There's so much to love about summer: weekend trips to the beach, regular pedicures, breezy palazzo pants. Oh, and let's not forget about ice cream. Here are 13 of the best small ice-cream shops across the U.S.
America's Best Ice-Cream Shops
13 artisanal spots across the country
Sweet Republic
If you're going to Sweet Republic, splurge on the signature Toffee Banofi sundae (vanilla ice cream, banana-almond-toffee brittle and salted-caramel sauce) or an ice-cream sandwich made with fresh-baked cookies.
Ample Hills Creamery
Brooklyn is somewhat of a mecca for ice-cream fanatics, but this Prospect Heights gem leads the pack. These guys even pasteurize their own milk before turning it into cult favorites like salted-caramel crack and chocolate-pretzel nutter.
Amy's Ice Creams
In true Austin fashion, Amy's keeps it weird with flavors like chocolate wasabi, maple bacon and its signature Mexican vanilla.
Bi-rite Creamery
Part ice-cream parlor, part bakery, Bi-Rite is a must-visit in the Mission district. (A scoop of honey lavender and a fresh chocolate-chip cookie, anyone?)
Creole Creamery
Serving up some of the best ice cream in NOLA, Creole Creamery’s motto is “Eat ice cream. Be happy.” Order what you please, but don't leave without trying the Mexican hot chocolate ice cream--dark and creamy with a kick of cayenne pepper--from the ’50s-style shop.
Pumphouse Creamery
Pumphouse Creamery’s tiny storefront would be easy to miss if it weren’t for the constant crowds. The 20 rotating flavors are hard to beat, especially those packed with just-picked local produce like the rhubarb strawberry.
Moomers Homemade Ice Cream
You know the ice cream must be good when the ingredients come from a family-run dairy farm. Each day Moomers offers a rotation of 20 flavors (it has 160 in total), from Oreo cheesecake to raspberry truffle.
Toscanini's Ice Cream
New Englanders know ice cream, and Cambridge’s standout parlor proves it. As The New York Times declared, Toscanini's creations, like B3 (brown butter, brown sugar and brownies), Earl Grey and burned caramel, “could make an M.I.T. engineer cry."
Big Gay Ice Cream
The inventive soft-serve dispensary, which is known for creations like “The Salty Pimp” (vanilla ice cream, dulce de leche, sea salt and chocolate dip), has two NYC shops, a food truck and is expanding across the country. And you can cover a basic cone in any number of toppings like wasabi-pea dust, curried coconut and crushed Nilla Wafers.
Salt & Straw
Stop by one of Salt & Straw's three Portland shops (or the one in L.A.) to try the exclusive “Stop, Guac and Roll,” made with fresh avocados. (Yes, please.)
Sweet Rose Creamery
This Asian-inspired creamery has three locations and a cult following in Los Angeles. The shops rotate 15 kinds of ice cream each day, all made from local ingredients. Scoops of matcha green tea and blueberry muffin, for the win.
Annabelle's Natural Ice Cream
This cash-only establishment may dish out just one size of its natural ice cream--but it's definitely a generous one. Keep an eye out for pumpkin pie and butter pecan depending on the season.