College Town Ice Cream Parlor Roundup

Here is a list of ice cream parlors around the country near different colleges, big and small, that will blow your taste-buds away.
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Photo Credit: Small Kitchen College

As children, we all remember having fun on the playground and then hearing that magical melody coming from the distance. The sound of summer. The ice cream truck is coming! As you rush and fight to get in line, you consider the plethora of choices for today: Snow cone, Fudgsicle, Chocolate Éclair, Vanilla Sandwich... Then you see that giant X across Lickacolor, and you stop mid-sentence. Nooo! Remember this? I believe, or would like to believe, that we have grown out of the Spongebob Squarepants ice cream phase (although I have to admit the candy eye balls are quite delicious). Now that we're in college and our palates have developed, we are in search of ice cream that's more original and sophisticated. Here is a list of ice cream parlors around the country near different colleges, big and small, that will blow your taste-buds away. Now that school's out, relax and enjoy the summer heat with some frozen treats to keep you cool.

-Megumi Sasada for Small Kitchen College

**SKC Picks**

Bucknell University: Lewisburg Freez
2370 Old Turkpike Road, Lewisburg, PA // (570) 522 0132

The Lewisburg Freez is the ice cream place in town. It's a short walk from campus, which makes it easily accessible to students. They specialize in low-fat soft serve and in addition to the traditional Vanilla, Chocolate, and Twist flavors, they serve creative options like Creme De Menthe, Skittles, Pina Colada, and Kahlua daily. They also offer the eponymous and popular Freez, which is any flavored soft serve turned into a masterpiece. Chocolate Covered Pretzel? Hawaiian? Smores? The Lewisburg Freez satisfies everyone's sweet tooth with waffle cones, shakes, sundaes, banana splits and more!

Claremont Colleges: Bert and Rocky's Cream Company
242 Yale AvenueClaremont, CA // (909) 625 1852

This sweets store sells tons of chocolates and candies including caramels, hand-dipped marshmallow skewers, s'mores, and salt-water taffy. Though many indulge in those confections, others go in search of something more: old fashioned ice cream. Bert and Rocky's offers favorites like Chocolate and Butter Pecan alongside innovative flavors such as the Elvis, banana ice cream with peanut butter swirls, or Firecracker Chocolate, chocolate with Tapatio hot sauce and almonds, or the Maple-Coffee-Bacon-need I say more? Another hit is the Chocolate Raspberry Swirl, known as the CRS. Many suggest getting the junior size, since they pack a lot of ice cream into that cup, but who's to complain? Bert and Rocky's will bring you back to your childhood right in Claremont village.

Colby College: Dairy Cone
127 North Street Waterville // (207) 873 0877

Dairy Cone is an ice cream hub for Colby students. Though Maine is known for Giffords ice cream with its stand at the Freeport outlets, Dairy Cone has a homemade touch. Only open for half the year, students mark their calendars in late March and patiently await the grand opening of Dairy Cone from its closing in early September. It only uses the freshest ingredients and makes the creamiest, most decadent ice cream you'll ever taste. It's a short 10-minute walk from campus and is beautiful on a nice spring day. They offer tons of different flavors, like Grapenut and Butter Pecan, but one the caramel sauce is not to be missed.

Colgate University: Gilligan's Island
64 N Main Sherburne, NY // (607) 674 4397

Besides the ice cream sandwich awarded to you after the campus tour, Colgate has more to offer in the ice cream department. A 15-minute drive from campus takes you to Gillian's in Sherburne. They serve burgers and shakes and offer dozens of ice cream flavors. Raider Passion is dedicated to Colgate students, a blend of Red Velvet Cake and Vanilla. The friendly, family atmosphere always keeps students coming back.

Colleges in Boston Area: Kimball's Farm
400 Littleton Road Westford, MA 01886// (978) 486 3891
1543 Lunenburg Road Lancaster, MA 01523// (978) 534 9800
343 Bedford Rd. Carlisle, MA // (978) 369 1910

Kimball Farm began as a dairy barn back in 1908 but gained fame after starting its ice cream business in 1939. Maple Walnut, Frozen Pudding, and Peppermint Stick were a few of the original flavors back when ice cream only cost 75 cents. Damn. In 2010, USA Today named Kimball Farm "Best Ice Cream Stand in MA". Today, Kimball's addicts enjoy Coffee Oreo and Chocolate Walnut. The portions are enormous and reasonably priced, which keeps families more than happy. If you're in the mood for some outdoor fun, the Westford store has mini golfing, bumper boats, and a driving range. Though these three locations can be a bit out of the way for Boston students, some drive 35- even 45 minutes out of the way to get a hold of this ice cream. Addicted much?

