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 Editor’s Note:
Looking for great ice cream? You know, the real stuff. So were we. It’s not as easy to find around town as it once was. You know, in those glorious Clover Room days of yesteryear. Anyway, we sent our two trusty reporters out to find the best ice cream in River City, and they got stalled in Carytown. Evidently, that’s the place to go for ice cream these days. So, here are their findings. If you, however, know of any other great ice cream spots in town, we’d love to hear from you.
By Amanda Southall And Aynsley Fisher
They say it’s not the heat, it’s the humidity. Either way, as temperatures rise and summer sizzles, the best thing to do is to do it on ice. Ice cream, that is. Perhaps the best thing to come from of all the heat and humidity is lots of ice cream. And the West End offers the very best in a variety of ice-cream related categories.
Best Flavors:
Ben & Jerry’s 2901 West Cary Street, 359-1101
 AMANDA: Got a hankering for Cherry Garcia, Coffee Coffee Buzz Buzz or Coconut Seven Layer Bar ice cream? Head to Ben & Jerry’s where creating crave-worthy flavors is serious business.
“There have been hundreds of flavors in the history of Ben & Jerry’s,” says Bill Busching, who owns the shop with his mother, Ellen. “They taste great because all of the ingredients are 100 percent natural.”
The natural ingredients and creative recipes come together for the best flavors in Richmond.
“I don’t think there’s anywhere in the world people don’t love ice cream,” Busching says.
AYNSLEY: Using only all-natural ingredients, rBGH-free dairy, with 36 flavors to choose from, you may want to try new introductions to the ice cream line-up like peanut butter cookie dough and strawberry banana frozen yogurt. Most popular flavor? Chocolate chip cookie dough is still king.
Best Overall:
Bev’s Homemade Ice Cream 2911 W. Cary Street, 204-2387
 AMANDA: Bev Mazursky’s bright colorful ice cream shop has been a mainstay in Carytown for 10 years. Known for its homemade ice cream and quirky swivel chairs, Bev’s Homemade Ice Cream delights customers with creative daily flavors, malts, shakes, floats and more.
Between the fresh flavors and friendly service (and don’t forget the swivel chairs!) Bev’s also gets my vote for best overall cone.
AYNSLEY: In Carytown, across from the Byrd Theatre, you’ll discover an ice cream oasis. Bev’s Homemade Ice Cream and Café offers something for every taste. Ice Cream is an art form there, the perfect marriage of simple all natural ingredients (in the case of Banana, think sweet cream, bananas and cinnamon) and creativity (think Coffee Malted Stout.) With 13 regular flavors anchoring the menu, chocolate, vanilla and espresso Oreo are favorites; there is an ever-changing line-up of special flavors such as dirty chocolate, ginger and carrot cake. Also popular are dairy-free sorbets (pear is top pick), sherbet (made with less cream that regular ice cream) and gelato (made with less butter-fat than regular ice cream.) What makes Bev’s tops on my list is the fact that this is Bev’s only store in the country. The ice cream is never more than a day old and is made in-house from local fresh ingredients.
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