USA TODAY 10Best
Moomers Homemade Ice Cream Named Best Ice Cream Parlor
Best Ice Cream Parlor (2016)
There's nothing quite as refreshing as cold, creamy ice cream on a hot day. While the historic roots of ice cream are disputed, this favorite American dessert was first mentioned in the New World in a 1744 letter by a guest of the Maryland Governor. According to records kept by a New York ice cream merchant, President George Washington dropped $200 on ice cream during the summer of 1790. Thomas Jefferson had a famous recipe for Baked Alaska, and Dolly Madison served strawberry ice cream at a White House dinner for her husband's second inaugural banquet.
10Best asked readers to help us find the best ice cream parlors in the U.S. from a pool of 20 nominees, and after four weeks of voting, the results are in.
The top 10 winners in the category Best Ice Cream Parlor are as follows:
Photo courtesy of diaper / Flickr
No. 10: Woodside Farm Creamery - Hockessin, Del.
The ice creams at Woodside Farm Creamery are made using traditional techniques hailing back to the days of George Washington's presidency. The ice cream is made from the milk of the farm's own Jersey cows, which gets processed locally into sweet cream – grass to ice cream in a matter of weeks! Besides the classic flavors, Woodside Farm also offers interesting flavors like bacon, peanut butter & jelly, pumpkin pecan and gingersnap.
Photo courtesy of Cape Cod Creamery
No. 9: Cape Cod Creamery - South Yarmouth, Mass.
Cape Cod Creamery boasts that their ice cream is the creamiest, smoothest and most flavorful on the market. This award-winning ice cream parlor in South Yarmouth offers a wide selection of flavors, including Pleasant Bay Peanut Butter, Nauset Peach, Bayview Beach Brownie and Barnsatble Bananas Foster.
Photo courtesy of William F. Yurasko / Flickr
No. 8: Springer's Homemade Ice Cream - Stone Harbor, N.J.
Springer's Homemade Ice Cream occupies a historic building with the look and feel of an old-time ice cream parlor. Jersey Shore locals and vacationers can choose from over 50 flavors, including interesting options like Orange Pineapple, Potpourri or Teaberry.
Photo courtesy of Sloan's Ice Cream
No. 7: Sloan's Ice Cream - West Palm Beach, Fla.
When Sloan's opened shop in West Palm Beach in 1999, it was with the aim of creating an "ice cream utopia," and we think it was a success! This pink and lime green sweet shop features fresh-baked desserts and candies as well as a variety of innovative ice cream flavors, like Carrot Cake, Coffee & Doughnuts, Mom's Apple Pie and Tracy's Scrumptious Pretzel.
Photo courtesy of A La Mode Shoppe
No. 6: A La Mode Shoppe - New York
New York's A La Mode Shoppe doubles as a kids boutique, but where this parlor really shines is in its allergy-free ice cream selection. The ice creams here are nut-, egg-, gluten- and sesame-free, so diners can enjoy their treats worry-free. Popular flavors include Blue Cotton Candy Marshmallow and Pink Vanilla Sprinkle.
Photo courtesy of Sundae School Ice Cream
No. 5: Sundae School Ice Cream - Dennis Port, Mass.
Sundae School Ice Cream opened in 1976 after a school teacher and his wife and child were looking for ways to spend summers in the Cape. Ice creams and frozen yogurts are made on-site in small batches, and signature sundaes come topped with homemade hot fudge, real whipped cream and a fresh Bing cherry (seasonal).
Photo courtesy of Sydney Demartino / Screamin' Mimi's
No. 4: Screamin' Mimi's - Sebastopol, Calif.
Award-winning Screamin' Mimi's has been serving handmade ice cream since 1995, when Maraline Olsen opened the shop as a way to recreate the ice cream of her youth on the East Coast. The flavor lineup changes daily, but there's always homemade hot fudge, waffle cones, caramel sauce and whipped cream on hand to build the perfect dessert.
No. 3: Doumar's - Norfolk, Va.
