Hard ice cream in NoVA?

Question

Hounds, I moved to the Fairfax area from Boston fairly recently and I'm a bit confused about the ice cream offerings around here. All I can find is soft ice cream and custard. I've tried Ethan's dairy bar in Manassas and a couple of other soft ice cream places, but haven't been impressed. 

 Isn't there any New England-type hard ice cream around (expensive gelato doesn't count)? I miss Steve's, Richardson's, Toscanini's, Christina's, etc. I've been resorting to our local Friendly's out of desperation (Baskin/Robbins is not even edible). TIA!

Answer

Have you tried the place just south of 50 off West Ox, sort of behind Safeway (is it still there?)

Answer

Try Max's Best on Wisconsin Avenue just north of Georgetown in Glover Park (across from the Whole Foods). It's more like JP Licks or Emack & Bolios's than Toscanini's or Christina's, but still good.

Answer

You'll eat Friendly's (gack!) and not Baskin-Robbins? [*scratches head in puzzlement*]

Very highly praised house-made frozen custard at "The Dairy Godmother" http://www.thedairygodmother.com

Answer

There isn't anything better than Thomas Sweet on Wisconsin Ave in Georgetown.
Old School hand made hand scooped with all kind of custom ice cream flavors like 
Tiramisu just a great summer place to hang out and get dipped.

Answer

Now that I think of it, does anyone go to Lazy Sundae (Falls Church) any more? In Clarendon, they were pretty highly praised by Chowhounds both for the quality of their ice cream and their concoctions. I was at the Falls Church version shortly after they opened and while the ice cream was pretty good (probably same as always) the atmosphere wasn't nearly as "ice cream parlor" as before. I think it's been re-invented a time or two since. (On West St, just a block north of Broad)

Answer

I'd say fuhgeddaboudit. Nothing in the DC area is all that to get excited about. The best you will do is York Castle (purely local) tropical flavors found at some of the Latino markets. Mango is excellent, so is lucuma, but that flavor is harder to find. Can be boguth at the Chicken and Steak rotisseie place on Rte 50 in the Willston Shopping Center in Falls Church and also the Euro Market on Leesburg Pike. Both of these are in the Seven Corners of Falls Church.

Answer

What's wrong with Coldstone Creamery?

Answer

Pop's in Old Town is decent.

Answer

I like Middleburg Creamery ice cream and find it at farmers markets. I never thought to look for their site but they are available at different locations. Their orange cream is great. 

http://www.middleburgcreamery.com/

But, being a Boston transplant, I miss the availability of ice cream from that area. Not a close second, but far better than Baskin Robbins or Friendly's is Maggie Moos, or so my family thinks.

Answer

You should try Moorenko's Ice Cream-you can get it at Whole Foods or go their cafe:

http://www.moorenkosicecream.com/

They have unique flavors and its pretty good...

Answer

I think that the main problem with finding really good ice cream in NOVA has to do with the whole ice cream making process. I am 99% certain that all ice cream in VA must be made with a pasturized base, and then flavorings are essentially added to this base. Since pasteurizing equipment is fairly expensive, most ice cream stores (that make their own "in-house" ice cream) must rely on pasteurized ice cream base, purchased from an outside source. Not that there is anything wrong with this. However, I do not think this is the case in DC and MD, thus the relative greatness (IMHO) of places like Dolcezza and Pitango. 

I still think The Dairy Godmother and Neilson's have the best ice cream in NOVA, but I know that style of ice cream is not really what you are looking for. Wish I could be more helpful.

Answer

I agree with the lack of 'hard ice cream' offerings in the area, however it gives you a chance to try some new places! I'm not a huge froyo guy myself (Perry's Ice Cream from NY is my style), but I would check out Larry's Ice Cream in Dupont Circle on Conn Ave or Thomas Sweet....not quite in Northern VA I know. If Dairy Godmother isnt your style, you can try Pop's or Scoops on King Sreet in Old Town. Both do the job. 

http://myilive.com/blog/go-local-dc-guide-to-best-ice-cream-froyo/

Answer

I've had the same question, too. I do not like soft serve or yogurt or custard. Sometimes when I am in a place like a mall Haagen-Dazs or a Ben & Jerry's I choose my flavor based on how hard the ice cream in a certain carton is; the harder the better. I say bring back Howard Johnsons...

Answer

If you'd be willing to try some frozen custard (I know, you said you weren't looking for custard), there's Dairy Godmother on Mt. Vernon Ave in the Del Rey neighborhood of Alexandria: http://www.thedairygodmother.com/. It's not soft serve custard, but hard frozen, and quite good.

There's nothing here quite like Toscanini's in Cambridge, Rancatore's in Belmont, or Mitchell's in San Francisco.

Answer

It's true that there aren't many good independent ice cream shops in town, but there is a 'happening' gelato industry.

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Hard ice cream in NoVA?

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