Ice Cream Obsession
I scream, you scream, we all scream...I don't know I just love ice cream. There are so many great places in Chicago to grab some amazingly yummy ice cream. Here's a few of my favorite ice cream spots:
1. La Michoacana Premium Pilsen
This paleta shop is on of my favorite places to snag a sweet treat. La Michoacana has several locations all throughout Illinois but the Pilsen location is the best one of all. This pink brick little shop is located in the heart of a cultural hispanic hub. These Mexican ice pops are chock-full of chunks of fresh fruit and available in a hypnotizing array of colors. There are shockingly made with real fruit and not processed garbage sugar like most Popsicles. One of my favorite features at La Michoacana is their pink walls. The stunningly vibrant pink walls make the perfect backdrop for your insta. These colorful ice pops sure are a great way to brighten up a nice, hot, summer afternoon.
2. Jeni's Splendid Ice creams
This Ohio based ice creamery has taken over Chicago by storm. My personal favorite flavors are brambleberry crisp, salted caramel, brown butter almond brittle and the lavender ice creams. The intoxicating fresh waffle cone smell lingers throughout the entire ice cream shop. One of the best things about Jeni's is that you can taste test any of their unique and wacky flavors. The ambiance of Jeni's is very fun, colorful and sweet. I highly recommend getting three scoops of your choice and a free waffle crisp in a bowl, this way you can try three of Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams crazy good flavors. If you are looking for a specialty ice cream in Chicago, Jeni's is the spot for you.
3. Gordo's
Gordo's ice cream has a couple locations throughout the Chicago land area. I am a huge fan of the South Loop location right off of Polk St. At Gordo's, they specialize in dressing up a Popsicle of your choice with all things sweet and delicious. I would try the mango, strawberry, pistachio or the hibiscus tea flavored Popsicle. Once you pick your Popsicle, you can dress it up with milk, white or dark chocolate. There are a plethora of toppings to choose from. My go-to toppings include sprinkles a.k.a jimmys, heath, fruity pebbles, oreos, pretzels, cookie bits and cinnamon toast crunch squares. Don't forget to snap a photo of your creation on their beautiful black and white ceramic tile wall. Gordo's can fix your sweet tooth cravings in a heartbeat.
4. Amorino
To be very blunt, gelato is 100% better than ice cream. My absolute favorite gelateria in Chicago is Amorino. They are located in the Gold Coast neighborhood in Chicago. They specialized in floral gelato, coffee and macrons. You have your pick of pure and insanely great flavors to complete your rose of gelato. I highly recommend the amareno, cioccolato, fragola, nocciola and my favorite pistachio. Depending what size cone you get, you can snag up to 5 flavors on your cone. You can top off your work of art with a mini cone or a macaron of your choice. Amorino is a fun and unique way to cool off this summer. There's nothing like a sweet Italian treat to beat the summer heat.
5. Bombo Bar
Bombo bar is attached to a restaurant called Bar Siena. Bombo Bar is located in the West Loop neighborhood of Chicago. This spot has a walk up window outside Bar Siena. Bombo Bar can cure your sugar fix instantly. One of the best things about Bombo Bar is the fresh made gelato. Bombo Bar's food and sweet treats come from Italian roots and the owner Fabio (who won fan favorite Top Chef on Bravo) designed the menu with Italy in mind. You wont find fake and over processed gelato here. Bombo Bar's gelato is rich and creamy. Each flavor you pick actually tastes pure and like the actual ingredient it is! The pistachio gelato is my favorite pick at Bombobar. You might also want to try the salted caramel, smores, birthday cake or double chocolate flavors.
6. La Bodega Del Barrio
La Bodega Del Barrio is attached to a restaurant called Barrio. La Bodega Del Barrio was created by another top chef alum, Katsuji Tanabe. La Bodega Del Barrio has a great menu ranging from delicious coffee picks to some crazy fun themed churros. This summer, they launched a new special treat, churro cones are the latest dessert trend in Chicago. This delightful little shop has vanilla, chocolate or swirled soft serve ice cream to choose from. The churro cones are smothered in cinnamon sugar, with a candy coated rim. You have your pick of ice cream toppings, some of my favorites are chocolate pretzels, sprinkles, fruity pebbles and even edible glitter. I highly recommend popping over to River North, and trying one of La Bodega Del Barrio's new and incredibly tasty churro cones.
