By Katherine Reasons-Pyles
HQ 78 | SUMMER 2012
The origins of ice cream can be traced back thousands of years and to locations all over the world. Nero, emperor of the Roman Empire from A.D. 54-68, ordered his subjects to bring down ice from the mountains and combine it with fruit toppings, and King Tang of the Shang Dynasty in China occasionally combined ice and milk for a refreshing delicacy. Over centuries, recipes for sherbets, ices and smoothies made their way to Europe, where royal courts enjoyed frozen treats of all kinds.
When European settlers arrived in the United States, they brought their cool, creamy treasures with them, and it was in America that the name “ice cream” was coined. Presidents George Washington and Thomas Jefferson served it. The year 1776 was significant in more ways than one: it was the year the first ice cream parlor in America opened. What better way to celebrate the signing of our Declaration of Independence than with a scoop of ice cream?
Of course, once we as a nation decide that we like something, we go all out in making it our own. Today there is no shortage of places to find ice cream: from grocery stores to fast food joints to fine dining establishments, ice cream has made its way into the hearts and homes of nearly every person in the United States.
Luckily for Huntington, the Tri-State is no exception. You don’t have to look far to find an icy indulgence on a hot summer day. Of course, just because a place sells ice cream doesn’t necessarily mean the ice cream is any good. So, armed with our spoons, we set out to find the best ice cream in town. If you stick with our top 10, you won’t go wrong.
Best to Share
If you’ve been craving the famous Chili Willi’s ice cream taco ever since the beloved restaurant closed in 2011, you’re in luck. The cinnamon tostada ice cream at Three Amigos in Barboursville is a worthy replacement. This made-to-share dessert is a recipe developed by owner Jimmy Chapman, who decided to combine several of his favorite flavors and ingredients into one impressive dish.
“We use a tortilla to make our own tostada, which we fry and dip in cinnamon for the crunchy cinnamon shell,” Chapman said. “We put our cinnamon ice cream inside and top it with chocolate chips, chocolate syrup and whipped cream.”
Named for Chapman’s three sons, Three Amigos is certainly a favorite in the Barboursville area, but many of its regulars are willing to trek across town for their favorite menu item – which is quite frequently the cinnamon tostada ice cream. Manager Julio Guzman has been preparing authentic Mexican food for the region for many years and said regular customers often request the dish with caramel on top.
“The cinnamon tostada ice cream is just the perfect way to finish off a Mexican meal,” Chapman said.
Best Ice Cream Cake
The recipe for a perfect birthday can be as simple as a cake shared with loved ones. And whether that means an intimate dessert for two or a giant celebration for 48, Baskin-Robbins has you covered.
“We offer a wide range of signature ice cream cakes for holidays, birthdays, graduations and showers, as well as plenty of options for those ‘just because’ moments,” said David Leap, owner. “Guests can customize their cakes with any of our 31 flavors of ice cream, so the possibilities are almost endless.”
Baskin-Robbins has been in Huntington for 35 years, and multi-talented Linda Fizer has been the cake decorator for 27 of those. Her expertise and smile have brought customers back for decades.
“Linda’s been here longer than I have,” Leap said. “You have customers who used to bring their kids in here, and now those kids are bringing in their kids. It’s wonderful to see the smiles on people’s faces.”
For a bite-sized alternative to ice cream cake, try out Baskin-Robbins’ line of elegant “Cake Bites,” miniature ice cream cakes wrapped in an icing shell.
Best Frozen Yogurt
Okay, so it’s not actually ice cream. But it is every bit as delicious and has all the benefits of yogurt, including live and active cultures, calcium and probiotics. For the best frozen yogurt around, check out Tropical Moon, which opened in Huntington in September 2011 and opened a second location in Barboursville just six months later.
“My wife and I would visit these make-your-own frozen yogurt shops on vacation, and we wanted to bring that kind of place to Huntington,” said owner Ed Lake, whose wife Kim has already introduced two unique businesses to Huntington in recent years. Like her downtown stores Mug & Pia and Simply Whisk, Tropical Moon has been an instant success.
“Kids love it,” Lake said. “This is a place where they can come and get exactly what they want. But adults love it, too – there’s just something about coming here that makes you feel young. It’s fun. I make the same thing every day, but you can try something new every single time you stop in if you want.”
With 50 toppings and dozens of flavors that rotate every two weeks, the sky’s the limit.
Best Banana Split
Don’t be fooled by the fruit – this dessert is far from dainty. For more than 60 years, the Dairy Bell in Chesapeake has been dishing out classic desserts, and its banana split uses an entire banana, rich vanilla ice cream and mounds of optional toppings, including whipped cream, strawberries, pineapples, chocolate and nuts.
Owners Tom and Sandy Belville and manager Sammy McCollins (pictured) agree: what truly sets the Dairy Bell banana split apart is its size.
“Our ice cream is rich with a high butterfat content, and our whipped cream doesn’t come out of an aerosol can,” said Sandy. “But I think what people love most about our banana split is how large it is.”
One of the Dairy Bell’s long-standing traditions is giving free ice cream to grade-schoolers on the last day of school, and Belville said today’s parents still remember coming as children. Since the parents no longer qualify for the freebie, many start a new tradition: cones for the kids and a banana split for the grown-ups. Just don’t be surprised when the kids want a banana split of their own!
Best Drive-In
Austin’s Ice Cream opened in Ceredo in 1947, and in 1983 it was purchased by a former banker named Joyce Snyder. Today, at the age of 77, Snyder still wakes up early each morning from April to October to prepare the authentic homemade ice cream that first made Austin’s Ice Cream famous.
