It’s hot, and in these dairy-loving cities, there’s no better way to beat the heat than with a scoop of ice cream. You likely have your usual ice-cream shop, but maybe it’s time to expand your horizons. Give any of these 10 local purveyors, all of which have their own character, a try.
COLD FRONT
These newbies, in the old Lynden’s Soda Fountain in St. Paul, are making all their own soda syrups, and there is everything from grape to lemongrass. You can order a flight of sodas if you’re having a hard time deciding.
Owner Steve Willis makes the cola syrup from scratch, which requires a ton of ingredients and some patience, which definitely pays off. The stuff is delicious, especially when topped with a scoop of creamy ice cream.
The high-quality ice cream comes from the Chocolate Shoppe in Madison, Wis. Get it in a cone, a sundae, a float or a malt, and sit at the old-timey soda-fountain counter.
Cold Front: 490 S. Hamline Ave., St. Paul; 651-330-7632; coldfrontmsp.com
CONNY’S CREAMY CONE
This sweet, nostalgic spot serves more than 24 flavors of soft serve, including mango, blueberry, Irish cream, and pina colada.
The counter-service operation is painted bright red and white, and you can’t miss the giant ice-cream cone on the roof as you’re driving down Dale Street in St. Paul.
The place is a favorite with neighbors, so picnic tables and bench seating is at a premium.
Get your soft-serve fix in a cone, a dish or a sundae, or dipped or in a malt.
There’s a menu of sandwiches and deep-fried delights, too.
Conny’s Creamy Cone: 1197 Dale St., St. Paul; 651-488-4150; connyscreamycone.com
GRAND OLE CREAMERY
This Twin Cities staple makes its own super-creamy ice cream, and the flavor choices are staggering. They make 200 kinds, and 31 of them are available on any given day.
The Black Hills Gold, with its caramel base, praline pecans and Oreos, is probably the shop’s signature flavor, but there’s enough variety to fulfill any craving.
Get the goods in a cone, cup, sundae, malt or decadent ice cream sandwich. During the summer months, a line down the block isn’t unusual, but service is swift and efficient, so don’t let that deter you.
Grand Ole Creamery: 750 Grand Ave., St. Paul; 651-293-1655 or 4737 Cedar Ave. S., Minneapolis; 612-722-2261; grandolecreamery.com
ICY CUP
Housed in an old Dairy Queen, this West Side neighborhood gem sells soft serve, Blizzard knock-offs, dipped cones and other frozen treats.
But neighbors also know the food here is good. There are thick, juicy burgers; skinny fries; and even tacos and tamales on the menu to please the heavily Hispanic customer base.
Icy Cup: 63 W. George St., St. Paul; 651-222-3596; icycup.net
IZZY’S
Super-creamy ice cream made with high-quality ingredients, creative and fun flavors and the brilliant Izzy scoop — a tiny scoop atop a cone or dish that allows you to try a second flavor — are what keep us going back to this St. Paul favorite.
The heavily spiced Norwegian chai, studded with bits of wafer cookie, is my favorite ice cream in the Twin Cities, but every flavor here is a winner. Check the FlavorUp board on the website to see what’s available, minute by minute.
Sundaes, floats, malts and ice cream sandwiches made from Birchwood Cafe cookies are on the menu.
Izzy’s: 2034 Marshall Ave., St. Paul; 651-603-1458 or 1100 Second St. S., Minneapolis; 612-206-3356; izzysicecream.com
NELSON’S
The Stillwater location of this shop has been open for nearly 100 years, and it’s easy to see why. The portions of high-quality ice cream (they serve Cedar Crest and Kemps) are ungodly. A child-sized serving is nearly as big as said child’s head and costs just $4.
They claim to serve the biggest portions in a five-state area, and I have no doubt that’s true.
There are plenty of flavor options to please everyone. Just remember to arrive hungry.
Nelson’s Ice Cream: 920 W. Olive St. W., Stillwater; 651-430-1103; 454 Snelling Ave. S., St. Paul; 651-348-8990; nelsonsicecream.biz
PUMPHOUSE CREAMERY
Local, organic milk and cream (when available), fresh ingredients and creative, unexpected combinations are the calling card of this little shop near Chicago Avenue and 48th Street in Minneapolis.
Funky flavors like rosemary/black pepper, pistachio/cardamom/rosewater and lavender rest comfortably beside lemon custard, chocolate and tart, fresh rhubarb.
If you can’t make a decision — it happens to the best of us — order a sampler of five mini scoops.
Pumphouse Creamery: 4754 Chicago Ave. S., Minneapolis; 612-825-2021; pumphouse-creamery.com
SEBASTIAN JOE’S
Small-batch ice cream made with natural, high-quality ingredients has been the mantra of this shop since 1984.
Uptown neighborhood residents still crowd this place on hot days to see what the daily flavors are. The shop makes more than 100 flavors, and all are delicious, even the out-there ones like Coco Loco, a mix of strawberry, coconut and cayenne pepper.
For people looking for more than just a cone, Sebastian Joe’s serves ice cream sandwiches, pies, cakes and bars, too.
Sebastian Joe’s: 1007 Franklin Ave. S., Minneapolis; 612-870-0065 or 4321 Upton Ave. S., Minneapolis; 612-926-7916; sebastianjoesicecream.com
SONNY’S
This sweet little Minneapolis cafe has a European look, including a cobblestone piazza with tiny wrought-iron tables, fountain and iron gates.
They serve gelato, traditional ice creams and sorbets. The flavors are good for the traditionalists and the food curious — there’s everything from goat cheese with honey to plain strawberry. There’s a full menu available all day, too.
Bonus for those with a sense of humor: There’s a sign on the piazza that warns parents to keep their “free-range kids” seated, or else.
Sonny’s Ice Cream: 3403 Lyndale Ave. S., Minneapolis; 612-824-3868; sonnysicecream.com
SWEET SCIENCE
OK, this isn’t an ice cream shop, but this fledgling company is using what are hands-down the best-quality ingredients — all organic, pure cane sugar, vanilla paste, French gray sea salt, you get the picture. The difference is obvious in the flavor, but be prepared to shell out premium bucks — about $10 a pint.
Our favorite flavor is probably the salted caramel with the aforementioned sea salt.
Sweet Science is making all kinds of flavors, but they can be hard to find. Mississippi Market carries three flavors in pints, and a few other co-ops do as well.
If you want to try — and buy — the full range of what Sweet Science has to offer, attend one of the rotating monthly tastings. Check the calendar on the website for details.
Sweet Science: sweetscienceicecream.com
Jess Fleming can be reached at 651-228-5435. Follow her at twitter.com/jessflem.