No, your thermometer isn’t broken; it’s just summertime in New Orleans. And I, for one, embrace these warm months of the year when snowball stands are open, bars crank up the A/C, and consuming ice cream is an appropriate means of “cooling down” at any time of the day. Whether it’s ice cream, gelato, sorbet, or caffeinated ice cream treats you crave, New Orleans is on fire with these eight awesome places to get cold, creamy goodies.
ICE CREAM (AND ICE CREAM TREATS) IN NEW ORLEANS
Piccola Gelateria
4525 Freret St.
By now you’ve probably heard the hype surrounding Freret Street’s first and only gelateria, and I’m here to say the rumors are true. Piccola is dishing out an excellent assortment (18 flavors, in fact) of gelato and sorbetto. They even have affogato! Some fan favorites are caramel cookie, tiramisu, and watermelon sorbetto. Kids will love cuddling up with their mascot, Piccola, an oversized teddy bear, that sits outside on the bench during business hours. Ask about their gelato stuffed brioche sandwiches and semi-freddo cakes.
Fat Boy Pantry
1302 Magazine St.
On Magazine Street in the Lower Garden District is where you’ll find this delightful ice cream and sandwich shop that caters to those who like to think outside the box. Fat Boy Pantry’s scoops, shakes, sandwiches, sundaes, and floats feature their unique daily flavors, like the District Donuts buttermilk drop donut or taffy apple ice cream. Want to know more? Call ahead ((504) 239-9514) and ask about the flavors of the day.
Creole Creamery
4924 Prytania St., 6260 Vicksburg St.
Locally owned and operated for more than a decade, this Uptown and Lakeview family favorite is famous for original flavors like Black and Gold Crunch, Honey Lavender, and Doberge Cake. As the summer temperatures rise, Creole Creamery is a great place to enjoy an old-fashioned malt, hot fudge sundae, or banana split. It’s cash-only though, so bring the dough.
Angelo Brocato’s
214 N Carrollton Ave.
The original gelato shop and Italian bakery of New Orleans for more than 100 years, Brocato’s is the place where people go nuts for freshly-made cannoli, slices of spumoni, pine nut cookies, and heaping scoopfuls of house-made gelato. On the menu is Straciatella, tiramisu, Sicilian pistachio, St. Joseph chocolate almond, and much more. At Brocato’s, it’s hard to order just one thing, so go ahead and grab an assortment of goodies to go.
The Pontchartrain Hotel’s Mile High Pie at Jack Rose
2031 St Charles Ave.
Though the Caribbean Room inside the famous Pontchartrain Hotel has closed, the Mile High Pie has survived, and for good reason. These days, you’ll find the decadent dessert at Jack Rose within the hotel. Layers of house-made chocolate, vanilla, and peppermint ice cream are stacked on a chocolate cookie crust and topped with torched meringue. Then, to gild the lily, they pour warm house-made chocolate sauce over the top table-side. The whole shebang is $14, but you can easily split amongst three people.