“I’m the only one who makes the ice cream – but I let my son do the heavy lifting now,” Snyder said. “I love it. I like to experiment with new flavors.”
Using all-natural flavorings and her own recipes, Snyder whips up close to 50 flavors. She has standards like mint chocolate chip, rocky road and strawberry but also offers seasonal flavors like piña colada and pumpkin pie. Her grape pineapple ice cream has fans all over the country.
“People tell us that they can;t find anything like our ice cream anywhere else,” Snyder said.
Luckily for those of us in the Tri-State, we don’t have to look anywhere else. Snyder may soon pass the business on to her children – but rest assured, Austin’s Ice Cream is here to stay.
Milkshake
A trip to Griffith & Feil, Kenova’s charming pharmacy and old-fashioned soda fountain, is an experience like none other. The pharmacy has been around since 1892 and in its current location since 1914, and the soda fountain has been a part of the pharmacy for almost all of those years.
“The soda fountain was becoming less popular in the late ’50s, so my father and uncle and Mr. Feil took it out in 1959,” said owner Ric Griffith. “We decided to bring the soda fountain back in 2004. We wanted to return the pharmacy to what it was originally – a place for family and friends to come together.”
When it comes to milkshakes, the Griffith & Feil soda fountain has just what the doctor ordered. Its most popular flavors are the classics: chocolate, vanilla and strawberry. But no matter what flavor you choose, you’re guaranteed an opportunity to slow down, savor the moment and enjoy a brief trip back in time.
“Somebody’s making this milkshake especially for you,” Griffith said. “It’s not just coming out of a machine. We’re making milkshakes the way people used to.”
Best Mix-Ins
For many Huntingtonians, a trip to the movies or to Empire Books is not complete without a visit to Cold Stone Creamery in Pullman Square. Known for its singing staff and quirky Signature Creations like “Cookie Doughn’t You Want Some” and “The Pie Who Loved Me,” Cold Stone Creamery has a little something for everyone.
“The Signature Creations are things we know taste good together,” said owner Meredith Henderson. “It can be overwhelming to see all of our different choices, so the Signature Creations make things easy. But there are definitely people who like to come up with their own combinations, so we do that as well.”
Cold Stone boasts many flavors of gourmet ice cream, yogurts and sorbets, all prepared fresh daily inside the shop. Its young employees perform jingles – sometimes choreographed – for tips, and customers enjoy indoor and outdoor seating, as well as all the perks of Pullman Square.
“Pullman Square is a perfect location,” Henderson said. “You can walk around and window-shop or sit in the courtyard. You can even walk down to the river.”
Best Root Beer Float
Perhaps the only thing better than a tall mug of Frostop root beer is one with ice cream in it. Frostop Drive-In’s famous homemade root beer has been a long-time favorite in Huntington and beyond, and it makes the perfect base for a rich and creamy root beer float.
“Nearly everything we sell is made here in our kitchen, including our root beer,” said Marilyn Murdock, who owns the drive-in with her sister Bing Murphy. “Making the root beer from start to finish is quite a process.”
The root beer is prepared in small batches that bring out its smooth, old-fashioned taste. A generous helping of Frostop’s soft-serve vanilla ice cream is all it takes to transform the delicious drink into a mouth-watering dessert. It’s a one-of-a-kind flavor combination that has stood the test of time.
“We’ve been here since 1959, so there are a lot of memories here,” Murdock said. “Our root beer floats bring back memories of simpler times for a lot of folks; they remember walking up and ordering one as a child on a lazy summer day.”
Best Gelato
For a creamy taste unlike anything you’ve experienced – that is, unless you’ve been to Italy – take a trip to Gino’s Pizza & Spaghetti, a Huntington staple since 1961. Prepared on equipment from Italy, using flavorings and ingredients from Italy – even served in cups from Italy – the gelato at Gino’s is as authentic as anything you’ll find. Around 10 years ago, when owner Kenny Grant decided to start offering gelato at his 10th Street location, he and district supervisor Tyler Bartram hopped a plane to Sicily, where they stayed for several weeks learning how to make the Italian treat.
“We learned from a third-generation gelato chef whose family has been in the business for more than 100 years,” Grant said. “It was quite an experience.”
Bartram makes the gelato fresh daily, using flavorings from Sicily for almost all of the 24 flavors offered. Gino’s also offers seasonal and custom flavors throughout the year. For the more Americanized offerings such as cookies and cream, Bartram uses his own recipes.
“We can make just about any flavor, as long as the ingredients will freeze,” Bartram said.
Best to Bring Home
It’s a match made in heaven: your favorite movie, a warm blanket and a pint of delicious ice cream. For the absolute best in frozen luxury at home, head to one of Huntington’s Kroger stores, where Cincinnati’s prized ice cream brand Graeter’s has become a top seller in the frozen food aisle. The “Signature Chip” series includes oversized chunks of milk chocolate, and its flavors include Mint Chocolate Chip, Coconut Chip, Mocha Chocolate Chip and Black Raspberry Chip – our favorite at HQ.
“We’ve formed a great relationship with Kroger, being from Cincinnati,” said President and CEO Richard Graeter. “This relationship allowed us to bring the world’s best-tasting ice cream to West Virginia, where we’ve been since 2010.”
Using a traditional French Pot process that produces just two gallons at a time, dense and creamy Graeter’s ice cream is the perfect at-home indulgence. And it’s rich enough to share – a pint of Graeter’s weighs almost twice as much as a typical pint of ice cream. Be on the lookout for the newest flavor in the Graeter’s family: Chocolate Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip.
