There is no better way to beat the heat this summer than with
that wonderful concoction of milk, sugar and water: Ice cream.
There are popular trends that affect the way people in South
County and elsewhere buy the frozen dessert.
There is no better way to beat the heat this summer than with that wonderful concoction of milk, sugar and water: Ice cream.
There are popular trends that affect the way people in South County and elsewhere buy the frozen dessert.
Similar to that specific coffee order at Starbucks, ice cream these days tends to be personalized. People pick from an array of flavors and toppings to find the combination that suits their cravings best.
Judging by what people are buying, when walking into an ice cream parlor, most are willing to leave the Zone and Dr. Atkins at the door.
There have, of course, been the additions of low-fat and low-carb ice cream to keep up with today’s diet trends, but the majority of the sales in ice cream parlors are still of regular, high-fat, high-quality ice cream, just like in the good old days.
“Ice cream is an indulgence,” said Jami Thompson, a spokeswoman for Arizona-based Cold Stone Creamery. “That’s what people are looking for.”
Fortunately, South County is home to several fine establishments where one can take a break, kick back and choose from a whole range of cool treats.
There are 4,500 Baskin Robbins stores worldwide, and two right in Morgan Hill and Gilroy.
Though known for 31 flavors, Baskin Robbins actually offers 1,000 flavors that are rotated monthly. The flavors range from traditional vanilla to purple and green sherbet resembling an ogre. (That’s Shrek’s Sherbet Swirl.)
Down the street in Morgan Hill, Corner Stone Ice Cream Parlor provides an old-fashioned ice cream parlor experience.
Employee Angelica Candalaria said that what makes the parlor unique is its flavors, such as bubblegum and Superman.
“We like to have what the kids like,” she said.
Pick-A-Dilly’s in Gilroy offers ice cream products ranging from non-fat ice cream and ice cream cakes to old fashion malts and banana splits, and Sweet Retreats in Gilroy boasts a Gilroy-themed mural on the wall entitled, “Take Life One Scoop at a Time.”
The new kid on the block is Cold Stone Creamery at Lowe’s shopping center. The employees mix toppings of choice in with the ice cream on a cold stone to prevent melting, thus reinventing the whole concept of toppings. No longer are toppings reserved solely for the top of the ice cream treat.
And, for the price of a tip, the ice cream servers will break into an original song about Cold Stone and your generosity.
Of course, one can always get ice cream at the grocery store. And while there are many flavor options, everyone seems to agree that that old standby, vanilla, is still number one.
