Second Helpings: Ice Cream

"Second Helpings" offers tasty, bite-sized restaurant listings compiled from new and previous reviews, guides, and poll results. This week's entries were updated by Erin Mosow. For quick, reliable information about Austin eateries, check here, or online at austinchronicle.com/guides/restaurant .

Dr. Chocolate

4001 N. Lamar in Central Park, 454-0555

Monday-Saturday 10am-9pm; Sunday 1-6pm

4477 S. Lamar (at Ben White), 891-6800

Monday-Tuesday noon-8pm; Wednesday-Saturday 11am-9pm; Sunday 1-6pm

The ice creams designed by the talented culinary alchemists at Dr. Chocolate were voted Best Ice Cream by Chronicle readers one year, and we understand why. The delectable chocolate ice creams are all at the original North Lamar outlet in unforgettable flavors such as Infinity Double Chocolate, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, Orange Starburst Chocolate, Snowberry (white chocolate with chocolate-covered strawberries), and Bumpy Road (chocolate with marshmallows and chocolate-covered almonds).

Dolce Vita Gelato & Espresso Bar

4220 Duval, 323-2686

Daily 9am-midnight

For those who like their ice cream with a continental flair, Dolce Vita offers a delicious assortment of handmade Italian ice cream and fruit sorbets right in the heart of Hyde Park. They also serve a variety of coffee drinks as well as spirits and cordials for those in the mood for something stronger. Dolce Vita is as close to Rome as you'll get while doing a load of wash at Convenience Coin Laundry.

Paradise Ice Cream

900 S. RR 620, 263-0363

Daily noon-10pm

Mark Alsup says he changed careers from engineering to ice cream making because he "wanted to be around happy people all day." What could make people happier than fresh, homemade ice creams in a wealth of inviting flavors? Try favorites like Elvis Triple Chocolate, Orange Sherbet, or Rainforest Mocha Almond Fudge on your next excursion to Lake Travis, and you'll be happy, too.

Amy's Ice Cream

Six locations in Austin

Serving up comic wit and irreverence along with luscious, high-butter-fat scoops of ice cream, Amy's is a quintessentially Austin institution. The Mexican Vanilla with strawberry Crush'ns is a good place to start, but Amy's whimsical roster of rotating flavors runs the gamut from Coffee Toffee to Shiner Bock. They also carry fruit ices for the non-dairy crowd. Just remember to bring cash or a local check because Amy's currently doesn't take American Express or any other credit card.

Marble Slab Creamery

Hancock Center, 1000 E. 41st, 451-4200

5601 Brodie Ln., 899-2080

701 Capital of TX Hwy. S., 327-5601

Monday-Thursday 11:30am-10pm; Friday-Saturday 11:30am-11pm; Sunday noon-10pm

Houston-based Marble Slab Creamery offers rich, premium ice cream made fresh daily and designed to your specifications on a frozen marble slab. Flavors include Sweet Cream, Chocolate Amaretto, and Cheesecake. You can have your ice cream mixed with a variety of fruit, candy, cookies, and nuts. Each Marble Slab also bakes its cones fresh daily.

Maggie Moo's

7101 Hwy. 71 W., 301-6667

Monday-Saturday noon-10pm; Sunday 1-10pm

These cherry chain outlets with whimsical bovine décor offer ice creams and sorbets made fresh on the premises in a variety of flavors. There are mix-ins of candies, nuts, and fruits, plus some of the crisp waffle cones are dipped in chocolate and dusted with nuts, multicolored sprinkles, or chopped candies to add even more flavor and texture to your ultimate choice. We're partial to the Cow Spots (the signature ice cream sandwiches) and the Moo Hot Tub, a waffle cup filled with ice cream and topped with hot fudge or caramel sauce.

Baskin Robbins

Six locations in Austin

Baskin Robbins is like an old friend you don't see too often anymore. The gourmands have moved on to specialty ice cream boutiques, but BR is still there to scoop the 31 flavors you grew up with. Sinking a hot pink plastic spoon into workhorse standards like French Vanilla, Rocky Road, Rainbow Sherbet, and Jamoca Almond Fudge will make your taste buds think it's 1972 again.