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| Photo credit: J. Stephen Conn via Visual Hunt / CC BY-NC |
As a child, I distinctly remember my favorite ice cream being Bluebell. When I was about 8 years old a distribution plant opened up near my home and my fate was sealed. Clearly we would only be buying the most expensive ice cream in the grocery store from that point forward. Unfortunately (or fortunately for their wallets) my parents disagreed. Instead we bought the gigantic tubs of ice cream mass produced by whatever grocery store we were at: Wal Mart, Kroger, or Publix. The truth is my family loves ice cream. I like to blame the Georgia summer heat. When the temperatures reach 90º+ outside, the go-tos tend to be cold treats and water – not just to drink but also to experience.
Then I met Justin – a man who could cook.
At this point, eating became more about the experience than about filling a void. Quickly I learned that there was good food and then there was great food. Once you experience great food, it is really hard to go back to anything less. So my taste in ice cream has altered over time to reflect my growing sensibilities.
Last year around this time, we ventured to Scottsboro, AL and the Unclaimed Baggage Store as a late Father's Day "gift" for my dad. Then, just like the time before, we made a pit stop in Chattanooga, TN on the way home. While my childhood memories suggest that this is a tourist town, as an adult, the more time I spend there, the more I find to do. We explored local thrift shops and took a walk across the two bridges that connect downtown Chattanooga and the north shore, seeing as much of Chattanooga as we had time for.
While we were there, rather than returning to my go-to favorite ice cream shop The Ice Cream Show, we decided to try Clumpies instead, a place that had been rated as one of the best ice cream shops in America by the Huffington Post. Boy was I surprised at the amazing, creamy, melt-in-your-mouth deliciousness of Clumpies! It would seem I had, once again, misjudged this shop with it's sad name! A hole-in-the-wall family-owned ice cream parlor located amongst touristy eats on the North Shore near Coolidge Park in Chattanooga, Clumpies offered a large variety of melt-in-your mouth staples (vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry) as well as just as many seasonal treats. Justin and I tried the strawberry-balsamic, peach, pralines 'n cream, and vanilla, all of which we found pleasantly delicious.
After finishing our dessert there, Justin and I started to consider our past ice cream experiences. For example, which was better The Ice Cream Show or Clumpies? I think what it comes down to is what you are looking for in an ice cream. If you want the handmade deliciousness and the ability to try new and exotic (does peach or pralines count as exotic?) flavors, Clumpies is the way to go. If you are looking for Dairy Queen blizzard-like ice cream where you mix and match toppings to get your perfect flavor made specifically for you. The ice cream they use as the base is Mayfield and you are limited in choices – chocolate or vanilla, frozen yogurt or ice cream. Despite it's plain-ness, even in my description, the ice cream really is good there and definitely fun for a unique experience nothing like what you would typically find at Bruster's or Ben & Jerry's, typical tourist ice cream spots.
Other ice cream worth mentioning that is not necessarily in Chattanooga, but worth trying if you are in the Southeast include:
• High Road ice cream specifically found in the desserts at Sweet Auburn Barbecue in Atlanta. YUM!
• Jeni's which has locations all over the US. – Or buy the book and make your own at home. Sooo good! :)
• Butter and Cream in Decatur, GA is a current favorite! I'm a big fan of the butterscotch brownie! :)
• Paolo's Italian Gelato located in Charleston and Atlanta. – An Italian in search of delicious gelato found he had to open his own store! Try the floral flavors for an interesting twist!
• French Broad Chocolates in Asheville, NC – We didn't love the chocolate too much, but the ice cream was amazing! Go early, because the line can get really long!
• Or if you feel like having a lazy night at home, check out Talenti. We've tried the caramel, raspberry sorbet, and caramel with cookie crunch all of which have been amazing! This brand was once hard to find, but now we are seeing it pop up in stores all over including Sam's Club and Sprouts!
What are your favorite local ice creameries? Are you a fan of the gourmet ice creams that are all the rage right now or do you prefer brand staples like Mayfield, Bluebell, … or the Kroger Partypail? Share! I'd love to hear! :)
***Linking up with Lauren on Location,Marcella from What a Wonderful World, and The Sunny Side of This
* I'm spending July writing my blog posts in response to all of the wacky (and not so wacky) national and international holidays that occur during this month. Today's post was reshared in response to National Ice Cream Day (on July 17)! What is your favorite place to get ice cream?
** This post was written in advance. I am out of town and working full time most of this month. I appreciate your understanding if I am slow to respond to comments and questions. :)
