Top 5 Creamy/Icy Treats in Chicagoland

Blog Chicago Features
By
Peach ice cream from Homer’s (photo: Joseph Storch)

Yet another Chicago week of brutally hot weather, kicking off the first days of Summer. This week’s forecast has me (probably somewhat prematurely) clamoring for all manner of things cool, icy and sweet. Here are my top 5, although really, the order is somewhat interchangeable.

1. Homer’s Ice Cream, 1237 Green Bay Rd., Wilmette; 847-251-0477

Quite simply, the best locally-made, super-premium (butterfat content of 14-16%) ice cream. Margie’s isn’t even close anymore.

Gelato from Black Dog Gelato (photo: Joseph Storch)

 

2. Black Dog Gelato, 859 N. Damen Ave., 773-235-3116

I just love Jesse Oloroso’s way with alternative, out-of-the-box ingredients like cashews, sesame and figs

The best Italian ice. Period. (photo: Joseph Storch)

 

3. Italian Ice from Johnnie’s, 7500 W. North Ave., Elmwood Park, 708-452-6000; also, 1935 S. Arlington Hts. Rd., Arlington Heights, 847-357-8100

They come for the smooth, creamy ice almost as much as they do for the legendary Italian beef and sausage. I can’t have one without the other.

 

4. Zarlengo’s, 257 W. Joe Orr Rd., Chicago Heights; 708-754-9080

Choices are difficult here: soft serve? Italian ice? Ice cream? Gelato? Novelties? This shoebox of a joint has it all (in almost every flavor imaginable).

 

5. Scooter’s Custard, 1658 W. Belmont Ave., 773-244-6415

Fans of Ted Drews in St. Louis will recognize the concretes (Blizzard-meets-milkshake) but the smooth, dense and creamy frozen custard really takes me back to Michael’s in Madison, WI.

 

Honorable Mentions:

Miko’s Italian Ice, 1846 N. Damen Ave., 773-645-9664; also, 3000 W. Lyndale, same phone number.

I just went on Tuesday this week, and was blown away by how good the ice here has become. They told me it’s because the ice was made earlier in the day, as opposed to the day before, which makes all the difference. We especially loved the raspberry and passion fruit flavors.

 

Soft serve at Belly Shack, 1912 N. Western Ave., 773-252-1414, especially the Vietnamese Caramel (the key is using coconut water in the vanilla mix for the soft serve), and Capannari’s Ice Cream, 10 S. Pine St., Mount Prospect, 847-392-2277.

 

DQ – what can I say? Too many fond memories of post-game little league Dilly Bars and Peanut Buster Parfaits. Just wish the guys who owned the Bucktown location didn’t screw things up so bad and close; now I gotta head up to Southport to get my fix.