Amazing Ice Cream

[luckygirl]

There is a place on Coneticut around Dupont Circle for really, really great ice cream. My husband and I stop there several times each fall when we visit DC. The name of the place is Jerry's and they mke their own ice cream.

Every flavor that we have trie have been have been ammazing but the two that are our aabsolutes faves are the lychee which is mmande from FRESH lychee, not canned and our number one fave is the halva. OMG, it is sublime. It is made from tahini and honey and has sslivers of almonds for texture. This year we bought a tub and brought it back to Clevelaand with us to share with friends.

The shop closes for winter and will only be open for another two weeks or so.

[gooseterp]

Back to the Ice Cream... Tropical Ice Cream in Silver Spring is great. It is right where Georgia and 16th street split off in a strip mall. Great flavors including a unforgettable rum rasin and mint chocolate chip.

[wombat]

The tropical ice cream place in Silver Spring is called York Castle. The mango is excellent. The other flavors might be good too, but I can't find out because I can't not order the mango. Also, it is awesome if you bring it home and make an ice cream soda using ginger beer.

[Orange Blossom]

I agree with Steve. Max's on Wisconsin Avenue in Glover Park is the best around. Thick and creamy with rich flavors. It's a family owned and run business which makes me like to patronize the shop as well. I used to really like Lazy Sundae in Clarendon - their chocolate ice cream had a malt flavor and I would drive from Bethesda over the bridge to get it. But try Max's. It's right next to Rockland's Barbecue which makes a great lunch or supper/dessert combination.

[MikeR]

In case you haven't been following them, Lazy Sundae is now in Falls Church just off Broad Street out near the West End, on West street, I think.

I love ice cream and the Lazy Sundae new location is convenient for me (no parking hassles) but I go there very rarely because their ice cream is pretty expensive. Two scoops blows my lunch budget. ;)

[nicoleberry83]

Is it near the metro?

[MikeR]

Lazy Sundae's present location is nowhere near a Metro stop. But folks who hang out in Clarendon have reported that Lazy Sundae had a truck that they brought to Clarendon, apparently close to their old location (which is a short walk from the Clarendon Metro) and served from the truck. That may have been a Summer-only or interim deal. If you want a fix, you might call the Falls Church shop and ask about the mobile service. Who knows? They might even come to your house. ;)

[Portieowner]

I am sure you are right about Tastee-Freeze, but at least a few years ago they claimed (probably even on their sign, at least at the Laurel location) that it was "frozen custard". I don't think that there is a USDA agency which regulates the term so apparently anyone can use it.

I don't know of any place in the Union to get UMD ice cream. The Union was gutted and renovated and there is now a food court with McDonalds, Sbarro, Panda Express, ChickaFil, etc. No more ice cream shop or little bakery.

[MikeR]

According to http://www.frozencustard.com:

"As custard is an ice cream, it must be at least 10% butterfat. What makes frozen custard unique is that by law it must contain 1.4% by weight of egg yolk, have a low overrun (amount of air out into the product), and be frozen and served fresh daily."

I'm not sure what the USDA regulations say about the amount of air and served fresh daily (they can't control when people who buy a quart to take home serve it), but they do define what can be called ice cream by the butterfat content.

[Denise]

I have been making regular stops at an ice cream store on Mountain Road in Pasadena called The Daily Scoop.

The guy who owns it is a stitch. He practically insists that you try about a half dozen flavors before buying. He's from New York and he says he learned how to make ice cream from an Italian immigrant who made it for Mussolini and a previous Pope.

The pumpkin ice cream is great. The apple pie ice cream is sublime - creamy, great flavor, and bits of real apple in it.

[Portieowner]

For frozen custard check out a Tastee-Freeze. There is one on Rt. 1 in Laurel and another in Lanham. For regular ice cream I'll plug the UMD ice cream served at the Dairy on Rt. 1 (I think they are only open Mon-Fri these days). The ice cream is still made on campus.

[skipper]

Please spare us. Tastee-Freeze (whatever it is -- soft ice cream, soft ice milk) is definitely not frozen custard (Frozen custard is a type of cold dessert similar to ice cream, made with eggs in addition to cream and sugar. It typically contains 10% butterfat and 1.4% egg yolk). However, you are correct about the University's ice cream. It is superb. You might be able to get it at the Student Union on weekends (at least you could in the 90s).

[repete]

I had the honey-lavender at Moorenko (sp?) in Silver Spring recently and it was divine. Not a great location, especially with the contstruction but a nice friendly shop with creative choices.

[AlliantK]

There is another location for Moorenko's in McLean on Chain Bridge Road...you can find the address on their web site.

Oh how I wish we had Mister Softee ice cream trucks like NYC...I love the soft-serve, frozen custard-like ice cream...and they have chocolate crunchies...like Carvel's! Yum!

