By Alana Bittner, Brielle Entzminger, Will Ham, Ben Hitchcock, and Susan Sorensen
It’s been one heck of a sweltering summer. The best way to beat
the heat? Ice cream, gelato, popsicles…you name it. Lucky for us,
Charlottesville’s got more than its share of frozen delicacies.
Chaps
It’s hard to be grumpy when your hand’s wrapped around a housemade waffle cone topped with a scoop (or two!) of Chaps’ chocolate ice cream. Go ahead and try. We’ll be over here waiting, carefully licking around our cone to prevent a single drip of velvety goodness from falling on the sidewalk. While chocolate is our long-time go-to at the Downtown Mall mainstay, there isn’t a dull flavor on Chaps’ menu—from birthday cake to black raspberry to pistachio, you’ll find more than two dozen choices to pick from. Owner Tony LaBua, who opened the shop in 1985 and says he has ice cream for breakfast every morning, swears by his daily cup of the Four Cs: chocolate, cherries, and chocolate chip. We’ll eat to that!
Moo Thru
Widely known for its original red barn store on James Madison Highway, Moo Thru made a creamy foray into town earlier this year, opening a new store inside Dairy Market. The popular shop offers more than a dozen classic and unique flavors, crafted with fresh milk from the Smith family’s Remington, Virginia, Holstein cows. We went with a classic flavor, cookies-n-cream, in a huge waffle cone, of course. The rich and creamy vanilla pairs perfectly with gobs of chocolaty cookie crumbles that are mixed in. And nothing could have complemented the ice cream better than that sweet, crunchy cone!
La Flor Michoacana
Leaning over the store-length cooler in La Flor Michoacana is like leaning over the glass counter at a jewelry store. The array of popsicles below the plastic is every bit as beautiful as fine rings and gems—delicate slices of strawberries, kiwis, mangoes, and more are suspended in each of the colorful popsicles. And just wait until you taste them! The Cherry Avenue spot has dairy and non-dairy options, with flavors ranging from tres leches cake to mango/chili. (Our favorite? Classic strawberry, tangy and fresh and decadent.) To complete the outing, take your popsicle of choice across the street and savor it while you watch the basketball players jostle on the Tonsler Park courts.
Splendora’s Gelato
Like so much of what happened in 2020, it came as a shock when Splendora’s Gelato closed its Downtown Mall shop. The closure wasn’t a direct result of COVID—it had been in the plans for a while. But buying a cup of owner PK Ross’ inspired offerings (lookin’ at you, miso cherry!) was an essential part of the downtown experience. If Splendora’s was gone, anything could change. Thankfully, the shop reopened at Stonefield. Step inside, and you’re greeted with raspberry-colored walls, trays and trays of gelato, and, of course, that iconic Splendora’s sign with the multicolored circles. Try a scoop of crisp lemon sorbet, smooth strawberry sorbet, or indulgent chocolate gelato. Talk about a happy return.
Chandler’s Ice Cream
Soft serve occasionally gets a bad rap, but some days it hits the spot like nothing else. After an afternoon walking along the Rivanna Trail, there’s nothing better than Chandler’s generous smalls and immoderate larges to make you appreciate good ol’ chocolate and vanilla—or, if you’ve worked up a real appetite, try a massive sundae, dripping with chocolate sauce. The Chandler’s stand is located slightly out of the way in the parking lot of Tractor Supply on Long Street, but its worth the detour. Delicious ice cream with colorful sprinkles streaming down the side is a perfect exclamation point for blissful summer days. Just remember to bring cash—and get a cup to catch the drips off your frozen spire!
Timberlake’s Drug Store
There’s an undeniable charm to back-of-the-drugstore diners like Timberlake’s. It’s a homey slice of old American culture that has largely disappeared in most parts of the country. But while private drugstores have been replaced by national chains, locals still know the best remaining places to get cheap eats and homespun milkshakes. The shop’s warm atmosphere will make you feel welcome, and the creamy milkshakes will take you back to the good old days, filling in the cracks perfectly after you scarf down one of the drugstore counter’s famous sandwiches.