Custom Ice Cream

Mitchell's Ice Cream

What better time than summer for frozen treats? But visit Mitchell's  and you'll see how ice cream is a perfect fit for any season. 

As you open the door you'll find a cheery, large and spotlessly clean area. The aroma that greets you is the smell of fresh cream and waffle cones. Before you get to the long ice cream area look around: there are tables with coloring books and crayons, a big freezer case, a board full of choices, gift certificates and apparel.

The ice cream is the show stopper. There are usually over 20 flavors. The standards of chocolate and vanilla are always available, but often eclipsed by popular key lime pie (with real chunks of graham cracker crust), chocolate peanut butter cup and black raspberry chip. In keeping with the season there are features every month; lighter, fruitier flavors for the hot months, and cinnamon, pumpkin and egg nog for the colder holidays.

Special or signature treats like the classic banana split, sundae or parfait are all topped with your choice of nuts (including roasted pecans) and real whipped cream. There is even a treat to make OSU fans happy: the Buckeye.

No one should feel left out. There are fat-free, sugar-free and even lactose-free tasty choices. Eat them with a spoon or slurp them through a straw.

Ice cream cakes and pies make any occasion special. There are always some pre-made in the cooler that can be quickly personalized. Custom orders are taken, but you'll need to call ahead. The pies and cakes stay frozen for a surprisingly long time, but there is dry ice available for shipping or a very long drive home.

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Ha'Blender Ice Cream, Jerusalem, Israel - Cakespy

It was love at first sight when I discovered the ice cream parlor Ha'Blender, previously known as Shukilida, during my first month of my semester abroad in Jerusalem, Israel. It was a Friday afternoon and I was shopping in the shuk, or open-air market, which was packed shoulder-to-shoulder with what seemed to be the entire population of Jerusalem.

One of the staff members of Ha'Blender was giving out free samples of their famous Jerusalem flavor, and after one bite I was completely hooked. Ha'Blender, whose name means “The Blender” in Hebrew, makes custom ice cream flavors for its customers – you pick a base flavor and up to three mix-ins, and it gets mixed in the blender. Base flavors include vanilla, chocolate, banana, bubblegum, and more, and you can also opt for a healthier yogurt base. The mix-ins range from fruit (strawberries, bananas, peaches, mango) to halvah (a sesame-seed based sweet), nuts, and different types of chocolate, including Israeli chocolate bars such as me'ku'pelet Though their specialty is custom ice cream, you can also order iced coffee and other cold drinks, which are perfect on a hot day – and every day is a hot day in Jerusalem in the summer!

Ha'Blender's storefront is a tiny “hole-in-the-wall” in the shuk, which is part of what makes it so absolutely charming. They don't have a website, but their business card (which doubles as a frequent- buyer card – buy six, get one free!) lists a phone number. Staff members are incredibly welcoming, are fluent in both English and Hebrew, and, if you're a regular, they'll remember you! There's seating on a small patio next to the main through-fare of the market, providing refuge for customers who have successfully navigated the chaos of the market. It's worth the effort!