There’s no place like cone!
What’s happening to the local ice cream scene?
It’s positively exploding with color, creativity, innovation, multi-cultural influences and increasing indulgence, too.
Today in the Twin Cities you can find ice cream that’s rolled (Thai style), scooped into a house-made tie-dye cone, presented in flights, sprinkled with edible glitter and/or served in a warm bubble waffle (see below).
And all this is to say nothing of all the mind-blowing base flavors you can find at the many shops in town, including vegan options to boot.
Parents, load up the kids: This is your ultimate summer ice cream bucket list.
Roll with it
Where: Wonders Ice Cream (St. Paul)
What to order: Rolled ice cream — a popular Thai treat that’s made its way stateside — has arrived in Minnesota. This local purveyor’s most popular flavors are Oreo Oreo, Strawberry Smashed and Sour Tang.
Bonus: You get to watch as ice cream crafters mix and mash ingredients on a super-cold hibachi (20 below zero), spread it thin to flash freeze it and methodically scrape it up with a special knife to create amazing little rolls, which are then nestled into a bowl and sprinkled with toppings, whipped cream and garnishes like Pocky and gummy worms.
ALSO TRY
Loulou Sweet & Savory is rocking a food truck with rolled ice cream, coffee and New Orleans-style beignets!
Crazy for caramel
Where: Cold Front, 490 Hamline Ave. S., St. Paul (next door to the iconic burger joint, The Nook)
What to order: Yes, there’s actually a flavor called This $&@! Just Got Serious (salted caramel ice cream with sea salt fudge and salted cashews), and it’s even better than it sounds (and it sounded pretty good to us).
Bonus: Not ready to commit to one flavor? Get a flight of this shop’s most popular tastes — the aforementioned This $&@! Just Got Serious; Exhausted Parent (bourbon-spiked espresso ice cream with bittersweet chocolate chunks); Zanzibar (three kinds of cocoa for a fudgy-brownie flavor); and (for your kid) Superman (colorful fruity swirled ice cream).
Pro tip: Cold Front serves Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream, a hugely popular national brand from Madison, Wisconsin. See chocolateshoppeicecream.com for a map of other locations across the state (and the country) that offer this good stuff.
ALSO TRY
Carmel Collision (caramel ice cream with a caramel swirl and chocolate-coated caramel pieces) at Scoops Ice Cream and More (Bloomington).
Death by chocolate
Where: Milkjam Creamery, 2743 Lyndale Ave. S., Minneapolis
What to order: This hot spot is famous for its long lines — and its 16-scoop mega-platter ($58). But you don’t need all that. Just get one scoop of Ridin’ Duuurty (Oreo milk with Oreo chunks and salted peanut butter) topped with a scoop of Black (“a darkest cocoa”). Don’t worry, both you and the kids will dig this killer-choco combo. The flavor Black is amazingly vegan, sweet and somehow not too dark. See also Hard Knock Life 2.0.
ALSO TRY
Nicollet Avenue Pot Holes (fudge, truffles, chunks of Heath bar and sea salt) and Raspberry Chocolate Chip at Sebastian Joe’s (Minneapolis); ; Chocolate from Sweet Science (sold at grocers); Chocolate Gold (chocolate and caramel) from Honey & Mackie’s Ice Cream & Fresh Fries (Plymouth). See also: Salted Caramel With Peanuts.
Tropical dream
Where: Sonny’s Ice Cream, 3403 Lyndale Ave. S., Minneapolis
What to order: If you love coconut, you need to try the Toasted Coconut ice cream. This place (you might have heard it called Crema in the past) makes 1,000 flavors of ice cream, gelato and sorbet in any given year. Plus, Sonny’s is a café with family-friendly food and a charming patio, too, ideal for a date-night dessert.
ALSO TRY
Coconut Explosion or Key Lime Pie at The Social Ice Cream Parlor (Victoria).
Dairy free (veg)an
Where: The Wedge Community Co-op, 2105 Lyndale Ave. S., Minneapolis
What to order: Sorbet and/or Italian ice are always good bets for kids (and adults) who can’t eat dairy. But why not try something a little different — and creamy without the cream — with Wedgemade Coconut Milk Soft Serve, which comes in vanilla, chocolate, or twist. Yes, it’s vegan and gluten-free, too.
ALSO TRY
Licks Unlimited (Excelsior) — Raspberry Lemon Sorbet (sweet raspberry and tart lemon Italian ices swirled together) from Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream. Also, go to luvicecream.com to find stores that sell local, vegan LUV Ice Cream.
Minty goodness
Where: Licks Unlimited, 31 Water St., Excelsior
What to order: Mint Avalanche. This mint ice cream from Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream is studded with Andes candies, Grasshopper cookies and a fudge swirl. We recommend ordering this in Licks’ amazing chocolate-dipped waffle cone (above) for pure decadence.
ALSO TRY
Thin Mint/Mint Oreo (one scoop of each) at Big Dipper Creamery (Blaine and North Oaks).
Wannabe banana
Where: It’s a tie — between two of the hottest new ice cream shops in Minneapolis.
What to order: Bananutella (traditional vanilla ice cream, fresh slices of banana, a Nutella drizzle and whipped cream in a freshly made egg-custard bubble waffle, served with a color-changing spoon, below) at the spacious Waffle Bar Desserts & Tea, 2758 Lyndale Ave. S. (across the street from Milkjam); Gone Bananaz (soft serve topped with bananas, puppy chow, fudge, nuts and edible glitter) at Minnesota Nice Cream, 807 Broadway St. NE (home of the tie-dye cone).
