You can pretend to be an adult the rest of the year, but when summer is in full swing, and it’s hot outside, all of us have the potential to turn into big kids. What do all kids, both big and small, want in the summer? We all scream for ice cream, floats, smoothies, popsicles, and more, anything icy cold, frozen, and sweet.
Blame it on the summer’s sweltering heat, longer days, no school, and a whole lot of nostalgia for the summer traditions that we remember from our childhoods. For me, childhood summers meant drinking water from the garden hose, jumping through the sprinkler in the yard, jars of sun tea baking on the back patio, a cherry vanilla Dr. Pepper in a cup full of Sonic pebble ice, chasing the ice cream man down the street to finally sit on the curb and enjoy that popsicle, because we weren’t allowed to eat them inside the house. (Sorry, my Generation X is showing.)
These summertime snack vibes can manifest themselves in very subtle ways. For example, you might suddenly find yourself craving a shaved ice with tiger’s blood syrup after the sun sets each day, or maybe every weekday at 3 p.m. you find yourself pulling in to order a favorite smoothie or iced coffee from that spot you love. You might even get the urge to order a boat drink at happy hour or pile the kids (or pups) in the car to eat ice cream after dinner but before bed, just because you can. These cravings don’t really happen any other time of year, not like they do during the long, hot summer months.
To that I say, treat yourself. Who is going to stop you? Not me.
A hand-crafted soda in a fun, fruity flavor or a soft-serve ice cream cone dipped in chocolate are simple indulgences that just seem to taste better during the summer months than almost any other time of year. Think of these icy frozen treats as being at their peak in the summer, kind of like tomatoes, sweet corn, or watermelon. You wouldn’t deny yourself those summer treats, so why are these any different? Besides, it is fun to be a kid again, especially if you have kids. It is good for your kids to see you get ice cream on the tip of your nose from actively and enthusiastically licking an ice cream cone before it melts. It shows them that parents are people too.
What follows is a list of 15 spots where you can get chilly, icy, and frozen treats to try this summer. Since I have already penned an article about Betty Rae’s Ice Cream in this August issue, (click here to read it), I have not listed them here, but they would most certainly be on this list, as would many others if time and space allowed.
Don’t blink, my friends, summer is almost over. It’s time to treat yourself.
KC Wine Co.
Frozen Wine Slushes
With a gorgeous outdoor patio that has views of the vineyard and a handsome tasting room with a barrel-roof ceiling, owners Kirk and Julie Berggren have created an oasis in Olathe where you can order a charcuterie tray while you sip on their local wines, ciders, and beers along with an ever-changing variety of flavorful wine and fruit slushes. Stay frosty this summer drinking wine slushes.
One More Scoop
Mama’s Texas Sheet Cake Ice Cream
Owned by four friends in Belton, Missouri, this locally owned, handcrafted ice cream shop is making all its ice cream in-house, using only quality ingredients. Look for flavors including root beer float, peanut butter cup, and a chocolate ice cream called Mama’s Texas sheet cake that I highly recommend.
Billie’s Juicery
Golden Mylk
Unbakery and Juicery has a new name. Owner Robin Krause has changed it to Billie’s Juicery to bring her little mid-mod coffee and juice bar in East Brookside into the family. Serving coffee, cold-pressed juices, tonics, and immunity boosting mylks, a glass of her golden mylk made with almond milk, turmeric, honey, Himalayan salt, and coconut oil tastes like a cool creamy and healthy treat in this heat.
High Hopes Ice Cream
Joy of Almonds Dairy-free Ice Cream
Troost Avenue is a hot spot in the city and Jamie Howard’s ice cream shop with a walk-up window, High Hopes, is part of the latest wave. As a chef, she brought her own ideas to what ice cream can and should taste like, giving us flavors like black sesame, bourbon butter pecan, and French silk pie, along with fantastic dairy-free options like Joy of Almonds, which is made with coconut milk.
Baba’s Pantry
Lemonade of the Day
The Kamal family has put a lot of love into their colorful Palestinian market and café near Troost, which always offers a rotating selection of delicious and refreshing house-made lemonades, made from real fruit, herbs, and spices. Whether it is lemon mint, cherry sumac, or tropical fruit, they sell it by the glass or gallon to take home.
