Ah, San Diego: America’s Finest City and the land of perpetual summer. Here I’ve been trying to convince my non-native friends that we do indeed get bad weather and have a cold season, so naturally this sun is showing out with 80-degree temperatures in February to make me look like a lying fool. I want to complain that an unusually warm spring is likely foreboding of a scorching hot summer; really though, how can I be mad when my lunch hours lately have looked like this?
You know what else I can’t be mad at? ICE CREAM. I mean, it’s basically milk in a frozen state, which should tell you everything you need to know to understand my obsession. Luckily for me, San Diego is home to several especially tasty ice cream shops, offering up solid selections of classic flavors as well as more adventurous varieties to tickle your foodie fancy.
While I’d honestly eat ice cream in the throes of a blizzard, this perfect, summery weather is only making it easier and all the more tempting to savor this cool, creamy treat. Here are five of my favorite ice cream shops to enjoy on these beautiful, sunny days, Enjoy!
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My dad has been taking me here since before I could walk, and I still make the trek down there when the craving hits me. Nestled in a small shopping center in South San Diego minutes from Imperial Beach, this understated mom-and-pop establishment with a Mexican twist has a very loyal customer base on account of their delicious product and variety of flavors.
Their decadent, creamy ice cream comes in fan favorites like rocky road and chocolate chip. Their bright and refreshing sorbets come in every flavor from lemon, pineapple and strawberry to my personal favorites: watermelon and cantaloupe. Perhaps best of all though are the real gems: all varieties of paletas. Offered in dairy (de leche) and non-dairy (de agua), I constantly confuse myself in trying to pick which one sounds best – Chamoy? Tamarindo? Pepino Con Chile? Coconut? Strawberry? Walnut? Guava? One of each? SO good.
Know Before You Go:
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Some of their flavors are seasonal, so don’t be mad if you go down there and find that pepino con chile is out. I warned you, don’t say I didn’t.
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Cash Only – Look, just do what I do. Grab a twenty and stock up.
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