Ice Cream in Philly
Aruond the Block: 4/28/23
Hi ATB reader,
Today I thought it would be fun to simply write about ice cream in Philly. Is there anyone who does not like ice cream? I mean that as an actual question, not rhetorical, as there are so many superb non-dairy options now (not to mention water ice), that even most people with intolerances or allergies can enjoy some frozen confection. I got this idea from a piece in the Inquirer earlier this week, simply titled Best ice cream in Philadelphia: Where to get the best scoops, soft serve, water ice and other frozen treats. Needless to say, I will be sharing my own opinions and comments here.
First, the article playfully states “No city, currently, has claimed the title of Ice Cream Capital of America. Obviously, that title should go to Philadelphia.” For those who regularly read this newsletter, you know that I think that Philly is the best city in America (and the world), and also excels in many specific areas, including, but not limited to, food in general, sports fans, livability, neighborhoods, walkable Center City, history, parks, homes, and greatest fictional character/icon.
Greatest fictional character/icon. Also spawned classic Philly-centric movie line, “Yo, Adrian!“ This 23-second clip definitely gets me pumped up.
I mean simply put, Philly is the jawn.
But I never specifically considered ice cream. Though I certainly contemplated water ice. As a kid, I did not even realize that water ice was a local thing (or at least the name is). You go somewhere else in the country and ask for water ice, and people are like “What?” I never even considered how odd the name was. “Water Ice.” H2O plus the frozen version of H2O. What a bizarre, totally non-descriptive name. (Though its inverse, “ice water,” is well known and aptly named, as it is simply water with ice in it.) As a kid, the quirk of its name never even occurred to me. Like, everyone, everywhere understands what water ice is, right? Perhaps they are familiar with other frozen sugar/water treats such as Italian ice, snow cones, or shave ice for example. But none of these things are as awesome as water ice, which originated in Philadelphia. And when a company is founded in Philly and then franchises like crazy and goes viral, they actually change the name so others can understand… to Italian ice.
Rita’s is actually pretty good and they at least understand what Gelati is… water ice and ice cream in one cup. But they are really serving water ice, not Italian ice, which I think of as a much harder and gelatinous product in a paper cup with a paper lid that you pull off with a tab.
So now back to ice cream. I will discuss water ice again later.
In the list of the best ice cream in Philly, I have been to quite a few: Weckerly’s (from Lil’ Pop Shop), Zsa’s, Laser Wolf, Bassetts, 1-900-Ice-Cream, Franklin Fountain, C&C (never realized this stood for Custards and Cakes), and Jeni’s. All of these are good (as ice cream tends to be), and my favorites on this list are Bassetts and Laser Wolf. Though one of Philly’s best is not even on this list–Tubby Robot Ice Cream Factory on Main Street in Manayunk. My favorite. Highly recommend.
My top choice in supermarket ice cream is a Philadelphia brand founded in 1866—Bryers. And while many of its flavors have gone downhill since it was bought by Kraft and then Unilever and left Philly, its Vanilla and Mint Chip, IMO, remain supreme.
A special shoutout to a couple of Philly’s classic parlors from when I was growing up—Just Ice Cream on Pine Street in Wash West (later renamed More Than Just Ice Cream, as they moved to a much larger shop on Locust). And Hillary’s on South Street, at the terminus of Passyunk. Do you guys remember these Philly standouts from yesteryear?
The Inquirer piece also ranks soft serve, vegan (like the amazing Goldie’s tahina milkshakes), banana splits (Tubby Robot is mentioned here!), and crazy soft serve flavors: where have you gone Big Gay Ice Cream, with your Gritty-inspired Dorito flavored creation? Is it possible this is why you went out of business?
Which brings us back round to water ice and the Inquirer’s water ice list. First on the list and my favorite by far is John’s Water Ice at 7th & Christian. I like to take my kids to my favorite Philly eateries (who doesn’t), which include places like John’s Roast Pork, Reading Terminal Market, and John’s Water Ice. Here we are in July 2018.
About John’s, the Inquirer says:
There’s no artificial syrup or fake flavors in the water ice at this Christian St. water ice institution, which has been serving cold cups of frozen treats since 1945. Staple flavors include cherry, lemon, pineapple, and chocolate, with special announced-on-Instagram flavors (mango, honeydew, peach) rotating week by week.
I love a cherry and lemon combo and my favorite specialty flavor of all time is their cantaloupe. In classic South Philly style, it used to be cash only. But now they accept Venmo!! Sometimes lines, but they move fast. Old school Philly parking, right on the corner in front of the fireplug. In and out.
This Inquirer series includes multiple other places that sound great. Some I may try and most I will probably never get to. In any event, I believe I have come to one undeniable conclusion based on writing this piece. Philly is the Ice Cream (and obviously water ice) capital of the world!
Have a great weekend!
Best regards,
Jeff