As a kid, one of my worst fears was that I would trip and drop my ice cream cone on the ground. (Ah, simpler times.)
You know what I mean, right? After some strategic bargaining with your parents (“I will mow the lawn twice a week this summer, I SWEAR!”), you’re finally carrying a double scoop of cookie dough, smothered in hot fudge. Sprinkles drip onto your shoes and crunch against the floor as you make your way oh-so-carefully to a table. You only have to make it a few feet, but that’s plenty of time for the intrusive thoughts to take over.
Walk slower! Why are your hands shaking? OMG, the floor is slippery! Please, please, please don’t trip! Just sit down already!
By the time you inch yourself onto a chair, you feel like you just ran a marathon. I don’t know about you, but I much prefer my grown-up knowledge that if my ice cream hits the dirt, I can just get another (no additional lawn-mowing required).
The funny thing is that I don’t think my kids have ever experienced this brand of fear. Not only because we embrace (and even celebrate) failure, but also because we’re friendly with our local ice cream makers. If—God forbid—the walk from the counter to a table didn’t go as planned, a fresh scoop (and probably a bowl) would be on the way. Louisville knows customer service—and we certainly know ice cream.
One of my family’s favorite places in the city is Louisville Cream. They’re a small-batch, gourmet ice cream company that uses local dairy, house-made sauces, and fresh baked goods to create magic. Once you’ve tasted their Banana Cookies and Cream, it’s nearly impossible to go back to store-bought, factory-made dessert. Those artificial flavors pale in comparison to the real, creamy-dreamy goodness.
Plus, they make their own waffle cones in-house. Even if my ice cream wound up on the floor, I’d still eat the cone and be perfectly happy. (Does that count as healing your inner child?)
Another favorite spot of ours is Homemade Ice Cream & Pie Kitchen, which is just as homey and tasty as it sounds. Both their ice creams and their pies are made from scratch each day (and yes, I think you should order both). Their Smurf ice cream is always a hit with the kids, and their cookie dough is *chef’s kiss.* Flawless. And of course, you can never go wrong with a slice of apple pie and a scoop of vanilla (much harder to drop on the floor!).
We don’t often think of getting ice cream as a community-building event, but for my family, that’s exactly what it is. A quick serotonin boost and bam—suddenly, you’re in the middle of a conversation with your neighbors. Befriending the ice cream shop owners lowers your kids’ risk of winding up treatless, yes, but more importantly, you get to connect with your city in a new way.
Especially if that city is Louisville. Our small business owners rock.
For the record, this is not an ad. I’m just a realtor here in the Ville who is passionate about supporting the community. But like, if anyone from Louisville Cream or Homemade Ice Cream & Pie Kitchen is reading this, I’m open to trading marketing for ice cream. HMU.