(Randy Windley says vanilla is most popular at Doumar’s.)
By Marisa Marsey
Call it a double-dip. In 1984, Ronald Reagan proclaimed July to be National Ice Cream Month and designated the third Sunday of the month (July 21 this year) as National Ice Cream Day. Good timing. Nothing screams summer more than send-shivers-refreshingly-up-your spine frozen scoops. In the last four decades, increasingly exotic savory-sweet combinations have emerged (looking at you, Sea Urchin-Honeysuckle), while old faves still hold sway (yay, Chocolate). We asked several local shops – all Virginia born-and-churned – which taste sensation they believe will be their “it” flavor for Summer 2024. Here’s the dish (or cone if you prefer):
Blue Cow Ice Cream Co. (Virginia Beach: Cape Henry Plaza; Roanoke, Fredericksburg, Richmond)
Beachcombers gravitate to this Roanoke-based scoop shop just steps from the Chesapeake Bay where long lines and “sold out” signs are not unheard of this time of year. One night, the last flavor standing out of about 20 was Honey Lavender, making converts of those who typically prioritize Sea Salt Brickle (toffee and dark amber caramel streaming through salted ice cream), cheesecake-inspired Goat Cheese and Blueberries and signature Blue Cow Patty (dark chocolate ice cream riddled with Butterfingers, Oreos and dark chocolate chips). But of the current rotating features, Key Lime Pie takes the cake. A tarted up tropical ice cream flecked with graham crackers, it pairs unfailingly well with flip-flops. bluecowicecream.com
Doumar’s (Norfolk: Downtown)
It’s like a soothing “all’s right with the world” pat when third-generation Doumar (by marriage) Randy Windley shares that the most popular summer pick at this legendary drive-in is…drumroll, please…Vanilla. Let johnny-come-latelies devise newfangled flavors, a classic will always be in style. You can dine in (the menu includes North Carolina-style barbecue), but nothing tops nostalgia-dripping carhop service. Doumar’s opened at this spot 90 years ago, and its legacy stretches back even further to the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair with founder Abe Doumar’s Smithsonian-documented creation of the ice cream cone. You can catch his original four-waffle press still in use, making this not just a go-to for treats but also a must to show off to your out-of-town guests. Put it on your “To-Doumar’s List.” doumars.com
Gelati Celesti (Chesapeake: Volvo Place; Virginia Beach: Town Center and Hilltop West; Richmond)
Summer is synonymous with Peach at the three Hampton Roads outposts of this 10-store, family-owned enterprise originated in Richmond (which explains Blanchard’s Dark Espresso and Ukrop’s Rainbow Cookie among three dozen flavors). More than four pounds of just-plucked juicy fruit go into each tub. Runner-up in the popularity “sweetstakes” goes to Melone (cantaloupe). GC honors National Ice Cream Day by opening for one hour at midnight on July 21 and giving out free scoops. Another cherished tradition is “Christmas in July” the last week of the month featuring four holiday flavors: Peppermint, Eggnog, Pumpkin Gingersnap and Cinnamon Oatmeal Cookie Dough. Despite the name, GC’s rich, dense offerings are not technically gelato, but they are heavenly. gelatiicecream.com
Gerald’s Ice Cream (Virginia Beach: The Shops at Hilltop)
You’d be hard-pressed to find a more pristine parlor than Gerald’s with its sparkling white subway tiles. Staffers sporting jaunty paper hats enhance the squeaky-clean image. That its small-batch, smooth-as-silk ice cream competes with also-made-in-house French pastries – blueberry-dappled vol au vent, croissant, raspberry compote-cradling kouign-amann – amplifies the appeal of 30+ varieties including real-fruit sorbets like Mango and Piña Colada. But the eponymous owner Gerald Einhorn (a retired dentist, he knows all about a sweet tooth) believes White Chocolate Caramel Fudge will be this season’s breakout star. It’s the edible equivalent of a cool white linen suit accentuated by the luxurious swirl of a Hermès scarf. Try it in a bespoke “Monet” cone debuting this month to coincide with the opening of Virginia Arts Festival’s “Beyond Monet” immersive experience. A true work of art. geraldsicecream.com
Lolly’s Creamery (Norfolk: North Colley; Virginia Beach: Boardwalk, Loehmann’s Plaza and ViBe Creative District)
Dog days beg for lolling at the beach then cooling off at Lolly’s, named for a loyal family pooch, where the luscious licks have a Virginia Beach pedigree. After pedaling a Good Humor-style bicycle around town to peddle their ice cream, father and son Dom and Joey Launi set up shop in 2019 near the Oceanfront in a mint green cinderblock shack with ample parking. Now they have multiple venues. For a limited time, year-round darling Cookie Monster dotted with Oreo and cookie dough chunks yields bestseller status to mesmerizing Mermaid, cotton candy ice cream beribboned with marshmallow streaks, fantastically colored aquamarine and royal purple. If it melts all over you, you’ll look like Ariel.
Also, on July 26, the Neptune Festival folks will hold a public launch party for their collaborative Neptune’s Nutella Crunch at Lolly’s on 17th Street in Virginia Beach. The first 50 ice cream servings are free. More at lollyscreamery.com
Strawberry Fields (Norfolk: Ghent)
Blame global warming; summer arrived early at this little nook of a gelateria. According to Allison Parker, manager/gelato maker, they’ve been swamped since April and forced to make more pans of each variety because “everything is selling so fast.” While Strawberry Green Tea sorbetto performs well as the mercury climbs, and Parker’s personal pick is Lemon Meringue Pie, the uncontested champ is perennial favorite Ooey Gooey (brown butter cake with a cheesecake top baked in-house, cut up and mixed into Vanilla gelato). Befitting the store’s garden-fruity name, all-natural smoothies beguile here, too, but the health-conscious should note that SF produces honest-to-goodness gelato; it boasts the exact Italian ingredient proportions and overrun (the percentage of expansion when air is incorporated) resulting in less fat than ice cream. So intensely delicious, you’ll wish summer would last, like the Beatles’ Strawberry Fields, forever. sfnorfolk.com
