AMES, Iowa — Summer is good for many things in Iowa. That list includes swimming, cool evenings, sweet corn, cookouts, and ice cream. As we celebrate Ice Cream Month, and now Ice Cream Day, July 20th, it’s good to take stock of the ice cream we have in Iowa.
There are many great ice cream vendors in Iowa. THE BEST one, is one that is near you and open with ice cream to serve. Always support your local ice cream dealer! That includes your local DQ and Culver’s, and other chains as well.
That said, there are some notable ice cream places that are fun to visit when you are on the road across Iowa. I spoke with Jessica O’Riley, of Travel Iowa, who has created a map for Iowa Ice Cream lovers called Iowa’s Ultimate Ice Cream List.
“Last summer we casually mentioned 10 of our favorite local ice cream shops in a post on our social media channels,” wrote O’Riley on TravelIowa.com. “To say people responded passionately would be an understatement. We used the hundreds of comments received to create this ultimate list of local ice cream shops. Happy eating.”
Now, ice cream lovers can get their favorite spot on the List by sending an email to Travel Iowa.
A while back, I paid a visit to Dan & Debbies Ice Cream shop in Ely, just south of Cedar Rapids. The couple expanded their dairy as a way to include their kids in the business. The milk cows, right on their site, and of course, make ice cream, and sell milk.
Over in eastern Iowa, there’s the Wilton Candy Kitchen.
“It’s the nostalgia, soda-fountain, or old-fashioned service and homemade treats,” said O’Riley. “It has been there since 1910. It’s listed on the National Register of Historic Places.”
O’Riley does like to get out to do some field research on ice cream. One place she visited is Goldies, in Prairie City.
“This is such a wonderful little shop, there’s an ice cream shop, but they’re best known for their breaded tenderloins, they are former best breaded tenderloin winner, but you must have the ice cream,” said O’Riley. “They offer nearly a dozen special sundaes in addition to cones malts and shakes my favorite is the peanut butter pancake that has peanut butter cups, butter, Butterfinger, and peanut butter sauce. I get it with chocolate ice cream just to level up a little bit.”
Also in central Iowa, is Over the Top in Pleasant Hill.
“It is an award-winning super premium ice cream crafted with the best ingredients from local Iowa Dairies, and businesses, and they have more than 31 fabulous flavors,” said O’Riley.
Iowa has one ultimate ice cream destination, that’s the World Capitol of Ice Cream, as so designated by the Iowa Legislature in 1994.
“You can’t talk about Ice Cream in Iowa without talking about Well’s Blue Bunny and Le Mars of course the Ice Cream Capital of the World,” said O’Riley. “Their ice cream parlor has more than 40 flavors of ice cream.”
They don’t give tours of the ice cream plant. They do have a visitors center, including a film explaining the history of the company, and how ice cream is made. They also give samples of the ice cream and serve it up right there in downtown LeMars.
One shop has a memorable name: The Whippy Dip in Decorah.
“I am a big fan of the Whippy Dip as well,” said O’Riley. “It’s a great walk-up ice cream spot soft serve ice cream and shakes, which is the best way to cool down in the summer.”
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