Palacana
Mango Chile Paleta
After almost 20 years in business with four locations across the city, owner José Luis Valdez has made Palacana the locally owned spot to enjoy traditional Mexican paletas (popsicles) and Michoacan-style ice cream in flavors that will blow your mind. Start with the coconut, mango chile, or avocado paletas or a scoop of horchata ice cream or tamarind sorbet.
I Am Frozen Dessert Café
You Are Fabulous Shaved Ice Cream
With desserts named after affirmations, I Am Frozen Dessert Café owner Ann Riensin Piyapant is putting positivity into the universe while bringing popular Asian-inspired treats to Overland Park. Her giant bowls of shaved ice cream are a study in texture and flavor, the taste of ice cream, and the texture of fluffy shaved ice. The “You Are Fabulous” is her strawberry limeade and tastes like summer in a bowl.
French Custard
Honeycomb Ice Cream
French Custard is the new kid on the ice cream block. Owners Jessica and Alex Wood finally opened their own storefront on the Trolley Trail earlier this year making their ice cream base in-house by combining milk, cream, egg yolks, and sugar with no artificial colors or flavors used. It is a French-style ice cream that is richer and creamier. Honeycomb is their signature flavor, which makes it the perfect place to start.
Fairway Creamery
Taiyaki filled with Soft Serve Ice Cream
Since Christopher Elbow passed the reins to the new owners, Fairway Creamery has continued to innovate its offerings, including the addition of a Japanese fish-shaped cone called taiyaki. The new cones are hollow and can be filled with house-made flavors of soft-serve ice cream and toppings of your choice. Recent taiyaki had Nutella inside, topped with vanilla-bean soft serve and dusted with Oreo cookie “dirt.”
Kinship Café
Chai
Head over to Kinship Café in Kansas City, Kansas, to enjoy a glass of iced house-made chai, a chilled version of this deeply spiced and sweetened milk tea that is simply a way of life in India. Owner TJ Roberts offers a host of drinks and a full food menu at his super cute coffee shop, and the community spirit he brings to his business is contagious. Catch it.
Lilo’s Shaved Ice
Lime in the Coconut Shaved Ice
With locations in both Parkville and Liberty, owners Matt and Angela Muir have the beginnings of a shaved ice empire. Drive up and park, then walk to the window to place your order. The Lime in the Coconut is a Lilo specialty, with lime, coconut, and wedding-cake syrup poured over shaved ice that has been filled with creamy coconut ice cream and topped with a “snow cap” made from sweetened condensed milk.
Flying Cow Gelato
Hazelnut Gelato Sheri Weedman opened the Flying Cow Gelato next to Annedore’s Fine Chocolates in Westwood Hills last summer. Now she has announced plans to open shops in both downtown Shawnee and downtown Overland Park. Her creamy Italian-style gelato comes in rotating flavors, such as toasted coconut, mint chip, key lime, hazelnut, and pistachio, along with dairy-free options.
Ruby Jean’s Juicery
Kale Yeah! Smoothie
Chris Goode has turned his passion for imparting the importance of health and longevity into three Ruby Jean’s Juicery locations. His Grandma’s Smoothies are delicious and pack a serious nutritional punch. Try the Kale Yeah! made by blending kale, cashews, ginger, sea salt, dates, banana, cinnamon, and almond milk.
Bruú Café
Honey Milk Tea
Bay Vanithbuncha and her husband, Chatchai Pinthuprapa, opened their flagship location of Bruú Café in 2020 at the Country Club Plaza, where they sell bubble tea, a sweet, cold Taiwanese tea-based drink with freshly made boba (chewy tapioca pearls). Try the Honey Milk Tea, made with high quality black tea, non-dairy creamer, honey, and brown sugar boba.
Foo’s Fabulous Frozen Custard
German Chocolate Frozen Custard
Foo’s is such a part of the fabric of downtown Brookside, it is truly hard after 35 years in business to imagine one without the other, especially during the summer. Owner Betty Bremser bought the business from her brother in 1996 and has continued the tradition of being the place to get scoops of German chocolate, coffee toffee or Cinnaberry frozen custard.