Cool treats to beat the heat
Survive the swelter with one of these handpicked frozen treats, all made right here in Atlanta
With summer days as long and sweltering as Atlantabs, a regular dose of somethinb sweet and frozen is pretty much crucial to survival. Whether itbs a classic cone of soft serve, a traditional Indian street treat or the rather mysterious entity known as b spaghetti gelato,b webve got your frozen fixes here.
No value assignedSOFT SERVE TWIST CONE AT ZESTO
Summertime has a funny way of ushering in nostalgia, and ye olde Zesto hits the sweet spot. First established in Atlanta on Peachtree Road in 1949, the chain today has five locations dotted around the metro, including one on Piedmont Road and one in Little Five Points. They serve up malts, milkshakes, sundaes, ice cream floats and of course, a wafer cone of classic chocolate and vanilla twist soft serve: piled high enough to start leaning; likely to leave you with sticky hands and memories of simpler times. $2.59. Zesto, 2469 Piedmont Rd, N.E., 404-237-8689. 377 Moreland Avenue, NE, 404-523-1973, and other metro locations. www.zestoatlanta.com.
No value assignedMATKA KULFI AT MASTI
Indian ice cream, or kulfi, is just like Americabs but colder, denser and creamier. At Masti, a little shop serving up classic Indian street treats in Toco Hills, you can find matka kulfi served traditional-style in a little clay pot. Flavor options include mango, pistachio, cashew raisin or the Southeast Asian flavor known as paan b inspired by the post-meal palate cleanser and digestive aid made from dried fruit, spices and seeds wrapped in betel leaf. Paan-flavored kulfi has a distinct taste thatbs fresh and herby with a little bit of bite. Bonus: since itbs not whipped, the heavier cream takes a longer time to melt than other ice creams. $5. Masti, 2945 North Druid Hills Rd., Suite C. 470-236-2784. www.mastiatlanta.com.
No value assignedBANANA SPLIT AT THE FROSTY CABOOSE
What better place to get your sweet fix in Chamblee, a city known for its railroad history, than inside an repurposed train caboose? For nearly a decade, owner Pamela Kachmar has been serving classic flavors like butter pecan and rocky road (sourced from local purveyor Greenwood Ice Cream just down the road) out of a bright red caboose that kids will love. Pick and choose flavors and toppings to create the giant three-scoop banana split of your dreams. $6.50. The Frosty Caboose, 5435 Peachtree Rd. 770-451-4556
No value assignedSPAGHETTI GELATO AT PAOLObS GELATO
Dessert before dinner? Why not dessert asB dinner! Meet Paolo Dalla Zorzobs b spaghettib gelato. Served up at his popular Virginia-Highland gelateria, the vanilla gelato is shaped to look like a pile of spaghetti noodles, with strawberry syrup representing tomato sauce and coconut shavings of b parmesanb sprinkled on top. The shop also offers more than 62 gelato flavors, like bacio, named for the chocolate candies that come from the city of Perugia in Italy, and Gianduia, from the Piedmont region.B $9. Paolo’s Gelato, 1025 Virginia Ave, 404-607-0055,B www.paolosgelato.com.
No value assignedSUN BURN AT KING OF POPS BAR
King of Pops is the OG of Atlanta summer treats, but their bar at Ponce City Market takes things to another level. Meet poptails: gourmet popsicles floating in a boozy bath, for those who take their frozen treats with a bit of kick. The Sun Burn, conceived by Paul Calvert of Ticonderoga Club, is perfect for summertime. A mini honey chili pop sits inside a cocktail made from tequila blanco, pineapple, honey, lime and tonic water. The popsicle is small and concentrated so it adds sweetness and spice to the drink as it melts. Happy summer sippinb!B King of Pops Bar,B Ponce City Market, 675 Ponce De Leon Ave. N.E. 678-732-9321.B www.kingofpops.com
No value assignedICE CREAM SANDWICH AT ATOMIC ICE CREAM SANDWICH
Ah, the ice cream sandwich, another classic summer treat that gets a gourmet spin in the hands of Atomic Ice Cream Sandwich founders Dawn and Thomas McCulloh. After Thomas was laid off from his job a few years ago, the couple decided to make real a long-held dream and opened their own ice cream sandwich cart as a nostalgic nod to childhood. Now, their gourmet ice cream sandwiches can be found Thursdays at the East Atlanta Farmers Market, and a variety of other shops around town. The craziest sandwich they ever made was a BLT: basil-flavored gelato with sundried tomatoes coulis and bacon on two vanilla cookies. Other flavors include brown butter ice cream between Dutch chocolate cookies and strawberry ice cream with ginger cookies. $4. Atomic Ice Cream Sandwich. www.atomicofatlanta.com.
No value assignedKREMO BUN AT KREMO ICE CREAM
Rolled ice cream has roots in Thailand, where vendors form a sweet sheet of cream on a frozen metal plate then scrape it into cute little rolls for eating. The trend has blown up on Buford Highway, where you canbt seem to throw a rock without hitting a rolled ice cream shop. But in Duluth, theybve taken the concept even further: packing those rolls of ice cream into a warm donut shell garnished with toppings and sauces. Instagram it, and be the envy of all your friends.B $5.95. Kremo Ice Cream, 470-375-8185, 2180 Pleasant Hill Rd, Suite B6. www.kremoicecream.com.