| CITY OF ATE | t Dish Chill, Dude Take the edge off summer heat with treats from these cool ice cream shops. BY ANISHA HOLLA T emperatures are at their peak. If you find yourself bored at home, there’s arguably no better way to kill your af- ternoon (and appetite) than with some of Dallas’ best desserts. Whether you’re a fan of colossal milkshakes, over-the-top sundaes, or just the old-fashioned ice cream cone, these cool treats are worth a visit this sum- mer. We’ll bet the kids won’t mind either. Parlor’s Ice Cream 6465 E. Mockingbird Lane, Suite 465 Recently opened in Dallas, Parlor’s is taking the concept of nostalgic ice cream to heart. Flavors like milk and cookies, made with a light vanilla ice cream and cookies loaded into the crevices, are sure to incite a sugar rush while reviving some good childhood memories. Using flavors and ingredients sourced locally and from scratch, owners Brandon and Kellie Stoll are making ice cream as fresh as it gets . Van Leeuwen Ice Cream 3699 McKinney Ave., Suite 101 You’ll find Van Leeuwen in the West Village (in the old Paciugo space), where it serves a wide variety of dairy, vegan and gluten-free ice cream flavors. While Van Leeuwen dis- tributes its products in grocery stores, the scoop shop in Dallas makes it much easier to sample a few flavors, and here you can get it in a cup, a cone, or even a cookie sandwich. The brown sugar cookie dough chunk may just be the star flavor. It comes with a rich, dark sugar ice cream base, studded with candied walnuts, brownies and cookie dough. Try other specialties like the marion- berry cheesecake and the praline butter cake. Tongue in Cheek Ice Cream 526 W. Arapaho Road (Richardson) The original Tongue in Cheek location is in the heart of Richardson, but there’s a new shop in Plano, too. If you’re looking for big portions and cheap prices, this might be- come your new favorite ice cream spot. Try the best-selling Banana Pudding, a banana- flavored ice cream giving way to fresh wa- fers in each bite. Other popular option is the Caramel Crack, which comes with a rich caramel base and crispy chocolate balls sprinkled throughout. Ordering your ice cream is only the beginning of the fun here, though. Be sure to grab a spot on one of the swings while you eat. Swinging with a cone in hand makes an ice cream outing all the more fun. Handel’s Ice Cream 4200 Legacy Drive (Plano) A chain that originated in Youngstown, Ohio, Handel’s has since brought its ice cream to five different locations in the Dallas area. The ice cream shop is perhaps best known for its 120+ rotating flavors, all made fresh in-house each day. Try the best-selling Oreo cheese- cake flavor, a vanilla base loaded with huge chunks of cheesecake and Oreo cookies. Sea- sonal summer favorites include the Key lime pie, pineapple upside-down cake and straw- berry cheesecake chunk. Bring your kids, friends and an appetite. Handel’s doesn’t skimp on flavors or portions. Sugar Factory 1900 Cedar Springs Road Known for its eye-catching desserts, Sugar Factory is a good option for both your sweet tooth and your camera. Try the chocolate fondue platter, a plate stacked with banana slices, red velvet cake, brownie pieces, gummy bears and strawberry slices, served alongside a pot of melted chocolate and skewers for your dipping pleasure. The pop- ular dish is a dream for any chocolate-lover. The franchise is also recognized for its ex- cessively large sundaes, stacked with ice cream, sprinkles, syrups and candy to top it all off. If you want to keep things simple, get a milkshake topped with waffles and candy bars. It’s definitely possible to eat a whole meal’s worth of sugar here. Just don’t count calories. The Sugar Factory Cookies and creme iced coffee from the Sugar Factory will cure your summertime blues. The Yard 4940 TX-121, Suite 100 (The Colony) The Yard, which began life on ABC’s hit show Shark Tank, is serving up some of the biggest milkshakes on the local dessert scene. The menu here boasts shakes ranging from the milk and cookies, a vanilla shake topped with a cookie sandwich, to the salted caramel cheesecake, with a caramel-cheesecake-fla- vored base topped by a slice of cheesecake. And you can keep the jar when you’re done. This way, you can feel the sugar rush at the moment and remember it later. Bazaria Sweets 700 W. Spring Creek Parkway, Suite 102 (Plano) Bazaria may just be the ideal destination for fans of cold desserts. The locally-owned shop carries almost any cold treat you can imagine, from frozen yogurt to milkshakes to homemade gelato. A must-try here is the chocolate mousse frozen yogurt, which comes with a creamy chocolate base and fresh chocolate shavings spread throughout. It’s almost like eating a real chocolate mousse cake — except, well, it’s frozen. Ba- zaria’s gelato is a real showstopper, too. Made from scratch, the flavors like almond fig and cherry cheesecake make Bazaria stand out among other gelato shops on the area’s dessert scene. Especially in the hun- dred-degree Texas heat, Bazaria might just become your new go-to. >> p16 7224 Independence Parkway • Plano 972.618.4542 • litasdallas.com 15 15 dallasobserver.com dallasobserver.com | CONTENTS | UNFAIR PARK | SCHUTZE | FEATURE | NIGHT+DAY | CULTURE | MOVIES | DISH | MUSIC | CLASSIFIED | CLASSIFIED | MUSIC | DISH | CULTURE | UNFAIR PARK | CONTENTS DALLAS OBSERVER DALLAS OBSERVER MONTH XX–MONTH XX, 2014 JULY 28–AUGUST 3, 2022
