Richmond’s Sweetest and Coldest Treats

You know that weather isn’t going to realize that summer’s over for at least another two months. This article, originally published in July, made the second half of this summer way better than the first.

September 7, 2015; 3:00 PM • by Stephanie Ganz

Ice cold refreshment is a mere three steps away with this handy guide to a few of RVA’s sweetest, freeziest treats. Step One: Identify the factors that lead to your overheatedness. Step Two: Find the indulgence that corresponds to your lifestyle. Step Three: CONSUME IT.

PERK! BON AIR’S SALTED CARAMEL AFFOGATO

You’ve spent the day cleaning out your great aunt’s attic, rummaging through family photos and orange polyester shift dresses that suggest Aunt Goldie used to be much, much thinner. Your lungs are filled with insulation dust, and your heart is filled with nostalgia. You need something sweet but also bracing as you reenter the present day. Spoon your way through Perk!‘s affogato, a heaping scoop of Gelati Celesti‘s salted caramel gelato in a frozen glass, drowning in a freshly-pulled shot of Blanchard‘s espresso.

Visit Perk!
2620 Buford Road
N. Chesterfield, VA 23235

BÁNH MÌ CATINA’S AVOCADO BUBBLE TEA

Canvassing for the Sierra Club in the 90-degree heat is a thankless, tiring job; but I suppose someone has to do it, and that someone is you. You may not have raised any money for environmental watchdogs, but you’ve earned quite a sunburn and several new blisters where your Birkenstocks rubbed away your foot skin. Nurse your booboos with a subtly sweet avocado bubble tea from Bánh Mì Catina, and, because I know you’re hungry, break your last $5 on a $3.50 bánh mì sandwich. It should sustain you in a way your do-gooder instincts simply cannot.

Visit Bánh Mì Catina
6215 W. Broad Street
Richmond, VA 23226

KING OF POPS’ ARNOLD PALMER POPSICLE

Sitting in a golf cart and watching some poor sap carry your 30-lb golf bag around can be really hard work. Hard work like ordering a pair of gold Adidas wings online or telling your gardener to trim all of your shrubs to look like Leela from Futurama. Did I mention you’re not even good at golf? You just do it for the sick polo shirt tan. For you, there is only the Arnold Palmer pop. The King of all Pops has harnessed the power of iced tea and sweet lemonade in one thirst-quenching experience. It’s the good life, frozen and on a stick.

Visit King of Pops or check out their handy pop map for today’s cart locations OR visit their brick-and-mortar
3001 W. Clay Street
Richmond, VA 23221

RAY’S ITALIAN WATER ICE & FROZEN CUSTARD’S RAY’S ROCKET

You’ve been tapping into your inner Walter Matthau and have spent the day coaching nine athletically-challenged youths in the fine art of baseball. What you really want is a Miller High Life, but this time, get a Ray’s Rocket instead. It’s any flavor of Ray’s Italian Ice layered with frozen custard, and it’s a lot better for you than the beer you’ve been guzzling like water since 10:00 AM. And while you’re at it, how about treating those nine hopeless kids to something other than the ice in your cooler for once.

Visit Ray’s
3039 Lauderdale Drive
Richmond, VA 23233

OR!

2416 Old Brick Road
Glen Allen, VA 23060

METZGER BAR & BUTCHERY’S MACARON ICE CREAM SANDWICHES

You didn’t GET hot. You ARE hot. You were born hot. Like, when you were born, the doctor shouted, “Nurse, this baby is too damn hot; get me some kind of ice cream sandwich STAT!” True story. And there is not a more fitting dessert on this list for your hot hotness than the macaron ice cream sandwiches prepared by pastry chef Olivia Wilson at Metzger Bar & Butchery. Try the vanilla bean macaron with cantaloupe ice cream or perhaps the orange blossom macaron with blackberry ice cream, dipped in chocolate. Yeah.

Visit Metzger
801 N. 23rd Street
Richmond, VA 23223

EN SU BOCA’S CASA HORCHATA

Your increased body temperature is due as much to the summer heat as to the half dozen chorizo tacos you just housed. Cool yourself from the inside out with ESB‘s Casa Horchata, a creamy blend of rice milk, sweetened condensed milk and cinnamon. And if that doesn’t work, try the Jalisco Coffee–Horchata plus Patron XÓ Café (coffee-flavored tequila of the gods). That should do the trick and ready you for your next round of tacos.

Visit En Su Boca
1001 N. Boulevard
Richmond, VA 23220

CHOCOLATES BY KELLY’S FROZEN CHOCOLATE-COVERED WATERMELON POPS

You’re a proud trash-stick-toting Church Hill block cleaner, and you’ve been picking up cigarette butts and Valero receipts like it’s your job EVEN THOUGH IT’S NOT. You, good neighbor, deserve a treat. Mosey on over to Chocolates By Kelly‘s retail store and get yourself a chocolate-covered, sea-salt-flecked, twig-handled frozen watermelon pop. Then sit on your front porch eating it and yelling at people whenever they dare litter.

Visit Chocolates By Kelly
600 N. 29th Street
Richmond, VA 23223

OR!

5047 Forest Hill Avenue
Richmond, VA 23225

THE CONTINENTAL’S STUART’S BAKED ALASKA

You’ve been at the tracks all day, betting on horses and losing your shirt. Get your girlfriend to take you to The Continental when she gets off work, and demand to eat Stuart’s Baked Alaska–layered pistachio cake and Homestead Creamery’s vanilla ice cream, covered in meringue and then torched and sugar-dusted–for your entire meal. She’ll find it inexplicably charming because no one has ever paid attention to her the way you do.

Visit The Continental Westhampton
5704 Grove Avenue
Richmond VA 23226

PUDDING PLEASE’S PUDDING POPS

You’ve been laying by the pool all day, reading Meg Cabot novels on your Kindle and keeping half an eye out for your kids to make sure they haven’t drowned. Reward your adequate parenting skills and cool down your brood with a few of Pudding Please‘s pudding pops, newly available at Ellwood Thompson’s and Union Market in flavors like Banana with Vanilla Cookie and Coffee with Brownie Bits.

Visit Pudding Please
And purchase at:
Union Market
2306 Jefferson Avenue
Richmond, VA 23223

AND/OR!

Ellwood Thompson’s
4 N. Thompson Street
Richmond, VA 23221

GELATI CELESTI’S “THE DUDE” GELATO

Also known as “El Duderino,” if you’re not into the whole brevity thing. You’ve been at the lanes all day, throwing rocks, wearing a robe and flip flops, and listening to Creedence tapes. Put down the Pomeranian and make your way to Gelati Celesti. They’ve got a flavor to meet your exact specifications: The Dude combines coffee liqueur with chocolate fudge to make one hell of a Caucasian concoction. It’ll chill you out faster than you can say “nice marmot.”

Visit Gelati Celesti
8906 W. Broad Street
Richmond, VA 23294

OR!

3004 Stony Point Road
Richmond, VA 23235

OR!

11805 W. Broad Street
Richmond, VA 23233

September 7, 2015 3:00 PM · in East End Daily, Fan of the Fan, and more 3