Screams for Ice Cream

Enjoying a little of the sweet stuff at the Taste of Cleveland.

If you haven’t noticed, Cleveland Plus experienced unusually warm spring-like weather and abundant sunshine right smack dab in the middle of March. I certainly can’t complain. But with the ever-so-present feelings of spring I suddenly had the urge to: (1) do anything outside – walk, read, run, stand, sit, stare . . . whatever; (2) drink a frothy, cold beer on an outdoor patio like the ones listed here and; (3) eat gobs of creamy, delicious ice cream.

Ahhh, yes . . . ice cream. Whether it’s chocolate, vanilla, sprinkled, mixed, topped, dipped, hard or soft-serve, this oh-so-perfect, frozen dairy delight is best consumed during a sunny, temperate afternoon. So it shouldn’t be any big surprise that the dessert’s biggest fan (that would be me) can’t seem to get the sweet stuff out of her mind when the warmer temps hit. To alleviate (or possibly elevate) my cravings, we’ve put together a list of some great spots to enjoy the better things in life. Join me in screaming for it:

Charlotte’s Ice Cream – Take a step back in time at Charlotte’s Ice Cream east of downtown Cleveland in Willoughby. This 50s-style ice cream stand serves up a delicious dose of soft-serve ice cream to the hopping sounds of oldies music. Open in the spring and summer, visitors love the classic cars displayed out front every Tuesday evening.
440.946.3152, www.charlottesicecream.com

East Coast Custard – This Cleveland-based chain of six ice cream shops features old-fashioned custard, which disappeared in the late 1960s when custard makers started reducing the butterfat and increasing the air in their products. Now, taste the difference of real soft custard, in new flavors each day. (Yogurt fans, they also have yogurt and fat free yogurt flavors daily. Check their website for their flavor calendars which vary by locale.)
www.eastcoastcustard.com

Handel’s Homemade Ice Cream and Yogurt – For 65 years, Handel’s Ice Cream has been bringing unique and fresh flavors to Northeast Ohio. Known for some of their more interesting flavors (like eggnog and coconut pineapple), Handel’s creates each batch in specially designed freezers that create their distinctively smooth and creamy texture. Check out the dozens of Handel’s locations throughout Cleveland Plus.
330.702.8270, www.handelsicecream.com

Hartzler Family Dairy – For all-natural freshness, look no further than Hartzler’s in Wooster, Ohio. With interesting flavors like “Trip to the Dentist” and “Cow Pies and Cream,” it’s easy to see why this dairy with it’s own Ice Cream Shoppe has captured our hearts and stomaches. If you can’t make the trip to Woo, check out some of the restaurants and stores that carry the flavors.
330.345.8190, www.hartzlerfamilydairy.com

Honey Hut Ice Cream Shoppes –Honey Hut Ice Cream will have your family screaming for more! This family-owned, local chain features only honey ice cream flavors and homemade ice cream cakes, hot fudge and frosted malts at its five local locations. Drumsticks and ice cream bars made daily, are a top seller.
www.honeyhuticecream.com

Katie’s Korner Ice Cream – Katherine Martin and her family started Katie’s Korner Ice Cream in 1983 with the goal of making high-quality gourmet ice cream. The concept took off, grew and now has more than ten franchised locations in Northeast Ohio alone. The company owns a manufacturing plant in Hubbard, Ohio where it creates and distributes more than 70 different flavors nationwide.
www.katieskorner.com

La Gelateria – So, it’s not ice cream . . . it’s still a sweet, frozen treat. La Gelateria opened in 2002 and quickly developed into a gathering place for gelato lovers. There are two locations on the east side of Cleveland (on Cedar Hill in Cleveland Heights and in Legacy Village shopping center in Lyndhurst) where fans can get their fix of gelato made fresh daily with fresh ingredients like  real chocolate, hazelnut, pistachio and whole milk.
lagelateriacleveland.com

