Summer of Ice Cream Part One: Ice Cream Cones

It’s that time of year again! The Coast’s Best of Halifax Final Ballot is in effect! Please take a moment and vote Eat This Town for best food blogger!

Earlier this year, Halifax ReTales declared 2018 the #SummerofIceCream. This comes in the wake of the {hashtag} “death of fro-yo”. As that trend melted away, all kinds of unique ice cream treats have popped up around the city (or an Instagram feed near you!) As for me, I’ve taken up the challenge of seeking out all of the best ice cream treats in Halifax for your viewing pleasure! Part One will be a guide to all the best ice cream cones, while Part Two will delve into more creative concoctions.

The Best Ice Cream in Halifax:
8 Best Ice Cream Cones

(in no particular order)

1. The Dairy Bar

5688 Spring Garden Road

Ever since Stillwell Beergarden and The Dairy Bar took over that vacant lot on Spring Garden/South Park, they have collectively become the ultimate summer hang out. This is the place you go to stuff your face with craft beer, hot dogs and ice cream. All at the same time, ‘cus Halifax summers are short!

The Dairy Bar is run by Manual Food & Drink Co. and specializes in gourmet soft serve, sundaes, and nitro cold brew coffee. There are always two flavours of soft serve – usually vanilla with something fun like Maple, Banana, Mexican Chocolate or Pumpkin Spice. Last I checked, it was London Fog! This has become many locals’ go-to for ice cream in Halifax. A summer just isn’t complete without some ice cream and people watching on Spring Garden Road!

2. Cows

1869 Lower Water Street

Cow’s Ice Cream started out on the Cavendish Boardwalk in 1983. Its award winning ice cream, with gimmicky names like “Wowie Cowie” and “Gooey Mooey”, has become a PEI institution. A trip to Cows (and Rainbow Valley, R.I.P.) was always a family tradition on vacations to the island when I was growing up.

Cows has since expanded to other tourist hot spots: Banff, Whistler, Niagara-on-the-Lake and the Halifax Waterfront. You can get your taste of PEI nostalgia any time you want it – you just gotta get in that long line of fanny packs, screaming children and Dad jokes.

Some say it’s just for tourists. But I dare you to walk by the wafting aroma of waffle cones and tell me you don’t want a scoop!

3. Dee Dee’s

5668 Cornwallis Street

Dee Dee’s started out in 2004 as a family-run ice cream shop in Peggy’s Cove. They opened up their Cornwallis Street cafe in 2010 and now their artisanal, hand-made ice cream is everybody’s favourite ice cream! The burritos are also top notch – just sayin’.

The ice cream is made in small 18 litre batches with milk and cream from local dairies. Real ingredients from local sources are used in a host of unique flavours like Banana Cardamom, Mexican Chocolate, Shaker Lemon, and Mango Sorbet. I like to go for a couple scoops after roller skating on the Oval 🙂

4. Rousseau Chocolatier

5151 South Street

I was ecstatic when I found out my favourite chocolate shop was going to be introducing soft serve ice cream this summer! Rousseau Chocolatier is now making from-scratch soft serve with 3 kinds of dips: dark chocolate, milk chocolate and white chocolate!

We got to try a rich, single origin Haïti chocolate twisted with a scrumptious blackberry sorbet, but you might encounter peanut butter, praline, blood orange or whatever Julien comes up with next! You can also add toppings like cocoa nibs, maple flakes and caramel pearls!

5. The Sweet Spot Chocolate Shop

Photo by Sarah_Rums

601 Nova Scotia Trunk 2 #3

If you find yourself out Elmsdale way, The Sweet Spot Chocolate Shop is a local gem that is also garnering a reputation for its dipped cones! They offer dark, milk and white chocolate dips and they’ll even dip your favourite flavour of hard ice cream if you’d like.

6. Sugah!

Halifax Boardwalk & Public Gardens

Sugah! Confectionery is popular with both tourists and locals, with prime locations on the Halifax Boardwalk and Public Gardens. Their confections are crafted by hand using “century old techniques and pure, simple ingredients” and these are perfect for mixing and pounding into ice cream on a marble slab!

Choose a flavour of ice cream (Farmers brand) and choose your fillings. I went for vanilla ice cream with peanut butter fudge and waffle cone pieces, and watched while they were hand paddled into a delicious cohesive treat. This is perfect for lovers of chunky ‘n chewy ice cream (Hoof Prints, anyone?).

7. We all scream for…  Gelato!

Photo from Humani-T Cafe (Facebook)

Humani-T Cafe
1451 South Park Street
5755 Young Street

Foxhill Cheese House
2760 Robie Street

Ristorante a Mano
1477 Lower Water Street

If gelato is your thang, head to Humani-T to try one of their store-made gelatos or dairy-free sorbettos. There are two locations: the flagship store off Agricola and the laid back cafe on South Park. They famously once offered a donair gelato, and are well loved for their mini egg gelato and numerous vegan offerings. My favourite flavour will always be pistachio.

Humani-T isn’t the only gelato slingin’ biz in town – lovers of gelato can also fill their boots, cones & cups at Foxhill Cheese House. Here you’ll find gelato made exclusively from Foxhill’s herd of 50 Holstein and Jersey Cows, and the expertise of Donna Dominano, an Italian gelato maker.

The Bertossi Group restaurants also make excellent gelato. I suggest popping into A Mano for a scoop ($3) or one of their unique concoctions. Exhibit A: The “Coppa Caramello”: salted caramel & vanilla gelato layered with caramel & chocolate sauces, sponge toffee, whipped cream, & cookies ($9).

8. Moon Mist

Ah! – no summer is complete without a magical scoop of this Maritime classic. Nostalgia is induced by creamy swirls of bubblegum, banana and grape in a bright, happy mound of conical joy.

Locals know that moon mist can be found at virtually every corner store, farm market and scoop shop in the province. Some favourites:

The Daily Grind (Birmingham Street)
Jubilee Junction (Jubilee Street)
Daily Sweets (Oxford Street)
Chicken Little (Bedford)
What’s The Scoop (Eastern Passage)
Crocodile Ice Cream (Cole Harbour)
Chicken Little (Bedford)
Giggles (Alderney Landing)
Ice Cream Hut (Lower Sackville)

Bonus Milkshake: Freak Lunchbox

1729 Barrington Street

Seeing as I won’t be doing a milkshake quest anytime soon, I’d like to submit my vote for what brings me to the yard:

Freak Lunchbox has thick, flavourful shakes made with old school mixers, and lots of crazy fun flavours you can mix ‘n match. Some of the more unique flavours include liquorice, creamsicle, banana, and rum ‘n raisin!

Where is your favourite spot to get an ice cream in Halifax? What’s your favourite flavour?! Let me know in the comments or social media!

Also see:
Summer of Nachos
Summer of Fish ‘n Chips