FYI Philly's Ice Cream social: Great spots for frozen desserts in and around Philadelphia
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Ducis Rodgers and Alicia Vitarelli round up ice cream scoop shops from all over the region.
FYI Philly airs Saturdays at 7 on 6abc. Watch past episodes anytime at 6abc/com or the 6abc app.
Local youth become owners of Narberth Scoops ice cream popup
At Narberth Scoops, 15 local teens are learning how to run a business for the summer.
The group of friends from Lower Merion High School banded together when they learned their neighborhood ice cream shop would be closing to make way for apartments.
They got together to write up a business plan, sign the lease, and more - and now they own the business for the season.
They formed committees to handle all aspects of keeping the enterprise afloat, from inventory to scheduling.
They serve Bassett's ice cream exclusively and are open daily for fresh dips of cones, cups, sundaes and floats.
236 Haverford Avenue, Narberth, PA 19072
open daily 12pm-9pm
Arctic Scoop meshes Asian flavors and super-sized scoops
At Arctic Scoop, you can get classic ice cream flavors like cookies and cream, chocolate and vanilla.
But what really sets this Passyunk Avenue place apart is the Asian flavors like lychee rose ice cream, sesame butter, and a mocha chip that tastes like Vietnamese coffee.
The top sellers are the bright purple ice cream made with a mix of taro and ube sweet potatoes and the vibrant green pandan, a grassy vanilla that tastes like the last bit of milk in your cereal bowl.
Arctic Scoop was opened in 2018 by three childhood friends from New York City who say they always wanted to open an ice cream shop.
Because competition was fierce in Manhattan and rents were high, they went looking elsewhere and say East Passyunk reminded them of New York City's Little Italy neighborhood.
Owners Chris Cheang and Alex Wu make the ice cream from scratch daily in a kitchen a few blocks away.
The flavors are more earthy than sweet and the scoops are about double the size of what you would find at traditional ice cream shops.
They offer flavored cones. The Thai coconut bowl is one of their signature desserts. It's a real coconut, with a layer of sticky rice topped with a scoop of your choice and unlimited toppings.
They're known for their Hong Kong Style egg waffles too.
The waffles are made to order then folded like a baseball mitt, filled with a giant scoop of your ice cream of choice then finished with an unlimited number of toppings.
While most of the ice cream is designed to be dessert, the Hong Kong egg waffle is a full meal.
Arctic Scoop Facebook | Instagram
1812 E Passyunk Ave, Philadelphia, Pa. 19148
Cloud Cups is a new artisan gelato shop sharing space with Pizza Brain
At Cloud Cups on Frankford Avenue, gelato artist Galen Thomas is dishing out all kinds of artisan gelatos and sorbets.
His most popular flavor is the banana pudding, made with his Aunt Gina's homemade pudding but he's created more than 100 flavors in all.
There's a soursop, cookies and cream, and some Galen originals like the Brown Sugar Cinnamon Pop-Tarts gelato.
He makes Frosted Flakes gelato, a blueberry mascarpone and birthday cake.
Galen started making and selling gelato in 2019, looking for a change from his job as a cell phone line engineer.
He decided making people happy was how he wanted to make a living, and he went to gelato university to master the craft.
While the flavors draw people in, Galen says it's the top-secret base that keeps them coming back.
There are always 12 flavors offered in the shop and every Thursday, he swaps out the options.
He sells his gelatos and sorbets by the grab-and-go pint, by the scoop and by a flight of four flavors.
And if you really want to indulge, his signature dessert is the Cloud-Nini, a glazed donut stuffed with a giant scoop of your gelato of choice then pressed panini-style in a special machine that keeps the ice cream cold while making the donut hot.
Cloud Cups is located where Little Baby's ice cream used to be, in a shop that shares space with Pizza Brain so it's dinner and dessert all in one place.
