with friends.Their smooth and creamy ice cream is made on premises with fresh ingredients and contains as little preservatives or artificial flavors as possible. They always have 35 tried and true flavors available with an additional creative flavors like Graham Central Station, Vanilla Caramel Truffle, or Deep Dish Apple Pie. Whether you have their ice cream on a cone, sundae, as a cake or shake, or on a stick covered in Belgian chocolate (a Handel pop), their water ice, or yogurt, you can’t go wrong with this Main Line staple.
Kiwi Frozen Yogurt
Route 422 & Route 29, Collegeville; Mon. – Thurs.: Noon to 9 p.m., Sat. – Sun.: Noon to 10 p.m.
22 S. High Street, West Chester, Sun. – Thurs.: Noon to 10 p.m., Fri. – Sat.: Noon to 11 p.m.
These amazing froyo spots are a true test of self control, tempting customers with their 16 flavors and 30 toppings in a self serve style. Frozen yogurt is better for your health than traditional frozen treats; it promotes digestive health and is a good source of calcium, necessary nutrients of deliciousness. Swirl some thin mint, birthday cake, cheesecake or red velvet in your cup for total bliss.
La Michoacana Ice Cream
231 East State Street, Kennett Square, 610-444-2996; Open Daily, noon to 9pm
Serving flavors common to Mexico, with the help of swirl sensations like toasted coconut, corn, rice pudding, avocado, chili and mushroom, the ethnic shop makes 150 gallons of fresh, smooth ice cream daily, in addition to water ice and popsicles. With a history of being served in the White House, owners Manuel and Martha Rodriguez, Juvelnal Gonzalez and Noelia Scharan’s interesting concoctions are well worth the trip to the nearby ‘burb.
Margo’s Old Fashioned Ice Cream & Candy Shoppe
50 East Pennsylvania Ave., Downingtown, 610-269-9410
What could be better than a one-stop shop that supplies any sugar addict with both high-quality ice cream and a gamut of sugar confections. Pop in to this local mainstay and snag a sugary cone with traditional, well-made flavors and munch on as many miniature chocolates your little heart desires.
Petrucci’s Ice Cream
472 Nutt Road, Phoenixville;Mon. – Sun.: 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.
670 North Henderson Road Nor-View Farm, King of Prussia, Mon – Sun: 11 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.
Petrucci’s opened its doors to the community in 1997 and it has certainly blended well, serving as a spot for neighbors to reconnect, supporting Phoenixville organizations and schools, supplying countless businesses and families treats for their gatherings and it has earned the affectionate nickname “the pink place” to community kids. Everything is made on site including their ice cream, water ice, milkshakes, smoothies and frozen cappuccinos. Cool off under one of their shaded tables with a cup of their award-winning water ice, which comes in variety of flavors like strawberry lemonade, Swedish Fish and cappuccino. They even have a mobile cart, perfect for bringing Petrucci’s to your next function!
130 Pottstown Pike, Eagle, 610-458-8209; Sun., 10 am – 9pm, Mon. – Thurs., 3 to 9 pm, Fri. – Sat., noon to 9 pm
100 South High Street, West Chester, 484-358-7009, Sun., 10 am – 9pm, Mon. – Thurs., 3 to 9 pm, Fri. – Sat., noon to 9 pm
Lush and deeply flavored, owners John and Liz Reece produce in-store, churned blends of ice cream, gelato, sorbet and water ice, as well as homemade waffle cones—all made daily. You can’t stop at just their creamy ice cream flavors like Caramel Stout, Chocolate Pretzel and Caramel Apple Pie because their gelato combos are also too good to be true. From Bourbon Vanilla, Chocolate Pomegranate, Pistachio and Strachitella, you may consider skipping dinner and speed straight into dessert. Also: A selection is available on Amani’s BYOB’s dessert menu.
