Dr. Chocolate
4001 N. Lamar in Central Park, 454-0555 Monday-Saturday 10am-9pm; Sunday 1-6pm
The ice creams designed by the talented culinary alchemists at Dr. Chocolate have been favorites of our readers for years, and we understand why. The delectable chocolate ice creams come 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 St., 323-2686Daily, 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 Sunday-Thursday, noon-9pm; Friday-Saturday, 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
Seven locations in Austin Various hourswww.amysicecream.com
Amy’s became a resident of South Congress last fall, opening the seventh location of this quintessentially Austin institution. You’ll find them serving up the same comic wit and irreverence along with luscious, high-butterfat scoops of ice cream that have made Amy’s a favorite. 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. A complete list can be found on their Web site. They also carry fruit ices for the nondairy crowd.
Marble Slab Creamery
Six locations in Austin 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.
Baskin Robbins
730 W. Stassney, 444-3049 Monday-Saturday, 11am-10pm; Sunday, noon-10pm
Baskin Robbins is like an old friend you don’t see too often anymore, and now those visits will be much less frequent. There’s only one remaining Baskin Robbins in town, 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.
This article appears in June 20 • 2003.