One of the best cures for the summertime heat is cooling off with a favorite frozen dessert. We hit the town to visit some of the region’s sweet spots for cool treats, from Downtown to Powhatan, old to new, traditional to outside the cone.
Jimer’s Frozen Custard
20800 Hull Street Road, Moseley
In high school, James McAndrew never would have guessed his childhood nickname, “Jimer,” would later become synonymous with frozen custard. McAndrew recently celebrated 10 years of operating his frozen custard business out of a trailer in Moseley after retiring from FedEx.
“Being from a small town in Pennsylvania, we didn’t have state fairs and stuff; we had little carnivals that came around,” recalls McAndrew. “They had these kind of food trailers, and it was just nostalgic, it always brought back memories. From what I hear from a large portion of my customers, they feel the same way.”
Jimer’s Frozen Custard comes from Galliker’s dairy company in McAndrew’s hometown, Johnstown, Pennsylvania. Customers can't get enough of it — the frozen treat shop goes through about 300 to 400 gallons of custard a week.
Nightingale Ice Cream Sandwiches
Sold across the region and along the East Coast
Hannah Pollack and Xavier Meers have given a staple childhood delicacy a gourmet upgrade. Nightingale Ice Cream Sandwiches sells their homemade treats across five different states reaching from Wexford, Pennsylvania, to Savannah, Georgia.
“Everything is crafted by hand,” says Pollack.
Pollack and Meers, both chefs prior to undertaking this new passion, are full-time ice-cream sandwich makers along with about 10 other employees.
Nightingale offers eight staple flavors, but the crowd favorites are “Cookie Monster” (chocolate-chip cookie, cookies and cream ice cream) and “Fat Elvis” (banana ice cream and peanut butter cookies dipped in chocolate, pictured above). Other flavors include innovative Lavender Earl Grey (lavender Earl Grey ice cream, chocolate brownie cookie), and Key Lime Pie (brown sugar cookie, key lime ice cream), a summertime classic. You can get your hands on these ice cream treats at Union Market, Cross Brothers Grocery, Ellwood Thompson’s and more.
Mabel’s Espresso Bakery Cafe
3844 Old Buckingham Road, Powhatan
Inspired by the outrageous milkshakes at New York City's Black Tap, Mabel’s brought the crazy shake trend to Powhatan and recently celebrated the creation of their 10,000th shake since opening in April 2017. The shakes come in a wide range of flavors, spanning from fruity mixtures to sweet and salty. The “Unicorn Shake," one of Mabel’s specialty seasonal flavors, is decorated in sprinkles and rainbow-colored candy. Featured above is the “Peanut Butter Insanity,” one of Mabel’s top-selling shakes and every peanut butter enthusiast's dream come true.
General Manager Caleb Stettler says they recently had a record-breaking day and sold nearly 200 shakes. So, how many people does it take to make a Mabel's shake?
“At a bare minimum we probably have about two," says Stettler, "one person kind of putting them all together and another person making the physical shake, which probably takes the most amount of time."
The Neighborhood Scoop
Intersection of North 26th Street and Nine Mile Road
Ice cream has found its way to the intersection of community and accessibility in Church Hill.
“It is a culturally relevant food. Everyone likes ice cream," says co-founder Lawson Wijesooriya, "young or old, black or white, rich or poor."
The mission at The Neighborhood Scoop is to serve a wide audience and be more inclusive. Offering soft serve ice cream, which is more affordable, as well as craft ice cream from Gelati Celesti, supports their mission.
“For us this isn't a for-profit investment, this is a social enterprise,” says Wijesooriya. “We hire all youth from the neighborhood that are in need of opportunity and need good job training and access [to] entry-level jobs.”
Operating out of a truck, The Neighborhood Scoop is also a nostalgic tribute to the beloved High’s ice Cream that was once located in Church Hill. Gelati Celesti offers “Butter Brickle,” an homage to the popular favorite flavor served at High’s. The Scoop also makes an ice cream sandwich called the “High Five,” a $5 treat dedicated to High’s Ice Cream.
Cold Platform
4336 Pouncey Tract Road, Glen Allen
Last September, a unique ice cream trend rolled its way into the Short Pump area. Cold Platform specializes in scratch-made, rolled ice cream created on a chilled surface.
“It’s made right in front of you, liquid to ice cream,” says owner Jonathan Alvarado. “Ours is straight ice cream-based, we don’t pump any air in it,” which Alvarado says kills the flavor.
S’mores (pictured above) is a crowd favorite, served with marshmallow drizzle, chocolate, graham cracker and roasted marshmallow. Customers choose either vanilla or chocolate ice cream as the base and customize the treat with different toppings.
La Michoacana
7808 Midlothian Turnpike, North Chesterfield
Tucked away in a shopping center on Midlothian Turnpike in North Chesterfield is a colorfully decorated shop that specializes in authentic Mexican frozen pops. La Michoacana offers paletas in a multitude of flavors, ranging from strawberries and cream (above) to pico de gallo. Stop in to also find Mexican helado, aka ice cream, offered in varieties such as plantain, Mexican cake and more.
Beauvine Burger Concept
1501 W. Main St.
In the heart of The Fan, Beauvine Burger Concept has won the approval of many Richmonders for its artisanal burgers, but their handmade milkshakes, made from Homestead Creamery ice cream, are sure to make an impression, too. Specifically the Adult Shakes — creamy concoctions infused with various liquors. Featured above is the “Secret Breakfast,” a boozy take on Fruity Pebbles thanks to Absolut Lime vodka and Grand Marnier.