Cornell University: Cayuga Lake Creamery
8421 Route 89, Interlaken, NY // (607) 532 9492

Though many are die hard fans of the Cornell Dairy, the Cayuga Lake Creamery, or CLC, is a hidden gem located in Interlaken, NY. In addition to homemade ice cream, they offer soy-based, fat free, no sugar added, and gluten-free alternatives, and soft serve custard as well. They were awarded "Top Parlors in 50 States" by USA Today in 2010 and come recommended by "I Love NY", the official NY tourism site. Their ice creams are bold and decadent including Lavendar, Maple Bacon, Banoreo (banana and oreo), Jalapeno Popper (cream cheese with pureed jalapeno peppers with raspberry habanero swirl), Fluffer-Nutter (peanut butter ice cream with marshmallow swirl) and even beer flavor. The No Doze (coffee with chocolate espresso beans) is a favorite, as is the Salted Caramel in a homemade pretzel cone. It's the best pit stop to make between the wineries around the Finger Lakes area.

Northwestern University: Homer's Homemade Gourmet Ice Cream
1237 Green Bay Road Wilmette, IL // (847) 251 0477

Homer's made its debut back in 1935 and was an instant hit around the North Shore. It is said that Al Capone came often with his crew and was one of the owners' "most pleasant customers". What does one of America's most famous gangsters' favorite ice cream taste like? Aren't you a bit curious? This ice cream mecca hasn't changed its ways for over 60 years and still serves consistently delicious ice cream. They have received awards from Chicago Magazine, Bon Appetit, and American Tasting Institute, earning titles like "Top 10 in the Country" and "Best in Chicago".

University of Connecticut: Dairy Bar
North Eagleville Rd Storrs, CT // (860) 486 2634

The UConn Dairy Bar opened sometime between 1953 and 1954 and has over 200,000 customers annually who enjoy their array of 24 flavors. Their mission is to support the agriculture school as well as provide students with ice cream made fresh from the cows out back. Visitors can even take self-guided tours of the barns. A student favorite is the Jonathan Supreme, named after the school mascot Jonathan the Husky Dog, which is vanilla swirled with peanut butter and chocolate covered peanuts. Some other crowd-pleasers are Strawberry Cheesecake and Coffee Espresso Crunch for that late night study buzz. It's a shame that the Dairy Bar ice cream is only served in half of the 9 dining halls...

University of Delaware: UDairy
535 South College AvenueNewark, DE// (302) 831 2486

The Creamery was started in 2008 by faculty, students, and staff at UDel but only just opened on AgDay, May 1st, 2011. The committee wanted to create an ice cream parlor that emphasized sustainable agriculture and food science and safety to communicate the importance of dairy production to students. They offer 11 flavors including Vanilla, Marshmallow, Cookies and Cream, and Cinnamon Toast Crunchy, which just came out! Knowing that the milk comes from the UDairy Farm, students are happy that they can eat fresh ice cream that was made in a sustainable way. The Creamery's next goal is to try to make the ice cream on-site. Good luck!

University of Virginia: Splendora's Gelato Café
317 East Main Street Charlottesville, VA // (434) 296 8555

Splendora's Gelato is a locally owned and operated gelateria near UVA. Gelato is an Italian version of ice cream that contains much less fat and has less air whipped into it, creating a dense creamy frozen treat. Splendora's milk and cream is delivered from a Virginia dairy that uses no added hormones. From the 24-36 flavors to choose from, there are traditional Italian ones such Gianduja and Stracciatella, American favorites such as Cookies and Cream and Mint Chip, and also seasonal pickings like Pumpkin Spice and Peppermint Stick. They also have dairy free options like Blood Orange and Mango. In the sweltering Virginia sun, gelato is most needed.

Vanderbilt University: Mike's Ice Cream & Coffee Bar
208 Broadway Nashville, TN // (615) 742 6453

This joint downtown is right on Broadway surrounded by bars and cowboy boots stores. Many southerners are overwhelmed by the cravings they get for Mike's and have to rush there to quell it. But who can blame them? With the abundant fro-yo places springing up these days, this is one of the only places to get some old fashioned ice cream. Some front-runners are the Red Velvet Cake, Yellow Cake Batter, and Raspberry Cheesecake. Mike's also offers hot chocolate from around the world...though you probably don't want that in the summer. Mike's is a place to stop by before and after your night of honky tonkin'.

Williams College: Lickety Split
69 Spring St, Williamstown, MA // (413) 458 1818

This cute little spot in Williamstown offers homemade ice cream and various low fat options. Many Williams students rave about Lickety Split and are appreciative of the reasonable prices. A student favorite is the Purple Cow, black raspberry ice cream with white and dark chocolate chunks. Absolutely delicious. Since they're about to go out of business, hurry fast before they close!!

Megumi Sasada is the BGSK Ambassador in charge of the Small Kitchen College Facebook Page. She's a junior at Colby College in Maine and an avid Food Network-watching, nutrition-conscious acapella singer.

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