Favorite Ice Cream Flavors — a National Ice Cream Day Primer

Thus far the summer in Dallas hasn’t been sweltering, but the temperature is slowing beginning to climb to the dreaded 100-degree mark as we make our way deeper into July. I don’t know about you, but for me, ice cream and summertime have always gone hand in hand.

I recall the days of my youth being given a double-decker scoop in a cone while in my bathing suit in my wading pool.

In my mother’s mind, if I dripped all over, who cared? Somehow, though, I lost some of the love of the decadent treat in my twenties and didn’t rediscover it until my late-thirties.

It was at that point in my life that I realized, who cares about always having three square meals a day? I’m an adult now. If I want to have ice cream at 7 pm and skip dinner altogether, who will judge or chastise me?

In honor of National Ice Cream Day on July 21st, for this week’s Now Hear This PaperCity Dallas office question, I decided to ask my colleagues: What is your favorite flavor of ice cream, and do you have a favorite spot to indulge?

Our intrepid digital reporter, Megan Ziots, actually ranked Dallas’ 10 Best Ice Cream Shops if you want to venture out and try some of the town’s tastiest. But, in the meantime, check out what your friends at PaperCity Dallas love.

Christina Geyer, Dallas Editor-in-Chief

Sadly, I haven’t been able to truly eat (i.e. enjoy) ice cream for years. 

That said, a few little notes about the history of ice cream in my life: During college, it is a miracle I never gained the freshman 15, as I consumed more Pokey O’s ice cream sandwiches than anyone should eat in their lifetime. 

When I was a child, I would crave rainbow sherbet anytime I had the flu. It was quite random, really. 

Today, since my digestion can’t tolerate the sugary, dairy-filled treat, I’ve come up with a little trick that satisfies my summer iced-dessert cravings: mango ice cream! 

Here’s the recipe: Pack your food processor with frozen mangoes. Pulse until slightly smooth. Add the juice of two limes and a smidge of cold water. Blend until smooth. Ta-da!

It’s mango sorbet, sans dairy and added sugar. I sometimes whip a bit of full-fat, unsweetened coconut milk (yes, the kind from the can) and add it to the top. 

Divine!

Lisa Collins Shaddock, Senior Editor

My pick for this would admittedly work better if I were Mexican, but I’m going with it. If I were an ice cream flavor, I would be Mexican Vanilla.

Served at Amy’s Ice Creams (the best ice cream shop in Texas), it is an Austin favorite: rich vanilla ice cream with a subtle spicy flavor that comes from crossbreeding a Madagascar vanilla bean with a Mexican orchid.

Have you ever heard an ice cream sound so chic? I like mine with rainbow sprinkles.

Billy Fong, Culture and Style Editor

Call me old-school, but the thought of fancy, new-fangled flavors and high-end ice cream “boutiques” is not my style. Does anyone really need to have a scoop with foie gras or wasabi? I think not.

I prefer the classic flavors of my youth, such as butter pecan and cookies and cream. My greatest indulgence is a mint chocolate chip shake. I don’t even want to guess at the calories for one of those frozen treats — especially since I generally go balls to the wall and order a large one.

Also, every year for the past decade on my birthday I have demanded an ice cream cake.

The last few have been from Baskin Robbins — always a tried and true fave, but I have been dreaming of a Fudgie the Whale.

Growing up, I never had one on my birthday. Once in a while, I would be at a friend’s party and one would emerge, and I would be green with envy. Had I just not been a good enough kid to receive one of these? Did I need to make honor roll more often? Offer to trim our hedges occasionally?

Fudgie the Whale was created by Carvel ice cream shops and Tallahassee, where I grew up, had one. These cakes were shaped like a whale, thus the name, and had a layer of chocolate ice cream and a layer of vanilla ice cream which were separated by indescribable and delectable chocolate crunchies — all topped off with chocolate and vanilla frosting.

They were absolute heaven on earth and as classic as a Rockwell painting. So, anyone looking for the express lane to my heart, please remember this for my birthday next year.

Megan Ziots, Dallas Digital Reporter

I’ve become obsessed with the Earl Grey Lavender ice cream in a puffle cone at Cauldron Ice Cream. It’s a liquid nitrogen ice cream shop that originated in California and recently opened in Knox-Henderson.

Since the puffle, a puffy and warm version of a waffle cone, is already delicious on its own, I like to get the light Earl Grey tea flavor with lavender and a touch of honey drizzle. I think about it on a weekly basis.

Samantha Oguin, Sales Account Director and Director of Business Development, Dallas

Well, this is easy. My favorite ice cream flavor is, without a doubt, mint chocolate chip. And the best place to get it is Baskin Robbins. A very close second would be white chocolate mousse with rainbow sprinkles from TCBY.

Both of these chains are few and far between these days, and I have to ask: Why must we reinvent the wheel when it’s already so delicious? Should we start a petition to stop the old ice cream places from going extinct? I think so!

Linda Kenney, Account Executive

One of my favorite things to do as a child was to walk with my sister and friends to Brigham’s Ice Cream Shop for a chocolate chip ice cream cone. The ice cream was smooth, icy and delicious. It sat above a crunchy sugar cone and I always requested extra jimmies — that’s sprinkles to a non-Bostonian.

I have found its equivalent in Trader Joe’s Organic Vanilla Chip Ice Cream, such a decadent treat with sugar cone and jimmies. Not limited to having this bit of heaven once a week. I can feast on this sugary delight any time. I am an adult!

Maggie Wilson, Events and Partnerships Manager

I’m pretty simple when it comes to ice cream. A good scoop of chocolate ice cream will do the trick for me.

Since I’ve only been in Dallas for six months (and most of those months were winter), I haven’t found my favorite ice cream spot in the city yet.

One of my all-time favorite spots is Amy’s Ice Creams, which sadly Dallas doesn’t have. I do love the chocolate gelato at Paciugo. Now that it’s been in the high 90s every day, I need to begin my search for some good places. I’ll use this list to begin!

Fernanda Aguero, Dallas Intern

As much as I’d like to say that I completely cut out coffee when presented with its ice cream counterpart, I can’t say no. There’s just something about the bitterness of coffee ice cream that is unmatched.

So of course when the Cuban artisanal ice cream store Azucar announced that it would open its second ever location here in Dallas, I was thrilled. I had heard about it tons from friends visiting its original location in Miami and could not believe it would soon arrive in the Bishop Arts area.

After visiting, I absolutely recommend Azucar’s Café con Leche flavor (a mix of Cuban coffee and crushed Oreos) and the signature Abuela Maria ice cream (vanilla ice cream mixed with bright jewels of ruby red guava, cream cheese and galletas Maria).

If you ever have something you want our team to address, shoot us your thoughts via social media or email (@papercitydallas on Instagram; facebook.com/papercitymagdallas on Facebook; or yours truly, billy@papercitymag.com). Or, better yet send a message to the office, handwritten on the Smythson stationery of your choice — and feel free to include a bottle of Veuve. Champagne really helps get the ideas flowing.

Look for the next installment of “Now Hear This” from Billy Fong soon. Also, check out our Instagram Stories that accompany each feature with more witty insights on the topic of the week from your PaperCity Dallas team.