Can't Stand the Heat? Dribble a Fribble

To say it's hot outside is a complete understatement. And while you all know I love to eat everything, I just couldn't fathom writing about anything but ice cream. Here are a few local destinations for sweet, frozen treats.

Tasti D-Lite 

When I first wrote about this new addition to Noroton Heights, there seemed to be some confusion as to what Tasti D-Lite actually is.  Let me clear it up!

Tasti is created with less calories, fat, and carbs than your average ice cream. The claim is that their product consists of 70 to 100 calories (or less), with under 1.5 grams of fat and 14 grams of carbs per four-ounce serving. That makes Tasti D-Lite a dairy-based soft-serve frozen dessert. It's not labeled  ice cream  because it contains under 10% butter fat.

With all this said, it is a wonderfully silky concoction that comes in ever-changing, fun flavors. The chocoholic in me always goes for the Dutch chocolate or the devil's food cake, topped with dark hot fudge. Candy and fruit toppings are also on hand. Although healthier fresh fruit smoothies with protein/probiotic booster shots are offered, I recommend sticking with Robeks for the healthful stuff and semi-indulging in Tasti's dairy creations.

Gofer Ice Cream

Baskin Robbins may have left its downtown location for Goodwives Shopping Center, but fortunately it was replaced by a worthy successor. Gofer Ice Cream covers all the bases: soft-serve, hard ice cream, fruit freezes, milkshakes, root beer floats, ice cream cakes, and lots of different toppings to create sundaes. Crazy flavors run the gamut from cheesecake to cake batter, peanut butter cup and rum raisin. Their vanilla and chocolate soft-serve brings me back to the days of Carvel and its rich, sweet and creamy goodness.

Gofer's circus motif and jars of candy toppings (at their Gummi Bear Bar) is an absolute kid-magnet. And, who's fooling whom? The ice cream is just as much a grown-up magnet. I'm a sucker for the chocolate chip cookie cone with a heaping scoop of rocky road. There are low fat and fat-free options, as well as a large selection of Italian ice flavors – something for everybody.

Friendly's

Yes, they still have Fribbles! In layman's terms, it's called a milkshake. But if you grew up in Fairfield County as I did, the trip to Friendly's for a Fribble was a popular junior high school, first date scenario. Please tell me it still is.

The first Friendly's Ice Cream Shop opened in Springfield, MA in the height of the depression in 1935. It was created as an affordable diner and soda fountain for families, when eating out was a splurge. Friendly's is still serving up inexpensive eats, along with their signature sundae with every entrée.

Using the classic parfait glass for sundaes, Friendly's is known for their multi-colored swirls of ice cream and toppings, capped with whipped cream and a cherry. I can still taste the green mint chocolate chip ice cream with hot fudge from my childhood. The ice cream, one of the better quality products on the market, and can be purchased in most grocery stores nowadays. But taking a trip to the Friendly's Ice Cream Shop is way more fun.

Whole Foods Market

And there was great rejoicing! They have real gelato! And it's quite good.

Blackberry Zinfandel sorbet, coconut green tea, lemon custard, and chocolate chip are just a few gelato flavors that I sampled at Whole Foods Market. A dozen flavors are turned out each week and displayed next to the coffee counter. Unlike regular ice cream, which has a higher butter fat and sugar content and is pumped with air, true gelato is a richer, more pure product. It is typically made in more frequent, smaller batches because its shelf life is shorter than commercial ice cream. So if you like your treats fresh, try gelato.

Go for the Vietnamese cinnamon.  As the gal behind the counter said, "It's pure love."

Clarification: The original version of this article stated that Darien's Baskin Robbins location had shut its doors but failed to note that it had reopened at Goodwives Shopping Center. The text has been modified to reflect this.