Capogiro
117 S. 20th St.
(215) 636-9250
www.capogirogelato.com
If you've ever been roaming the Rittenhouse area on a summer night and spotted an outlandishly long line, chances are you found yourself within a stone's throw of Capogiro, Philadelphia's answer to the gelateria. (There's also a second location at 13th and Sansom.) Arrivederci, Haagen Dazs - it seems that only European-style treats will do for this city's downtown sweet tooths. At Capogiro, sample Italian-style gelato in flavors from Black Walnut to Dulce de Leche. There's also Ciocolata - that means chocolate, right?
Scoop DeVille
1734 Chestnut St.
(215) 988-9992
www.maronchocolates.com
We're lucky enough to have a Scoop of our very own right in Houston Hall, but the truth is that you haven't lived until you've paid a visit to the store's original location in Center City. On top of the dizzying selection of gourmet chocolate treats that sit from floor to ceiling, there's the store's single best asset: the drill. Other ice cream places (ahem, Cold Stone) try to do blend-ins, but without the drill, their efforts fall decidedly short. Let's just say any witch who worked at Scoop DeVille would have no problem luring German children inside.
Franklin Fountain
116 Market St.
(215) 627-1899
www.franklinfountain.com
If you want to party like it's 1907, look no further than the Franklin Fountain. It may be the 21st century on Market Street, but inside this nostalgic shoppe, even President Roosevelt wouldn't be able to resist the charm of a mustachioed proprietor serving up sweets straight out of last century. (And Teddy was quite the rough rider.) In addition to ice cream, the menu is sprinkled with old-fashioned treats like egg creams and phosphates. I'm not quite sure what a phosphate is, but man, sounds delicious.
Bredenbeck's
8126 Germantown Ave.
(215) 247-7374
www.bredenbecks.com
Bredenbeck's may be a bit of a trek away from campus, but any quest to this Victorian ice cream parlor and bakery will be worth it in the end. The picturesque Chestnut Hill location provides not only to-die-for ice cream, but also cookies, cakes and pastries that look like they came straight out of Marie Antoinette's kitchen. Ben and Jerry are such hacks. At Bredenbeck's, the hand-dipped cones and banana splits are local favorites, and some summer nights the parlor has been known to attract hundreds.
Rita's Water Ice
239 South St.
(215) 629-3910
www.ritasice.com
South Street is well known among Penn students for cheese steaks and novelty shops (read: Condom Kingdom), but during the summer the value of a cold water ice is not to be underestimated. Rita's is better than the Italian ice man who rides around your neighborhood in a musical truck for the following reasons: 1) use of real fruit (note with amazement that those are bits of actual cherry in your cherry Italian ice!) and 2) gelati. Okay, their misuse of the term (see Capogiro entry) would be pretty unforgiveable . but mixing Italian ice and vanilla custard is basically genius. Well played, Rita's.
Bassetts Ice Cream
1211 Chestnut Street
(215) 864-2771
www.bassettsicecream.com
There's lots to choose from in Reading Terminal Market, but Bassetts makes the choice easy. These purveyors of fine ice cream have occupied the marketplace since 1891, and the store continues to be family owned. This tradition of ice cream excellence shows in both their wide array of flavors and the richness of each one. Some Philly insiders will tell you that Bassetts makes the best milkshake in the city, so grab a spot at the counter and see for yourself.
