In Russia. From street vendors on Nevski Prospekt. The best I ever had. Perhaps because when I went, the rest of the food was so dismal, the ice cream shone.

B/

Mio Gelato - Portland, OR

Blackberry or chocolate or chocolate chip or orange or......yummmm.

Yikes, those of you who are adding in all that junk to your cold stone ice cream better check their website. The amount of fat per serving is listed there...and one serving can be equivalent to about 3 big macs!

Anneti, California is not exactly ice cream country. In fact more than half the ice cream in the U.S. is consumed in tiny New England. But in Los Angeles there's Bennett's in the Farmers Market on Fairfax (caution....theres' another stall in the market that is NOT homemade)....there is Fosselmann's in Alhambra south of Pasadena, and there is Bert n Rocky's ice Cream (the best!) in Claremont and Upland. Dr. Bob's Ice Cream is made in Cal. and sold at Gelson's supermarkets, at Dr Bobs store in Upland, and at Frank's Famous Deli in Glendale/Montrose.

Thanks, ClarkGriswold. I will investigate. I have not been to the Farmers' Market lately, and ice-cream hunting and the great food there is a perfect reason to return. It's strange with all the warm weather here, that we don't have more of an ice-cream culture, but then outdoor cafes were not a common feature here 20 yrs ago. To Tandoorigirl and others who love Cold Stone, try and eat it without the "stuff" and then come back and tell me if you really like the ice-cream in its unadulturated state. I'd be curious to know if it's still that great. Annetti

My husband and I tend to eat ice cream whereever we go, and our all-time favorite is Hot Licks, in Fairbanks (and now also in Anchorage) Alaska. It's all good, but any flavor with chocolate is out of this world. The Anchorage location is a bit off the beaten path (in a strip mall) but well worth the trip!

Our family's favourite is La Casa International ice-cream in Vancouver, Canada. Where else can you find flavours like wasabe, garlic, and black bean? www.findfamilyfun.com/lacasa.htm

In St. Louis its got to be Ted Drewes but if you are ever in Springfield, MO don't miss Andy's Frozen Custard. The Ozark Turtle Sundae is not to be missed. They also do a great apple pie concrete-crust and all as well as the Girl Scout Thin Mint concrete.

In North America:
Without a doubt the "Fox Treat" concrete at Ted Drewes in St. Louis! Chocolate, fresh raspberries, and macacamia nuts!!! YUMMMMMY
In Italy:
Almost any gelato store in almost any town, big or small.
Foolproof way to tell if the gelato will be good...Look at the banana flavor. If it is a nice bright yellow...run the other way. That means it is made with artifical ingredients.
If it is an unpleasant greyish color...fresh bananas, delicious. The assumption is, if they use fresh bannanas for their banana flavor, they use fresh ingredients for all their flavors.

Yep to Ted Drewes, Four Seas, and Carl's in Fredricksburg. But for a great milkshake try Goobers in Mt. Airy, NC or Yanna's in Swansboro, NC. Got to check out the ice cream everywhere you go! My all time favorite, favorite was Giffords in Washington, DC.

1. America's Top 15 Ice Cream Parlors

2. Tom's Ice Cream Bowl - Zanesville, Ohio

3. Herrell's - Northampton, Mass.

4. Bassett's, Philadelphia

5. The Creamery, Pennsylvania State University

6. Dave and Andy's, Pittsburgh

7. Handel's, Youngstown, Ohio

8. Four Seas Ice Cream, Centerville, Mass.

9. Robin Rose Ice Cream & Chocolate, Venice, Calif.

10. Carl's, Fredericksburg, Va.

11. Ted Drewes Frozen Custard, St. Louis, MO

12. Gelatiamo Italian Ice Cream, Seattle, WA

13. Kopp's Frozen Custard, Brookfield, WI

14. Jake's Ice Cream, Atlanta, GA

15. Hank's Ice Cream Parlor, Houston, TX

16. Gelateria Parmalat, Miami, FL



Rating the Chain Ice Cream Parlors

1. Oberweis Dairy , IL & MO
2. Cold Stone Creamery
3. Graeter's - Ohio & Kentucky
4. Lappert's Ice Cream, HI,CA,AZ & WA
5. Marble Slab Creamery
6. MaggieMoo?s Ice Cream
7. Bruster's
8. Abbott's Frozen Custard, NY
9. Ben and Jerry's
10. Häagen-Dazs

Places to watch and sample Ice Cream
Ben and Jerry's, VT
Mayfield Dairies, TN & GA
Blue Bell, TX, OK, AL

http://www.americasbestonline.net/cream.html

IN SWITZERLAND.

END OF DISCUSSION.

Cold Stone is my favorite unless you are in Hawaii....there go to Lapperts

Chocolate Bar in Houston should top the list. Even better than Ted Drewes in St. Louis. Try their Junkyard ice cream - full of candy bar chunks or the Girl Scout Thin Mint ice cream. Yum.

I, too, miss having Blue Bell ice cream!

In Columbus, Ohio, we found a great ice cream shop...Denise's Ice Cream on High Street. Yum! Now we've moved away from there and miss it too.

Trader Joe's on the west coast sells "Double Rainbow" ice cream and it is very good. A half-gallon of vanilla weighs two or three times what Breyers or Dreyers/Edys weighs....makes you realize that you've been paying for nothing but air if you buy those other brands.

1. Penn State, Main Campus, PA! The Creamery makes their ice cream, right there on campus!
2. Peanut Butter Puddles, Turkey Hill Ice Cream, from Lancaster County, PA
3. Brusters!

Every unique flavor Of Christina'
s in Cambridge, Ma. (Inman Sq.)
Also visit the unique spice shop that they have ajoining.

Farson Merc in Farson, Wy

GELATO!! It's the best. I wish I had some right now, but a trip to Italy is not in my near future!!!

In my kitchen where we have perfected the art of making our own banana ice cream