Doumar's has been serving ice cream to the Norfolk masses since 1907 and in their current location since 1934. In 1904, Abe Doumar invented the ice cream cone and introduced it at the St. Louis World's Fair, forever altering the course of ice cream history. Doumar's still uses that original cone machine (and for hungry guests, they also specialize in North Carolina-style barbecue).
Photo courtesy of Geoff Peddicord for Big Dipper Ice Cream
No. 2: Big Dipper Ice Cream - Missoula, Mont.
More than two decades ago Big Dipper Ice Cream started out in the back of a brewery. Today this Missoula institution continues to serve homemade ice cream and sorbet to visitors and locals who line up throughout the year for popular flavors like White Mint Oreo, Huckleberry, Cardamom and Green Tea.
Photo courtesy of Moomers Homemade Ice Cream
No. 1: Moomers Homemade Ice Cream - Traverse City, Mich.
The kitchen at Moomers Homemade Ice Cream in Traverse City makes more than 160 different flavors of ice cream – 20 are available daily. There's often a line outside for a scoop or other menu item, all of which can be made with any flavor. Options include apple crisp, banana bread, lemon poppy seed muffin and Oreo cheesecake.
A panel of experts picked the initial 20 nominees, and the top 10 winners were determined by popular vote. Experts Eric Grossman (USA TODAY), Anna Hider (Roadtrippers), Gerrish Lopez (USA TODAY), Jane and Michael Stern (Roadfood.com) and Malcolm Stogo (Ice Cream University) were chosen based on their extensive knowledge of ice cream and/or food travel in the USA.
Additional parlors nominated in this category included Aglamesis Brothers in Cincinnati; Annabelle's Natural Ice Cream in Portsmouth, N.H.; Bi-Rite Creamery in San Francisco; Cool Moon Ice Cream in Portland, Ore.; Creole Creamery in New Orleans; The Franklin Fountain in Philadelphia; Ici Ice Cream in Berkeley, Calif.; Izzy's Ice Cream in Minneapolis & St. Paul; Rococo Artisan Ice Cream in Kennebunkport, Maine and Salt & Straw in Portland, Ore.
Congratulations to all our winning ice cream parlors, and thanks for keeping us cool this summer!
About 10Best Readers' Choice Awards
Nominees are submitted by a panel of experts. 10Best editors narrow the field to select the final set of nominees for the Readers’ Choice Awards. Readers can vote once per category, per day. For any questions or comments, please read the FAQ or email USA TODAY 10Best.
The Experts
Anna Hider
Anna is a writer and social media manager for
Anna is a writer and social media manager for Roadtrippers, the coolest trip-planning site and app on the planet, where she's spent two years digging up the coolest off-the-beaten-path things for travelers to see and do. She loves hiking, exploring, and sometimes even getting lost in a good state park, and is definitely a sucker for any place with a waterfall, a ghost town or a beach.
Anna Hider
Anna is a writer and social media manager for Roadtrippers, the coolest trip-planning site and app on the planet, where she's spent two years digging up the coolest off-the-beaten-path things for travelers to see and do. She loves hiking, exploring, and sometimes even getting lost in a good state park, and is definitely a sucker for any place with a waterfall, a ghost town or a beach.
Eric Grossman
Eric Grossman is a travel and food/drink writer... Read More
Eric Grossman is a travel and food/drink writer who has visited more than 60 countries. Always up for an adventure, Eric is constantly searching for new and inspiring experiences, with a keen interest in luxury travel and urban exploration. Memorable experiences have run the gamut from discussing the future of food with Ferran Adrià to sharing a stage with Coldplay.
Eric Grossman
Eric Grossman is a travel and food/drink writer who has visited more than 60 countries. Always up for an adventure, Eric is constantly searching for new and inspiring experiences, with a keen interest in luxury travel and urban exploration. Memorable experiences have run the gamut from discussing the future of food with Ferran Adrià to sharing a stage with Coldplay.
