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Toronto's Best Ice Cream Shops
By Noelle Munaretto
Homemade waffle cones from The Big Chill
If it were up to me, for dessert every night, there would always be ice cream. Hands down. No contest. Just buckets and buckets of ice cream. And, really, can you blame me? The smooth, creamy texture, and the endless flavour choices win me over each time. Over the course of my 20 years in Toronto I have yet to find someone who doesn't like ice cream. Even my lactose intolerant friends have been known to pop a handful of pills just to enjoy this chilled dairy product. With the August long weekend just around the corner, at Gremolata we figured that it would be a smart move to supply our readers with a list of the best ice cream shops in Toronto. That means even though some of these places offered sorbet, and other stores in the city are famous for their Italian gelato, we decided to present only those who stocked true ice cream.
Of course, there is only one way to make sure that these places are really the best. So for the sake of this article, and with sheer delight, I have tried the offerings of each scoop shop presented below. Some were visited this month, but most were frequented within the past four days. Finding friends to take along on this mission was incredible easy since the prospect of spending a whole day sampling ice cream with me was a no-brainer. After countless kiddy cups, waffle cones and plastic spoons, my ice cream team found seven winning ice cream shops in the city. From ice cream studded with cracked black pepper to one with stuffed with cheesecake chunks, there's sure to be tub with your name on it.
Oh, and by the way, there is no such thing as low fat ice cream. In my opinion, it's a cardinal sin. So, if you're the type to count calories, it's probably a good idea to stop reading right about now. We wouldn't want to tempt you, would we?
Kensington Market Organic Ice Cream
Don't expect to find information about this famous shop online. "I don't have a website, I don't have business cards, I just have ice cream," says a beaming Brad Kurtenbach, the owner and ice-cream guru of Kensington Market Organic Ice Cream. Kurtenbach has been supplying Torontonians with organic ice cream, made with local ingredients, for five summer seasons. Two years ago, he moved the shop out of its namesake Kensington location to Palmerston Street, just off of the Queen West strip. Kurtenbach makes all of his product on-site, and he's one of the few ice cream shops in the city to do just that. His ever-changing ice cream menu features unique flavours like Blueberry Lavender, Mo' Fig Chocolate Doo-Dah (with cayenne pepper) and a chocolate chip/banana/coconut/coffee concoction called Cowboy Super Bench Press. For the more adventurous palate try out his ice cream with chestnuts and birch syrup, as well as one that has strawberry, black pepper and star anise. The shop also offers ice creams made with goat's milk, and Indian-style Kuflis that are thick and sweet thanks to the traditional addition of condensed milk. In the summer, the shop is open seven days a week. On weekends it stays open till one o'clock in the morning, and until midnight on weekdays.
The Big Chill
It's hard to resist stopping at this ridiculously cute ice cream shop. A bright mural featuring paintings of dancing ice cream blobs, caricature cones, and singing sundaes brings out the kid in any adult. Located at 367 Manning Street, just west of Bathurst, The Big Chill's colourful outdoor seating area is packed on hot summer nights. Aside from the cartoon décor, the ice cream is the reason why. In fact, this scoop shop is also famous for their homemade waffle cones. If you're really lucky you might even get one that's just slightly warm at the base. In terms of filling up that amazing cone, you might want to go with their famous Dutch Apple Pie ice cream. From Maypole dairy, the vanilla base is chock-full of cooked apple chunks, pastry bits, and finished with an ethereal swirl of carmely-cinnamon pie goo. For even sweeter tooth try out the rich, almost black, Chocolate Peanut Butter ice cream. Children will enjoy staples like Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, and other rainbow-coloured varieties will surely end up smeared over all their faces. Also, save room for ice cream at The Big Chill as portion sizes are quite large and be sure to ask for extra napkins.
The Toy Space
As if it isn't dangerous enough bringing a child into a toy store, the folks at The Toy Space have upped the ante by featuring a freezer full of scooped Kawartha Dairy Ice Cream. This store (located on the northwest corner of Bathurst and King St.) is one of the few places in the city that actually stocks healthy, environmentally conscious, and educational toys as well as great local ice cream. Needless to say, even though it's not an official ice cream store, it's worth a visit. All ice creams from Kawartha Dairy are made with 100% Canadian dairy products, usually a mixture of fresh milk and fresh cream, so you really can't go wrong. Try not to be scared by the plastic-looking neon pink and blue cotton candy ice cream. As someone who usually cringes at the thought of kiddy flavours, I instead assure you that this one is pretty friggin' delicious. Death by Chocolate is also a wise choice and so is the Bordeaux Cherry. Hours are limited because the ice cream counter is located in the store so check their website at thetoyspace.com to be sure they're open.
