July is National Ice Cream Month!

July gives us a double scoop of reasons to cheer on the sweet side of life. We can thank former president Ronald Reagan for declaring July National Ice Cream Month and the third Sunday of the month as Ice Cream Day—That day falls on Sunday, July 19, this year. If you’re looking for a new dessert spot, celebrating a birthday, or just looking for a treat, we’ve got some sweet suggestions for you.

NarWhals Rolled Ice Cream

3313 W. Cary Street and 9200 Stony Point Parkway

The preparation is as much a treat as the consumption (well, almost) at NarWhals Rolled Ice Cream. Pick your flavor add-ins (candy and fruit) and then watch as cream is poured, spread, and rolled out on a -20-degree plate (similar to what Cold Stone Creamery uses). It’s then “carved” into rolls (that resemble the namesake narwhal horn) and propped into a cup. More than 50 flavor choices include chocolate, Twix, strawberries, blueberries, Oreos, and sprinkles. Add a drizzle of chocolate, caramel, or peanut butter to top it off.    

Owner Raul Henriquez started out by pushing an outdoor stand/pop-up cart in Carytown before expanding into a brick-and-mortar store. There’s now a second location at Stony Point Fashion Park. They even offer workshops where you can learn the art of hand-rolling ice cream.

Bev’s Homemade Ice Cream and Café  

211 W. Cary Street / Richmond, Virginia 23221

Courtesy: Bev's Homemade Ice Cream Facebook

Located across from the Byrd Theater in Carytown, Bev’s Homemade Ice Cream makes a great pre- or post-movie (or both) stop. Pick from flavors such as espresso Oreo, butterscotch gelato, pear sorbet, and orange-pineapple sherbet. The Shockoe Split has bananas, three scoops of ice cream, hot fudge, strawberries, and whipped cream. Other treats include cookies, brownies, and homemade hot fudge.

Charm School

311 W. Broad Street / Richmond, Virginia 23220

Charm School makes its ice cream in-house with milk from a local Virginia dairy. Everything is as minimally processed as possible. Even the cones are made in-house every day by hand. Take a pint home or have a one- or two-scoop cone. Other sweet treats include floats, sundaes, sandwiches (of the ice cream variety), coffee, tea, and vegan selections with toppings like Virginia peanuts, salted caramel, and hot fudge.

Have you been to any of these ice cream shops? Which is your favorite? Let us know in the comments.