This semester has started off sweaty. With a high of 95 degrees on the first day of classes, Charlottesville weather still feels like summer even as us University students trudge to the library to study. We all know the only cure for a hot day of walking from one side of Grounds to the other is ice cream. Thank goodness Charlottesville has some incredible places to grab a frozen treat before the temperature drops this fall. Here are six of my favorites.
1. Carter Mountain
I couldn’t write this article about ice cream in September without talking about the peach ice cream at Carter Mountain. It is hands down my favorite place to get ice cream when I come back to Charlottesville in the fall. Served soft-serve style in either a cone or cup, this peach ice cream literally melts in your mouth. Creamy and refreshing all at the same time, the ice cream at Carter Mountain is a must, especially if you’re ending your school week there with Thursday Evening Sunset Series. Grab a box of donuts there as well if your sweet tooth is still not satisfied — I promise you won’t regret it.
2. Ben & Jerry’s
When I was first looking at colleges, I’m not going to lie, a big selling point of Charlottesville was the existence of a Ben & Jerry’s ice cream shop. It’s my second favorite ice cream place in Charlottesville because you get your favorite Ben & Jerry’s ice cream flavor without the guilt of buying a whole pint at the grocery store. Here, you can indulge in all the incredible flavors of ice cream that Ben & Jerry’s has created throughout the years. Whether your favorite flavor is The Tonight Dough, Phish Food, Milk & Cookies or the classic Cherry Garcia, taking a quick trip to the Ben & Jerry’s store in Barracks Shopping Center won’t let you down.
3. Chaps Ice Cream
Located on the Downtown Mall with a 1950s soda shop vibe, Chaps Ice Cream is the perfect place to grab a scoop after a dinner date or a movie. I love this shop and rank it third because Chaps takes you back in time for a second all while serving delicious ice cream. The ice cream is homemade in the shop, using the same family recipe for over 75 years. Chaps also has some signature flavors like Four C’s and Cobblestone, but don’t worry you can still get your good old mint chocolate chip and cookie dough flavors too.
4. Cookout
This isn’t exactly ice cream, but let’s be honest — what University student hasn’t gotten a Cookout craving during a night of studying and slurped down one of their thick milkshakes? Cookout is my fourth favorite place for an ice cream-sort of dessert because it’s consistently good. You can mix any of their many flavors together for the milkshake of your dreams. Not only is getting a Cookout milkshake a great dessert, it’s also a favorite bonding place and study break spot for students, especially if you go at 10 p.m. on a weekday.
5. Kilwins
Another great ice cream spot on the Downtown Mall, Kilwins has two of the best dessert options — ice cream and just straight chocolate. As soon as you walk in the store, the aroma of freshly made chocolate hits you and your mouth starts to water. The only reason it’s fifth on my list is that it’s also on the Downtown Mall and gets beat out by Chaps in my opinion. After eyeing all the special chocolate treats and ice cream flavors, you have the almost impossible decision of what to buy. I suggest grabbing a scoop and then some of their chocolate truffles or chocolate-covered marshmallows for later.
6. La Flor Michoacana
A hole-in-the-wall Mexican ice cream and popsicle shop on Cherry Avenue, La Flor Michoacana has some of the cutest popsicles I have ever seen. Stop in on a hot day for one of their refreshing fruit popsicles that actually has the fruit frozen inside the popsicle. You can also get a chocolate, Oreo or caramel popsicle if you’re not in the mood for fruit. This spot is ranked last on my list only because it’s technically not ice cream, but that should not discourage you from trying it out! You’ll probably catch a few girls snapping a picture of their brightly-colored passion fruit popsicles together outside the shop as you leave. Remember, Insta before you eat!
Treat yourself to some ice cream or another sweet frozen treat in Charlottesville before the leaves start to fall and you begin craving hot chocolate instead — or maybe just eat ice cream in the winter too and nobody will judge, least of all me!
Molly Wright is a Food Columnist for The Cavalier Daily. She can be reached at life@cavalierdaily.com.
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