Hot and Cold

Twelve great ice-cream secrets

Photo: Andrew Kubica

e’ve never really understood how it is that places that are hot year-round have lousy ice-cream choices, while cities that are usually cold (like ours) are ice-cream meccas. But we’ll take it. Boston has the country’s greatest ice cream, but even here there are a few hidden standouts that will melt your heart. So cone or cup, vanilla or pistachio pineapple chunk, come and spoon or lick your way through town with these great ice-cream secrets:

A fancy restaurant where the secret is the last course
 

Old-fashioned ice cream in up-to-date flavors
 

An ice-cream stand that will take you back
 

A low-cal fro-yo invented by two postdocs
 

An ice-cream shop (above) that brings town and gown together
 

A retro diner with ice-cream treats (if you’re good)
 

A little scoop of Italy, where you least expect it
 

A beach-themed ice-cream shop—in landlocked Roslindale Village
 

Desserts so good you can skip the rest of the meal
 

A retro café that will take you back to the days of ice cream sodas and lime Rickeys
 

Come for the French food. Stay for the dessert.
 

Where to find ice cream for breakfast