Beyond Vanilla: Top 10 Triangle Frozen Treats

Because it’s only April, and it’s only gonna get hotter…

Tangerine-thyme LocoPop. Photo by sleepyneko/flickr.

1. Mexican-inspired popsicles at LocoPops, one of the Triangle’s favorite summer stops. Try a “guest star” flavor (olive oil, gazpacho, sweet corn, etc.) then go back to the counter for a classic (Mexican chocolate, mojito, strawberries ‘n’ cream). Once a Durham-only treat, LocoPops has lately spread to Chapel Hill and Raleigh.

2. Drippy homemade ice cream cones, eaten while sitting in a rocking chair on the porch at Maple View Farm in rural Orange County. It tastes even better if you biked here – the shop is a popular cyclist destination on weekend afternoons. The creamy, slightly tart lemon custard ice cream is one of my favorites, as is the classic butter pecan.

3. A scoop of kulfi at Cool Breeze in Cary, a strip mall hole-in-the-wall specializing in Indian street snacks. Kulfi, a milk-based Indian dessert, is similar to ice cream but lighter and more refreshing.  Try the chikoo flavor – this tropical fruit is also known as Indian butterscotch. It’ll chill down your mouth after a plate of fiery bhel puri (a spicy peanut and rice snack).

4. Lemon sorbet and bittersweet chocolate gelato at Durham’s beloved Francesca’s, a pitch-perfect example of a cozy neighborhood hangout – warm lighting, exposed brick walls, local art, Duke students on laptops. In fall, don’t miss the pumpkin gelato, a seasonal local classic.

5. Oddball ice cream flavors from the freezer section at Grand Asia Market in Cary: corn and cheese, pandan, purple yam. If you’re daring, try a durian-flavored popsicle. This odiferous tropical fruit has famously been described as tasting like everything from gym socks to dead dog.

6. Burnt sugar caramel gelato at Henry’s Gelato in Cary. Or lemon meringue. Or licorice. Or olive oil. Or amaretto. Or, you know, any flavor. New locations of this casual-chic Euro-style joint are popping up all over the Piedmont.

7. Japanese frozen delights at Toyo Shokuhin Japanese market in Cary. Try mochi (ice cream bon bons in a sticky rice flour pastry) in flavors like green tea, mango and strawberry, yam popsicles, and individual cups of red bean ice cream.

8. Lavender vanilla milkshakes from the counter at Ox & Rabbit Sodas and Sundries on 9th Street in Durham, an  hipster-cute gift shop and soda fountain where the old McDonald’s Drugstore used to be.

9. Ridiculously rich Midwestern-style frozen custard at Goodberry’s, a small NC-based chain with locations in Cary and Raleigh.  Try a Carolina Concrete – your choice of flavors with any number of mix-ins. It’s so thick you can turn it upside-down and it won’t fall out of the cup.

10. Licking a cherry –vanilla snowball (a scoop of ice cream surrounded by flavored shaved ice) at the Pelican stand on Highway 55 in Apex. You can’t miss it – it’s got a giant ice cream cone on the roof. Try the dill pickle flavor, just for kicks.