Dutch Dreams
I'm starting to notice an alarming trend for all of the city's best ice cream joints to be located near Bathurst Street. The same goes for Dutch Dreams. Two blocks west of Bathurst on St. Clair you'll find this landmark store decorated with flags, sparkly garland, balloons, painted dairy jugs, and milkmaid art. In front of the cash register there's even a photo of Spice Girl Melanie C. posing with the owners. All of the Dutch Dreams' 19 waffle cones (rolled in confections like coconut, Oreo crumbles, mini M&Ms, and sprinkles) are hand made on-site, and those who prefer their ice cream in a cup get their selection topped with fresh and canned fruit, whipped cream and a waffle cone chip. Though the store doesn't offer fancy flavours, they do the basics in-house, they do them well, and have become a community institution because of that. All in all, expect the experience to be pleasantly kitschy. Dutch Dreams is also open year round, unlike many of the other ice cream shops in the city: dutchdreams.ca.
Greg's Ice Cream
Every time I have a cup full of Greg's roasted marshmallow ice cream, it's like I die and go to heaven. Seriously, anyone who doesn't find that flavour remotely delicious must have a problem with his or her taste buds. Obviously it's popular with the customers of Greg's Ice Cream too, since it's usually a staple offering on their revolving ice cream menu. Instead of offering numerous flavours each time you walk in the door, this shop prefers to keep their ice cream list short and always changing. Some days you might find Raspberry ice cream, Ginger, Coffee, Mango, Chocolate, and Sweet Cream. Owner Greg Mahon has prepared single batches of his ice cream, the old fashioned way, for over 20 years. The result is a very creamy and sublime treat that puts you into a quasi-hallucinogenic state of culinary pleasure. Their new location on the southwest corner of Spadina and Bloor makes it a popular hangout for University of Toronto students and residents of the Annex. All ingredients are natural, so there are no preservatives or emulsifiers. The ice cream is also 14 per cent butterfat, which doesn't hurt either. Greg's is open year round too, so be on the look out for flavours that match the seasons like Mincemeat at Christmas, Pumpkin in the fall, and Lime-Chiffon in the summer. Thankfully, the list goes on and on: gregsicecream.com.
Tom's Dairy Freeze
Tom's Dairy freeze is the source for sweet, soft-serve goodness in Etobicoke. Forget about Dairy Queen - or dare I say McDonald's - this place is the real deal. I have spent many a summer, spring, and late fall night in line at this little ice cream hut, waiting for my medium-sized twist cone. You'll be hard pressed to find a soft-serve in the city that is better than what the crew at Tom's whips up. For extra decadence get your cone dipped in chocolate or butterscotch, or load up a soft-serve sundae with hot fudge sauce and peanuts. You may be able to feel your arteries crusting over with each silky spoonful, however take solace in the fact that everyone scattered around Tom's picnic tables are feeling the same way. For hard ice-cream diehards they also offer a handful of brought-in flavours. If you have never been to Tom's, as a proud Etobicokian I urge you to make your way over to 630 The Queensway (just east of Royal York). Just look for the giant cone sign accented with half-burnt out, mulitcoloured light bulbs. It's the ice-cream beacon of the west-end.
Ed's Real Scoop
For those that live in Toronto's east end, Ed's Real Scoop can satisfy many of your ice cream cravings. An additional bonus is the store's proximity to the waterfront. Spending a glorious afternoon strolling along Woodbine Beach is taken to the next level when you throw in a couple of scoops of Ed's ice cream. I'm convinced these guys make the best Chocolate Peanut Butter in the city. Their Coffee-Toffee flavour is also a standout on the menu. Judging by the depleted tubs of Crème Brule, Vanilla and Chocolate Banana, these are also store favourites. Owner Ed Francis left his job in the computer industry before opening Ed's Real Scoop in the Beach area, eight years ago. Now, the shop produces about 80 flavours that are all made with natural ingredients. No artificial stuff here. Visit this shop this long weekend at 2224 Queen St. East (at Victoria Park), for some of the best ice cream this city has to offer.
Enjoy!
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