It’s Never Too Cold for Ice Cream

Summer may be ending, but ice cream never goes out of season. That being said, DC’s endless array of choices may leave you wondering where to go. We’ve narrowed it down to our top three picks: Momofuku Milk Bar, Thomas Sweet Georgetown, & Dolcezza.  

Momofuku

After Momofuku and its adjacent bakery, Milk Bar, opened in City Center DC in late 2015, Washingtonians rushed to take part in the trend that was born in New York City. The famous eatery is known for its unique take on desserts, including compost cookies, crack pie, truffles, and cakes. Chef and TV personality Christina Tosi is behind the decadent creations; lines have reached records of two hours just to taste her award-winning treats.
Among Milk Bar’s most unique creations is the cereal milk soft-serve ice cream. You read that right – the soft-serve actually tastes exactly like cereal milk. Topped with crunchy cornflakes, the soft-serve has a slightly sour taste that compliments perfectly with the sweetness of the cereal. It’s also one of the most instagrammable desserts, especially held up in front of the store’s colorful, neon menu and signage.

Reasons to visit Milk Bar:

• It’s a cereal lover’s heaven; the soft-serve is a perfect combination of breakfast for dessert.
• The combination of soft & crunchy, sweet & sour, and trendy & affordable, the Milk Bar experience is one of the most unique in DC.
• It holds a corner spot in City Center, DC’s most rapidly up-and-coming luxury area. Take your soft-serve on a walk and window-shop at some of the fanciest stores and the best rated restaurants in town. It’s an experience you won’t want to miss.

Thomas Sweet Georgetown

Located right on Georgetown’s popular Wisconsin Avenue, Thomas Sweet is known as one of the best traditional ice cream spots in DC. It was originally founded in 1980 in New Jersey, but has quickly found its way into the hearts of locals in the District.

Tired shoppers, students, and any who have wandered a little too far up Wisconsin Avenue have stumbled upon the quaint looking parlor, and the intoxicating scent of sugar is too hard to resist.

Reasons to visit Thomas Sweet

• The flavors are endless; from the traditional vanilla, chocolate, strawberry and the like, to playful ones such as cake batter and tiramisu, you can create practically any combination your heart desires.
• Three words: Blend-in options. Thomas Sweet takes toppings one step further; with any choice of flavor, you can blend in chocolate chunks, fruits, nuts, m&ms, butterfingers, kit-kats, and so much more.
• The sprinkle-covered cones and careful topping placements by employees make for the best photo-ops. Showing off your beautiful ice cream creation is half the fun!

Dolcezza

Dolcezza is a local gelato & coffee shop that serves daily-made gelato and expertly brewed coffee in 5 locations across the city. They pride themselves on authenticity and traditional methods of producing ice cream, creating classic and innovative flavors that Washingtonians are raving about.

They also offer sorbet, a lighter, fruiter take on something equally sweet and delicious. If that weren’t enough, they also sell ice cream pops for smaller tastes of the traditional flavors, and entire pints of ice cream to take home in case you can’t quite get enough.

Reasons to visit a Dolcezza shop:

• Their shops double as perfect hang out, study, or meeting spots. Antique furniture and group tables create a charming and comfortable setting you won’t want to get up from.
• Their gelato & sorbet selections constantly change – while they have constants like their Dark Chocolate Amargo, they’ll feature sophisticated specialties such as champagne mango or peanut butter espresso. You’ll find something new with every visit.
• They have a Factory & Coffee Lab, open to the public, located in Union Market. Not only will you be able to taste the most freshly produced flavors, but you can also take a weekend tour to see how the magic is made.