We All Scream for Ice Cream! (Part 1)

Nothing says summer more than that first taste of ice cream. I’m not talking about ice cream from your home freezer – I mean the kind worth packing the whole family in the car for and sitting for a spell, while it drips down the side of the cone.

I grew up down the street from the Bubbling Brook, a local institution open only during the summer season. The watch began around Memorial Day, and word spread through town like wildfire when the ice cream window served up that first cone. Nowadays, our family vacations don’t officially begin until we venture out to explore our ice cream options!

This summer, enjoy a lick or two at some of these classic ice cream establishments – be sure to pick up extra napkins!

King’s Homemade Ice Cream
Milton and Lewes, Delaware
King's Homemade Ice Cream is a Southern Delaware tradition, with locations in the historic towns of Milton and Lewes. For more than 35 years, King's has served as a community hub, and its favorite product has been referred to as the "Eastern Shore's Finest Ice Cream." The location in Milton operates out of the oldest commercial building in Sussex County, Delaware, c. 1830. The other shop is located right in the heart of downtown Lewes, "The First Town in the First State." According to King's Ice Cream owner, the three most popular flavors are vanilla, mint chip and oh! cookie.

The Soda Fountain
Apalachicola, Florida
The Soda Fountain in Apalachicola still has its original 1950s interior and serves all of the old standbys -- sodas, milkshakes and ice cream. The local specialty is the Apalachicola River Bottom Sunday, with cookies and cream ice cream, and nuts and tupelo honey on top. Apalachicola is famous for tupelo honey, a smooth and distinctive honey with a complex floral herbal flavor and a fruity aftertaste that has come to be known as the “champagne” of honeys.

Zaharakos Ice Cream Parlor and Museum
Columbus, Indiana
Zaharakos has been a Columbus institution since it was opened in 1900 by three Greek brothers with the last name “Zaharako.” The store closed in 2004, but was restored and reopened in June 2006. Its mahogany bar, with two marble and chrome soda fountains, dates back to the early 1900s. There is a Tiffany-style lamp on the bar and the Welte Orchestrion, which had been removed and sold to a collector, was purchased back and returned to Zaharakos. This is a one-of-a-kind destination that is filled with the sights and sounds of a turn-of-the-century confectionary and soda “shoppe.” All the ice cream is made on the premises, and the Green River Float is a bright green soda with a lemon lime flavor.

Borroum’s Drug Store
Corinth, Mississippi
Borroum's Drug Store is the oldest drugstore in the state of Mississippi. Founded in 1865 by a Confederate surgeon, the store is still owned by the founding family and serves as an active pharmacy. The soda fountain is a local favorite, serving hamburgers, salads, sandwiches, fountain drinks, and of course, the best milkshakes to be found anywhere!

National Ice Cream Day Celebration
Billings Farm & Museum in Woodstock, Vermont
Billings Farm & Museum, gateway to Vermont’s rural heritage, will observe National Ice Cream Day on Sunday July 18, 2010, by kicking off weekly Ice Cream Sundays held from July 18 through Sept. 19. Visitors can participate in making and tasting the hand-cranked ice cream at demonstrations held several times a day, while learning the history and science of the “great American dessert.”



Next week, we'll have more great local ice cream shops in Part 2 of this series. Do you have a favorite ice cream shop? Please share in the comments section below.

Amy Verdin is a Gozaic consultant and is always in pursuit of the next great ice cream parlor.

Photos top to bottom: King’s Homemade Ice Cream, Milton, Delaware; photo courtesy of Southern Delaware Tourism. The Soda Fountain, Apalachicola, Florida; photo courtesy of Apalachicola Bay Chamber of Commerce. Zaharakos Ice Cream Parlor and Museum, Columbus, Indiana. Borroum’s Drug Store, Corinth, Mississippi; photo courtesy of Suzi Aultman. National Ice Cream Day celebration at Billings Farm & Museum; photo courtesy of Billings Farm & Museum.