Gerrish Lopez
Gerrish Lopez is a food and travel... Read More
Gerrish Lopez is a food and travel writer/photographer whose adventures have taken her from tiny islands (Isle of Man, Lanai) to mega-cities like Mexico City and Hong Kong. A former vegetarian, Gerrish has grown to appreciate carnivorous fare through sampling the best meats in the world, including smoked pork jowl in Thailand and whole hog barbecue in South Carolina. Gerrish is always looking for products and services to make her travels easier and more efficient.
Gerrish Lopez
Gerrish Lopez is a food and travel writer/photographer whose adventures have taken her from tiny islands (Isle of Man, Lanai) to mega-cities like Mexico City and Hong Kong. A former vegetarian, Gerrish has grown to appreciate carnivorous fare through sampling the best meats in the world, including smoked pork jowl in Thailand and whole hog barbecue in South Carolina. Gerrish is always looking for products and services to make her travels easier and more efficient.
Jane and Michael Stern
Jane and Michael Stern have written more than... Read More
Jane and Michael Stern have written more than forty books about American food and popular culture, including Roadfood: The Coast-to-Coast Guide to 800 of the Best Barbecue Joints, Lobster Shacks, Ice Cream Parlors, Highway Diners, and Much, Much More. Their website Roadfood.com pioneered internet food reporting and photography.
Jane and Michael Stern
Jane and Michael Stern have written more than forty books about American food and popular culture, including Roadfood: The Coast-to-Coast Guide to 800 of the Best Barbecue Joints, Lobster Shacks, Ice Cream Parlors, Highway Diners, and Much, Much More. Their website Roadfood.com pioneered internet food reporting and photography.
Malcolm Stogo
Malcolm Stogo is President of Ice Cream... Read More
Malcolm Stogo is President of Ice Cream University, the educational and seminar arm of Malcolm Stogo Associates, an international ice cream consulting firm located in West Orange, New Jersey, home of Ice Cream University Culinary headquarters. He is the author of Incredible Ice Cream: Making it Your Way with Passion; How to Succeed in the Incredible Ice Cream Business, Ice Cream and Frozen Desserts (frequently referred to as the “bible” of ice cream); Frozen Desserts, A Complete Retailer's Guide and co-author of Ice Cream Cakes. During the early years of the super premium ice cream boom (1978-1980), he created many of the most famous ice cream flavors such as Cookies & Cream, Coconut Almond Joy, Milky Way, and Snickers Ice Cream. For the past 20 years, he has helped leading ice cream chains develop, market, and merchandise exciting new products. Malcolm created the famous Ice Cream Extravaganza at NYC’s South Street Seaport where he invented the Chocolate Dipped Waffle Cone. He also consults for USA clients including Haagen-Dazs Company, Stonyfield Farms, Carvel, Colombo, Sloan’s, Shrivers and Stogo.
Malcolm Stogo
Malcolm Stogo is President of Ice Cream University, the educational and seminar arm of Malcolm Stogo Associates, an international ice cream consulting firm located in West Orange, New Jersey, home of Ice Cream University Culinary headquarters. He is the author of Incredible Ice Cream: Making it Your Way with Passion; How to Succeed in the Incredible Ice Cream Business, Ice Cream and Frozen Desserts (frequently referred to as the “bible” of ice cream); Frozen Desserts, A Complete Retailer's Guide and co-author of Ice Cream Cakes. During the early years of the super premium ice cream boom (1978-1980), he created many of the most famous ice cream flavors such as Cookies & Cream, Coconut Almond Joy, Milky Way, and Snickers Ice Cream. For the past 20 years, he has helped leading ice cream chains develop, market, and merchandise exciting new products. Malcolm created the famous Ice Cream Extravaganza at NYC’s South Street Seaport where he invented the Chocolate Dipped Waffle Cone. He also consults for USA clients including Haagen-Dazs Company, Stonyfield Farms, Carvel, Colombo, Sloan’s, Shrivers and Stogo.