Patch Picks: Top 5 Ice Cream Parlors

With summer ahead and the school year almost behind us, I’ve already begun to wonder where I can go for that first delicious ice cream of the season.  Here’s this week’s Patch Picks to enjoy your first frozen treat.

• - Located at 366 Providence Street has been in business for well over 90 years.  The current owners, Herve and Mary Landreville, have given their establishment the feel of an old-fashioned ice cream parlor with the stools at the counter and small booths.  The ice cream menu is most popular for their frappes and sundaes.  Bois is open Mon - Thu, 6 a.m. - 2 p.m.; Fri, 6 a.m. - 1 p.m.; Sat & Sun, 7 a.m. - noon. (401-762-2550)
• - Located at 171 Greene Street, the Creamery offers window  service for their assortment of both hard and soft ice cream, sherbet, frozen yogurt and other frozen treats, some even low-calorie or sugar-free.  There are picnic tables in the shade to enjoy your delights.  The Creamery is now open daily from noon to 10 p.m.  (401-762-4225)
• Park Ave. Ice Cream (also known as ) - Located at 1069 Park Avenue, they offer eat-in and window service.  Their variety of frozen treats includes hard and soft ice cream for cones, sundaes, splits, floats and cabinets, as well as an array of Del’s Lemonade.  Open daily 10:30 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.  (401-597-5866)
• - Located at 362 Harris Avenue across from Cold Spring Park, Wicked Good is the newest shop in the area, only having been in business for a couple of summer seasons now.  Owned by Merisa and Eli Dominiquez, they offer window service for their anything but ordinary ice cream, to frozen yogurt, including gluten-free, low-calorie, and sugar-free options.  Open Wed - Fri, 6 p.m. - 9 p.m.; Sat, noon - 9 p.m. 
• The Ice Cream Machine - Located at 4288 Diamond Hill Road over the line in Cumberland, they serve over 50 homemade flavors of ice cream, frozen yogurts, sherbets, non-dairy sorbets and no-sugar added ice cream.  Kim and Gary Caron, are the current owners, having kept it in the family since The Ice Cream Machine Company opened for business back in 1977.  It is window service at its best with plenty of places to sit and enjoy your treats including Diamond Hill state Park across the street. Open daily 11 a.m. - 10 p.m.  (401-333-5053)
• And for an added bonus, don’t forget about the many ice cream trucks that drive through our city neighborhoods each day.

All this talk of ice cream reminds me, I think I’d like to go out and get some coffee oreo ice cream with chocolate jimmies.