Mary Coyle’s Ice Cream – Looking for the quintessential 1950’s ice cream parlor? Then, look no further than Mary Coyle’s in Akron. Combined with a local’s favorite Italian restaurant, Mary Coyle’s retains the same look, feel and TASTE of its humble beginnings in 1937. Guests enjoy ice cream made right on the premise with heaps of the finest toppings.
330.253.1511, www.marycoyle.com

Mitchell’s Ice Cream – Co-owned by two Cleveland-born brothers, Mitchell’s Ice Cream’s goal has always been to make the world’s most delicious ice cream. Mitchell’s developed a unique three-step freezing process that gives the ice cream a special homemade creaminess and that is filled with generous chunks of chocolate chips, whole nuts, cookies and other delicious baked treats.
www.mitchellshomemade.com

Petrucci’s Ice Cream – Located in Sheffield Village, Petrucci’s Ice Cream makes it a point to create unique flavorings and types of ice cream for a fun and unique experience. Try some of Petrucci’s famous Italian ice or a scoop of their “world famous” orange sherbet.
440.934.3423, www.petruccishomemadeicecream.com

Rosati’s Frozen Custard – Founded in 2000, Rosati’s Frozen Custard™ has three locations in Northeast Ohio, including Northfield Center, North Olmsted and Twinsburg. Rosati’s features real frozen custard made fresh hourly one batch at time. Check out their monthly calendar to get a taste of their 100 scrumptious flavors including the beloved Higbees Chocolate Malted (so named for evoking the flavors of a Cleveland downtown department store.)
www.rosatisfrozencustard.com

Strickland’s Homemade Ice Cream – In 1936, an Akron Pure Milk employee named Bill Strickland developed a deliciously rich recipe of cream, eggs, sugar and other ingredients. With his formula perfected, Bill turned his attention to finding an ice cream machine that would quickly freeze the ice cream, while limiting the air whipped into the product. The result was Strickland’s award-winning frozen custard, which is loved by many today at it’s more than a dozen locations throughout Cleveland Plus.
www.mystricklands.com

Tremont Scoops – Locating in the hipster neighborhood of Tremont sits an eye-catching ice cream parlor that attracts visitors during art walks and lazy Sunday afternoon strolls. Serving up the creamiest 14% butterfat ice cream mixed with whole nuts, real fruit, rich chocolate and 100 percent pure vanilla, Tremont Scoops has the traditional stuff down pat. However, the parlor serves up its own fair share of vegan ice creams, chocolate-covered bananas and organic treats.
216.781.0352, www.tremontscoops.com

Tofts Dairy & Ice Cream Parlor – Located in Sandusky, this family owned and operated dairy has a history that spans more than a century. Today, the actual dairy distributes everything from milk to cheese, but still specializes in the sweet stuff. Located in three parlor locations in Northeast Ohio, Tofts is known for being one of the only ice cream makers that still cooks its own vanilla, which imparts a unique flavor not found in cold whipped ice cream. Check out their massive variety of delicious, “true” ice cream.
www.toftdairy.com –Submitted by LRH

EDITOR’S NOTE: We also need to mention that Cleveland is homebase for Pierre’s Ice Cream, which many of us have tucked away in our freezers.  The Pierre’s Ice Cream Shop opened its doors in 1932 on Euclid Avenue. Its gourmet ice creams were prepared fresh each day in the back of the store and sold by the cone, the cup or hand packed for take home. The company founder, Alexander “Pierre” Basset, dreamed of marketing a premium ice cream which would be unsurpassed. Today, Pierre’s has 51 flavors but, with its combination of ice creams, frozen yogurts, sherbets and sorbets, well over 235 products/flavors that bear its name. Pierre’s products are sold throughout Ohio, Pennsylvania, Indiana, West Virginia, Kentucky, Michigan, New York, Florida, Illinois and Georgia. Their products are also sold internationally, and can be found in Aruba and Puerto Rico.

And, although we’ve yet to go, we’re pretty excited about the idea of visiting America’s Ice Cream & Dairy Museum in Medina, Ohio. If you’ve been, let us know what we can expect to see (and taste).

If you have other ice cream parlours, makers or distributors you love in Cleveland Plus, share them with us by commenting on this blog entry. We’re always game to try a new cone.