Cool Down with Locally-Made Scoops

By: Andrea Vorvick | July 30 2011
Posted in Portland - Find It - Portland

Grab a maple-bacon scoop from Fifty Licks for salty & sweet goodness! Photo by: Andrea Vorvick

Who can resist a scoop or two of freshly-made, old-fashioned frozen goodness? That’s right, folks, we’re talking about ice cream! You may not know it, but the Rose City has a variety of independently-owned artisan ice cream and gelato shops. In keeping with Portland’s standard for fresh and local, these scoop shops are literally the coolest thing around: 

Ruby Jewel Scoop Shop shines like a gem along eastside’s über cool Mississippi Avenue. Owner Lisa Herlinger opened the shop about a year ago after years of selling her gourmet ice cream sandwiches at local farmers’ markets. Ruby Jewel uses extremely fresh, all-natural and all-northwest ingredients in their products. A few flavors to try: Caramel with Salted Chocolate (their most popular flavor), Honey Lavender (the bees would approve!), Salted Lime Sorbet (tastes like a margarita minus the tequila), and Strawberry (featuring freshly-picked Sauvie Island berries). Tasty homemade waffle cones available or get your scoop made into one of their famous ice cream sandwiches (several cookie flavors to choose from). 
3713 N Mississippi, Portland, OR 97227

Creamy, frosting-y Birthday Cake from Cool Moon.

Cool Moon Ice Cream, located across from Jamison Square in the Pearl District, is scooping up handmade, all-natural ice cream in a potpourri of creative flavors. Some to try: Café Vesuvio (tastes like a frozen latte), Kulfi (an exotic blend of pistachio, cardamom and rose water), Fiery Chocolate (a Mexican spin on chocolate with a dash of cinnamon and cayenne pepper), Cantaloupe Sorbet (summer’s melon at its finest), and Birthday Cake (vanilla ice cream with yellow cake mix and sprinkles…kids love it!). Happy Hour Pints available from 4-6pm every day for $4.21 (regularly $5.75). Ice Cream cakes can also be special ordered for your next celebration.
1105 NW Johnson Street, Portland 97209

Next time you’re on the eastside, swing over to the food cart pod on 43rd and Belmont for a scoop of small-batch artisan ice cream from Fifty Licks. Must-try flavors: Maple with Bacon (maple ice cream with crumbled Carlton Farms bacon…sweet mercy!), Stumptown Coffee (iced coffee at its best), and Passion Fruit Sorbet (packed with intense, fruity flavor). For a totally cool party favor, rent the Fifty Licks mobile ice cream truck for your next birthday bash or event. Fifty Licks pints also available at metro area Whole Foods and New Seasons markets.
Food truck: SE 43rd and Belmont, Portland 97215

Colorful - and delicious - choices abound at Alotto Gelato.

Situated among the hustle and bustle of NW 23rd Avenue is Alotto Gelato, a quaint gelateria dishing up super creamy, handcrafted, intensely-flavored gelatos. Fabulous flavors to try: Stracciatella (Madagascar vanilla gelato with a chocolate swirl), Rose Petal (featuring Persian rose water…lightly flavored and fragrant), Coconut Lime Sorbetto (tastes like a tropical vacation in a bowl), and Raspberry Sorbetto (berrylicious!).
Neighborhood Gelateria: 931 N.W. 23rd Ave., Portland, OR 97210
Alotto Gelato is also available at Lake Oswego and Beaverton farmers’ markets.

Staccato Gelato combines traditional Italian goodness with a modern Northwest flair. Some flavors to try: Tiramisu (a frozen version of the famous Italian dessert), Thai Iced Tea (tastes like the real thing), and Salted Caramel with Peanuts (creamy caramel-flavored gelato with bits of nuts). You can even hire a Treat Trolley (a specially-outfitted bike that delivers pre-scooped gelato) or a full-service scooping cart for your next celebration. Both locations also serve freshly-made donuts on the weekends.
Original Location: 232 NE 28th, Portland 97232
Sellwood Location: 1540 SE Bybee, Portland 97202

Don’t let summer pass you by without making a trip to one (or all) of these excellent ice cream and gelato shops. Each one offers a variety of rotating flavors, so visit often for a taste of Portland’s best in artisan frozen desserts.