Day 22: Ice Cream on a Cold Night

Handel's $1.25 scoop

Handel’s $1.25 scoop

There’s nothing better than a scoop of ice cream on a cold night. Over at Handel’s they serve scrumptious ice cream every day of the week, but my favorite day to visit is Thursday, when all single scoops are $1.25 each (normally $3.70).

According to their website, Handel’s originated in Youngstown, Ohio, in 1945. Although most of their stores are in Ohio, they’ve slowly added locations in several states and they have three spots in California: Rancho Cucamonga, Redondo Beach, and Upland.

Handel’s was ranked No. 1 ice cream by National Geographic’s 10 Best of Everything guide and it’s easy to see why. Every flavor I’ve had is fresher and creamier than other ice creams. While I’ll always be a fan of Thrifty’s Chocolate Malted Crunch, it doesn’t compare to the heavenly flavors at Handel’s. My two personal favorites: Blueberry Cobbler and Spouse Like a House (pictured above, it is a satisfying vanilla malt ice cream with peanut butter ripple and chocolate covered pretzels filled with peanut butter).

There are over 100 flavors that change daily and for regular readers of this blog: no, I will not be adding a Try Every Flavor at Handel’s to my 2015 goals. There aren’t enough cold nights in Southern California for that.