Both my wife and I have black belts in ice cream tasting. In the Philadelphia area, the best ice cream is Edy's, and the best custard is Rita's. ;;)

I'm with you Jed! Edy's is the best!!!!!!!

I was hooked on French Silk....then they came out with 'Slo Churned caramel and Mocha Almond ...I combine the two!

And the bonus it's half the fat!!:@)

Belle

Oh, PLEASE! You must never have had any REAL ice cream if you think Edy's does the trick! That's just whipped AIR! Read the ingredients....sounds like a chemistry experiment. TWO THUMBS WAY DOWN.

P.S. On the west coast, Edy's is called DREYERS. And it's just as bad.

I stand by my comments! Eat it EVERY night! ...We don't have Dreyer's but I sometimes DO get Breyer's Butter Pecan....like tonight! Yum!!

Belle

One of my favorite's is Austin's own Amy's ice cream. They have oodles of flavors, but I love Mexican vanilla with fresh strawberries.

Ranc's, in Boston. YUM!

Or Cold Stone Creamery, which is a national chain. Also YUM!

The Parlor in Jackson, Michigan...mmmmm...the servings are huge and it's a really fun place!

Lappert's- in HI
Richardson's Dairy- in Middleton MA
Cabot's- in Newton MA
JP Licks- Boston MA
Coldstone Creamery is good and just opened fairly recently in the Boston area. But I must say, the concept of mixing ingredients into the ice cream before your eyes is not a new or novel concept- at least not in Massachsetts. Herrell's and White Mountain Creamery were doing it decades ago.

When we make our annual pilgrimage to northern New Jersey we always visit Bischoff's on Cedar Lane in Teaneck, NJ. They've been in business for at least 40 years and make their own ice cream and whipped cream. It's a little pricey for a sundae but worth it for an occasional treat.

What a great post! As a fellow PSU alum (and also a State College native) I completely agree with the votes for "The Creamery" at University Park (Penn State, State College, Happy Valley!) Oh, what I would do for a cone of coconut chip right now!

I now live in San Francisco, and it can't go without mention, Mitchell's in the Mission (29th and San Jose) My favourite is their Cantaloupe ice cream. They have many unusual flavours as well as "normal" ones. Simply outstanding!

Also, the PSU "Creamery" has been used by Ben & Jerrys (as I believe a previous poster noted) to learn how to make ice cream in their "ice cream school". If you get the chance to go through central PA, don't miss the chance to go the Creamery, the lines may be long....but well worth it! (fyi: I'm 40, and remember when the huge cones were 35 cents! Not sure how much they are now, but they are worth every penny!)

Happy Ice Cream Eating!!!
Andiamo

Zanoni & Zanoni - Vienna, Austria

Four Seas Ice Cream, Centerville, MA (Cape Cod)..summer only..original place from the 50's. My favorites are cantaloupe and also ginger. All made on site, no chemicals.

GRAETER's in Cincinnati!! Real "french pot" european-style ice cream.....almost no air, 22% butter fat and chocolate chunks which are often close to the size of small candy bars!!!! Plus, they serve fresh, real whipped cream on all their sundaes!!!!!

El Jardin in Dolores Hidalgo, MX.
M

Cold Stone Creamery is another one of those chemical-experiment-ingredients ice creams. Check their website. And the stuff has about 100 grams of fat and 70 grams of saturated fat. Yuck.

Chilly Philly-Phila. area only.

Clarkgriswold: I finally got to the Fairfax Farmers' Mkt in LA. Bennetts is very good. Thanks for the suggestion. I had not been there since The Grove was added and was a bit afraid all the ambience of the 30s would be gone, but the food is still great, just more crowded which is good since it means that the Farmers Mkt will hang around a few more yrs.

Bailey's (Irish Cream)Ice Cream at Sebastian Joe's in Minneapolis. (and we eat ice cream even in winter here in the northland!!)

" Cow's " Icecream , Prince Edward Island , Canada . YUM !!!

Outside a small village in northern Yorkshire. The stand's sign said "World's Best Ice Cream," and we thought they were right.