Scoop of summer fun: Local ice cream shops have something for every taste

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This article was published 23/06/2016 (3705 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

My first summer job was scooping ice cream at MacKay’s in Cochrane, Alta., a small-town shop that started in 1948.

By the time I got there in the 1980s, it served more than 25 flavours. In those simple days, long before maple-bacon sorbet and wasabi gelato, that seemed like a bountiful frozen paradise.

MacKay’s was located about 20 minutes by car outside of Calgary, along a highway heading towards the Rockies.

The ice cream was important, but so was the whole experience of getting the ice cream. Spectacular views of the foothills and sweet, melty cones made for a grand day out.

Ice cream has always been associated with happy summer afternoons. For your own happy summer afternoons, here are five ice cream faves in Winnipeg:

 

I scream, you scream, we all scream for gelato

Eva’s (101-1001 Corydon Ave. and 9A-20 Island Shore Blvd.) is a family-run gelateria and coffee bar that brings Argentina’s long-standing gelato tradition to Winnipeg, with deep chocolates (from white to dark) and distinct, vibrant fruit flavours. Standouts included a rich halvah, a subtle pistachio and an icy fresh pink grapefruit with a bit of an edge (starting at $3.49 for a single-flavour cup).

Eva’s offers some dairy-free and sugar-free options, and all flavours are available for takeaway in litre and pint sizes.

Best bet: Why not play to Eva’s Argentine background with dulce de leche, which captures the caramelly intensity of the adored South American spread?

 

Vegan-positive

If you’re looking for some plant-based options, head to Boon Burger (79 Sherbrook St. and 141 Bannatyne Ave.) for a soft-serve blend that gives you creaminess without the cream. The vegan café’s two locations always have a feature flavour on tap, changing things up every week or so.

Mango-orange, a recent offering, was more sweetly mellow than fruity. But if you’re looking for soft-serve made without dairy or soy and sweetened with cane sugar, this coconut milk-based confection is for you ($3.75 for a cone, $4.75 for a bowl).

Best bet: Splash out on a sundae, made with chocolate or a jammy strawberry sauce.

 

Chain gang

With four locations in Winnipeg, ice cream chain Marble Slab Creamery offers customized creations smooshed together on a frozen slab. Fresh, in-house ice cream and assorted mix-ins — from old standbys such as chopped nuts and shredded coconut to candy-crushingly sweet treats such as Nerds, gummy bears and Oreo cookies — add up to a multicoloured, rainbow-sprinkled embodiment of North American too-muchness.

The whole mix-it-up process is pretty irresistible to children, but grown-ups might find some flavours too sweet, even before those crazy add-ins. And feeding a gang can be pricey: the small, basic cup is $5.49.

Best bet: Marble Slab offers handy ice cream delivery through Skip the Dishes, something to remember the next time you’re stuck at home and craving a Midnight Mint ice cream cake or a six-pack of ice cream sandwiches.

 

Art and craft

The passion project of Anola dairy farmers Lisa and William Dyck, Cornell Crème offers handcrafted, small-batch ice cream made with milk from contented cows.

Look for deep, pure flavours, including smart takes on the classics (Lemon Meringue, Velvety Chocolate Truffle, Raspberry White Chocolate), along with some daring excursions into boozy coolness (Red Red Wine, Malty Ale Pail).

Cornell Crème doesn’t run a standalone shop, but the company has recently expanded its operations, and Cornell products are now available at some Winnipeg restaurants and in the freezer section of several local stores (including De Luca’s, Vic’s Fruit Market and Red River Co-op supermarkets).

Best bet: Stir-Stick Stout ($10.99 for 1 L), a collaboration with Winnipeg’s own Half Pints Brewing Co. This isn’t liquor-lite ice cream (like chocolate with a malty undertone or caramel with just a finishing kick of ale), this is basically beer for dessert. While it’s not for everyone — certainly not the kiddies — its resolute stout taste is a dark, complex throwdown between bitter and sweet.

 

Ice cream social

For more than five decades, ice cream fans have come from all over the city to the Bridge Drive-In, the red-and-white, now retro-cool icon (766 Jubilee Ave.). This walk-up stand opens seasonally from March to October.

The BDI’s soft ice cream is thick and comfortingly creamy. On top of cones and cups and old-fashioned parlour treats such as sundaes, milkshakes and sodas, there are complicated constructions such as the Cantaberry and the Sleeping Beauty. The BDI has even been getting a little trendy with the Saltzberg, which brings in chocolate-hazelnut and caramel sea salt flavours.

The treats are just fine, but for notoriously nostalgic Winnipeggers, the BDI is really about the whole experience. Expect long lines on warm summer evenings, but really, queuing up can be part of the fun, like talking with your neighbours, patting dogs, dawdling along the nearby Elm Park footbridge and peering into the lazy waters of the Red River.

Best bet: Hardcore BDI-ers swear by the Goog Special, a kooky mash-up of upside-down blueberry shake, hot fudge sundae, banana and whipped topping. This might seem like a wacky thing to eat, but clearly someone is ordering it. (Usually about six people in the line ahead of me. I have an uncanny knack for choosing the slowest line.)

alison.gillmor@freepress.mb.ca