[MikeR]

McDonald's has "frozen custard-like" ice cream (or something - soybeans maybe?) that's probably not a lot different than Mister Softee. There are a couple of places where you can get real frozen custard, however. Nielson's Frozen Custard (from Utah I think) has a place in Vienna, there's The Dairy Godmother (formerly Del Ray Creamery) in the Del Ray section of Alexandria, and, when they re-open early next year as (I think) Broadway Pizza and Ice Cream, the venerable Frozen Dairy Bar in Falls Church (Arlington Blvd & Graham Rd).

[AlliantK]

Whoa...I don't think you've had Mister Softee's ice cream...because McDonald's is nothing like it...especially the crap McDonald's sells now. Mister Softee's is closer to Carvel's soft serve. I've tried Nielson's and I wasn't impressed...it isn't as smooth or soft. Plus they don't have very good toppings.

[mattm]

I'm not a custard connoisseur, but I thought Nielsens' was pretty good. Do you have suggestions about better places?

[Lowbar]

For NoVA frozen custard options, I prefer Milwaukee Frozen Custard (Chantilly) to those listed. They have a few other locations in the area, I have only been to Chantilly and Manassas. Check daily flavors on their site http://www.milwaukeecustard.com/ before going.

[MikeR]

I'll only go so far for a scoop of frozen custard, and Chantilly is just too far from Falls Church for me. According to the web site, this is their only location.

I've been to Nielsen's about 4 times and a couple of times the custard was too cold and hard. It's probably better to go on a hot and busy day so it doesn't remain in the storage bin too long.

There used to be a place called Boardwalk or something like that in the shopping center at the intersection of Braddock and Backlick roads in Alexandria. I haven't been along that route for quite some time and I don't know if it's still there. They were attached to a sandwich shop. Anyone remember that one?

[Lowbar]

Actually, according to their web site, they have locations in Chantilly, Manassas, Woodbridge, Herndon, Ashburn, and Leesburg. You have to click on the flavors link to see them. Not the best designed site. Regardless, Chantilly is probably still closest.

Maybe not worth for a scoop of custard alone, but when I lived in east Falls Church I would make that trip for a meal at Sichuan Village followed by a scoop of custard across the street.

[chowser]

I prefer Nielsen's over Milwaukee's. I've only been to Nielsens in the summer when it's been busy and the custard is creamier. I like that better than the soft serve custard at Milwaukee's. Plus, there are so many more flavors to choose from.

[Bob W]

Interesting factoid about that Milwaukee Frozen Custard. On the wall is a framed review from around 1988 from a writer for the Milwaukee newspaper named...Tom Sietsema!

I asked him about it during a chat a while back and he confirmed that he wrote that in a prior life.

Agreed -- MFC serves good stuff.

[dcdc]

Max's Ice Cream on Wisconsin right by Wisconsin and Calvert in Glover Park. Almost everything in the shop is handmade. Max is in there almost all the time. He has seasonal flavors too (punmpkin right now, it is awesome). And tons of other flavors. It is the best ice cream I have ever had.

[Steve]

I second Max's as hands down the best in the Washington area. The Key Lime pie, pumpkin, and white chocolate blueberry flavors are divine.

[luckygirl]

We are headed back to town this weekend. I will check out this place. Thanks!

[Steve]

FYI - Larry's Cookies and Ice Cream has about six locations in DC.

[MikeR]

Oh, THAT Larry? Or is it?

[luckygirl]

In reference to Steve's post, my impression was the Dupont Circle shop was Larry's only location. i could be wrong as II never specifically asked him.

This Larry is the shop on Connecticut that you walk down a small flight of stairs to get to.

[Adam23]

Larrys cookies is different. This is his only one.

[luckygirl]

Not the same as Larry's cookies.

[Smokey]

If this is that place in a basement just north of dupont circle, I have to admit, I'm just not into this place. The guy who owns it is a "scoop nazi". I don't have the patience or inclination for that, particularly when I don't think his ice cream is all that. To each their own.

[ubermasonfan]

If you venture out of the city (or don't live there like me), there are a couple other great places as well. The one that I can think of off the top of my head are Carl's in Fredricksburg. There's another Mom & Pop place in Fairfax off 236 near Carlos O'Kelly's but I can't remember its name. Both these places, great ice-cream and just good place to hang out.

[mattm]

The ice cream place in Fairfax off 236 near Carlos O'Kelly's is called Woody's. Woody's has excellent soft serve at good prices but is also seasonal. The Washington Post ran a feature on Woody's awhile back.

Is the Dupont Circle place called Larry's?

[luckygirl]

Yes, Larry's, exactly!

[baloo]

where on connecticut? what direction from dupont circle? i would love to try it out but I don't recall seeing an ice cream place around there.

[luckygirl]

The name of the place is Larry's. The address is 1633 Connecticut Ave.

The fellow who owns it has a reputation as being the "scoop nazi" as he can be a little gruff and tries to move people along in their decisions, especially when the place is busy. We've never had a bad experience with him. In fact, even though we only get to DC once or twice a year, he always remembers us and greets us like old friends.