2311 Frankford Avenue, Philadelphia, Pa. 19125
PTN visits a recent addition to the dessert scene in East Stroudsburg
Next up in our series on the Poconos is the Llama Ice Cream Factory and Shop which opened its doors in 2017.
Llama Ice Cream | Facebook | Instagram
266 River Road, East Stroudsburg, PA 18301
570-202-6963
Millies continues 70 years of ice cream in South Philly
Millies Burgers, Steaks & Shakes was established in 1949 as a neighborhood ice cream stop in South Philadelphia.
More than 70 years later, there are new owners creating the same family-friendly neighborhood destination.
The Greco family bought the shop in September of 2022.
Since re-opening they have remodeled and remade the menu adding the family pizza recipe and pasta dishes to the hot food selections.
The dessert dishes include classics like the banana split but they also make the Millies take on a chipwich, ice cream sandwiched inside house-made cookies.
There is a cannoli sundae featuring the family's filling and the most recent sweet treats are house-made crepes, with a long list of topping choices.
Millies Burgers, Steaks & Shakes | Facebook
1441 West Shunk Street, Philadelphia, PA 19145
Scooped serves up handcrafted ice cream with a side of music
Chester Springs is home to a combination ice cream and vintage record shop called Scooped.
It might sound like an unlikely pair, but it has been a success for over a decade at the original location.
Scooped in Media is the second location from founder John Reece, a lifelong record collector.
Run by his nephew Kyle Lefkof, this shop offers homemade ice cream, gelato, and sorbet in gourmet flavors from lavender to cantaloupe, as well as crates of vintage records to buy, sell, and trade.
Also available are liege waffles, a form of Belgian waffles made fresh to order.
Scooped - Media
25 W. State Street, Media, PA 19063
484-445-4476
closed Mondays
Scooped - Chester Springs
130 Pottstown Pike, Chester Springs, PA 19425
484-358-7099
(closed Monday & Tuesday
One Tank Trips: Ringing Rocks County Park
If you're looking to get outdoors for a unique experience the whole family will enjoy, this One Tank Trip is for you.
Ringing Rocks County Park in Bucks County is known more for its sounds than its sights.
Photojournalist Mike Niklauski takes us to this real "rock" concert.
Ringing Rocks Rd, Upper Black Eddy, PA 18972
Moulin Rouge! The Musical immerses audiences in turn of 20th-century Paris, with the Academy of Music transformed into the birthplace of the French can-can.
Carmen Pavlovic, one of the producers of this production, says the Moulin Rouge was a place where high society came and mixed with artists.
The musical is a 10-time Tony Award winner.
"We kept all the iconic songs from the film, but we've updated it," says Pavlovic.
She says the score now has 75 songs that span 160 years of music.
The music ranges from German-French composer Offenbach to Lady Gaga.
The composer, Christian, falls for the star of the Moulin Rouge, Satine aka the sparkling diamond.
However, Christian has to share Satine with a Duke who is not a sincere person, but he has money, which leaves Satine torn.
There's another couple with more of a bad romance. One half of that couple is Santiago, played by actor Gabe Martinez. Nini is his love interest.
Nini, played by actor Libby Lloyd, is one of the four Lady Marmalades that sing the iconic song.
Damaschke says the show taps into something in your own heart about "your greatest love."
Overall, he describes the musical as epic, beautiful and fun.
Moulin Rouge! The Musical runs July 5 - 23 at the Academy of Music.
Moulin Rouge! The Musical | Tickets
The Academy of Music
240 S. Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19102
Milk Jawn is a small-batch ice cream shop opened by Amy Wilson and Ryan Miller.
What started as a hobby in Amy's home kitchen turned into a business about four years ago, then later opened as a brick-and-mortar about a year ago.
The shop is known for its unusual flavors, like Lemon Curd with Blueberry Basil Swirl and Earl Grey with Honeycomb.
They even crafted a special treat for canine customers called the Pup Cup.
Milk Jawn | Facebook | Instagram
1439 East Passyunk Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19147
