Are These Really The 25-Best Ice Cream Shops In The Country?

What’s that dividing line between a good spot to pick up an ice cream cone and a place truly deserving of being called the best in the country? The folks at Food & Wine magazine think they know and have put together their list of the 25 best ice cream spots in the entire U.S.

You won’t find Dairy Queen, Cold Stone, Carvel or Mister Softee anywhere on this list. In fact, only one of the 25 eateries mentioned lists more than one location.

Only 19 states made the list and if you believe the Food & Wine editors, there are two areas with the highest density of quality ice cream. All three shops in California are located around the Bay Area (San Francisco, Berkeley and San Rafael) And while the three Massachusetts ice cream spots are more spread out, they’re all within a short drive from the Boston area. Throw in the one listing for nearby Portsmouth, NH, and eastern Mass. may be the ice cream center of the country.

The full list is below and awaits your scrutiny. I’ve only tried one of the 25, so we want to hear from people that have actually sampled these wares — and from everyone else who thinks they know of shops that deserved to make the list instead.

ARIZONA
Scottsdale: Sweet Republic

CALIFORNIA
Berkeley: Ici Ice Cream

San Francisco: Bi-Rite Creamery

San Rafael: Three Twins Organic Ice Cream

COLORADO
Denver: Sweet Action Ice Cream

DELAWARE
Hockessin: Woodside Farm Creamery

HAWAII
Honolulu: Bubbie’s Ice Cream

LOUISIANA
New Orleans: The Creole Creamery

MAINE
Bar Harbor: Mt. Desert Ice Cream

MASSACHUSETTS
Cambridge: Toscanini’s

Centerville: Four Seas Ice Cream

Sharon: Crescent Ridge Dairy Bar

MICHIGAN
Traverse City: Moomers Homemade Ice Cream

MINNESOTA
Minneapolis: Pumphouse Creamery

MISSOURI
Kansas City: Glace Artisan Ice Cream

MONTANA
Missoula: Big Dipper Ice Cream

NEW HAMPSHIRE
Portsmouth: Annabelle’s Natural Ice Cream

OHIO
Columbus: Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams

Multiple locations: Graeter’s

NEW YORK
Brooklyn: Blue Marble

NORTH CAROLINA
Hillsborough: Maple View Farm and Dairy

OREGON
Portland: Cool Moon Ice Cream

TEXAS
Austin: Amy’s Ice Cream

WASHINGTON
Seattle: Molly Moon Ice Cream

Bainbridge Island: Mora Iced Creamery

SLIDESHOWS: Best Ice Cream Spots in the U.S. [FoodAndWine.com]

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