Features

 

Editor’s Note: Ice cream as we know it today in all of its silky smooth, creamy goodness is a relatively new innovation, clocking in around 200 years old.

And while soft serve cones, flurries, flavor dips and all the other confectionary treats are modern concoctions, it has taken thousands of years and many more people to make one of America’s favorite treats a reality.

There are no definitive answers as to who invented ice cream. Popular folklore gives credit to chefs in the service of Charles I and Catherine de’Medici; Marco Polo, who brought the recipe back from China; and some even credit Julius Ceasar because of his love of chilled drinks.

In truth, the invention of ice cream was a slow process that followed the rise of refrigeration techniques, advances in food science and processing and finally modern production techniques. 

Today, ice cream is big business as local shops jockey for position and customers by offering sweetest, smoothest, creamiest concoctions. Tag along on Playlist’s Ice Cream Crawl as we explore the specialties offered at area ice cream shops and satisfy our sweet tooth. How much ice cream can you eat?

Where once there was the hustle and bustle of travelers waiting for a train, there is now the hustle and bustle of hungry customer with ice cream cravings.

Jacky’s Depot, located at 130 W. Dudley St. in Maumee, is an ice cream shop housed in a former train depot station.

The ice cream and the ambiance, with photographs that depict an older Maumee adorning the walls, both reflect that old-time feel.

All the ice cream is handmade on the premises, with new flavors popping up often.

According to owner Jacky Pauken, the most recent additions to the menu are banana pudding and cake batter ice cream.

“We come up with new ones all the time,” Pauken said.

The portions are good-sized, too. A regular sugar cone will get customers two scoops of the homemade ice cream for $1.50. Junior size is just 80 cents.

If you love it so much, you have to take it home; Jacky’s makes that happen for $3.40 per pint.

Their most popular item, said one employee, is the Maumee Mud Pie, a blend of an ice cream sandwich, vanilla ice cream, hard chocolate topping and Oreos for $2.75.

Jacky’s also offers the typical brownie sundae and buckeye.

Soft serve, milkshakes and malts are also available.

Jacky’s also offers more for your money with flurries: choose three candies to mix into your soft serve, rather than the usual one. A medium flurry is $3.10.

The generous portions also come topped with whipped cream.

The space is small, but has enough taste for a large crowd.

Penguin Palace - 2117 River Rd., Maumee

For more than 50 years, warm weather, blue skies and bright sunshine have signaled the beginning of the soft ice cream season at the Penguin Palace on River Road near South Detroit Avenue in Maumee.

“It’s always been a favorite ice cream store,” said owner Sharon Kerstetter. “A lot of people came as kids and when they come back to town it’s one of the places they stop.”

Since 1950 the tiny white building with blue trim has been serving up ice cream cones, banana splits, milk shakes and sundaes to eager, sweet-toothed customers.

Kerstetter stands behind the window donning a straw hat, ready to serve. “Did you hear about the new banana cream pie tornado?” she asks, describing the newest item consisting of ice cream, vanilla wafers, bananas, marshmallow and whipped cream.

“It tastes just like banana cream pie, thus its name,” she said with a smile.

The building is covered with colorful signs displaying the numerous varieties of ice cream treats available, which makes choosing just one a difficult task.

“We like to create treats by using the stuff we have in as many different ways as we can. Sometimes the ideas just come to us,” said Kerstetter, who purchased the business 10 years ago with business partner Marcia Helman.

One of the more requested menu items is the turtle sundae, which “has layers of ice cream, hot fudge, caramel and pecans,” Kerstetter said.

Another favorite is “Smurf” ice cream, a blue-raspberry-purple sensation. “It’s special to Penguin Palace and a favorite with our younger customers” Kerstetter said.

Other ice cream items include cyclones, malts, sodas, yogurt and low sugar ice cream.

In addition to ice cream, the store also sells hot dogs, nachos, chicken salad, tuna salad, personal pizzas, BLT sandwiches and salads.

Business hours are 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. from Monday through Saturday and noon to 10:00 p.m. on Sundays and holidays.

Big Dipper - 2564 Parkway Plaza, Maumee

The Big Dipper, formerly known primarily for ice cream, has expanded to include a large variety of tasty menu items, including jumbo hand-breaded shrimp and extra cheesy pizzas.

Located in Maumee’s Parkway Plaza, the Big Dipper’s owners, Dean Otto and Carolyn Giraudeau, indicated that although the menu now leans toward fish, shrimp and pizza, the familiar ice cream favorites are still just a scoop away.

With six flavors of hand-dipped Homestead ice cream, Giraudeau mentioned the quality of the creamy concoctions, which are created by Gary Nofziger.

Yes, Nofziger, as of Nofziger ice cream.

“In the butter pecan, you get huge, half pecans, not just little pieces,” Giraudeau said.

The atmosphere is comfy and inviting and … adventurous?

“We had someone come in who wanted strawberry ice cream mixed with Mountain Dew,” Giraudeau said. “So we did it.”

“I had one kid come in who wanted a root beer milkshake, so I made one,” Otto said.

Whether it’s plain Jane vanilla you are craving or something much more creative, the Big Dipper will not disappoint.

Mr. Freeze - 627 West South Boundary, Perrysburg

“We’re known for our turtle sundae,” Mr. Freeze owner George Peterson said. “I should’ve patented it.”

That being said, it is easy to imagine how wonderfully terrific the chocolately, carmely, pecan-nutty concoction truly is.

While the turtle is what Mr. Freeze is known for, however, the Buckeye sundae could most certainly be called first runner-up.

Complete with mini buckeye candies, hot fudge, peanut butter sauce and whipped cream, I opted to taste-test the treat (just to be sure) and was definitely not disappointed.

Beyond its famous sundaes, Mr. Freeze offers a huge selection of other frozen treats, including “Wow-Cow,” a nonfat frozen yogurt for those worried about expanding a notch in the ole’ belt.

Slushes, floats, shakes and malts round out the lengthy list of offerings at this summertime hot spot, which is known for its larger-than-average serving sizes and reasonable prices.

Mr. Freeze, owned by George and Marilyn Peterson, has two locations in the Toledo area, including 2031 N. McCord Rd. in Toledo and 627 W. South Boundary in Perrysburg.

Lickity Split - 2021 Glendale Ave., Toledo

Back in 1960, when it cost just 30 cents a gallon to fill up a car, an old gas station was converted into Lickity Split Ice Cream Shop and Grill on Glendale Avenue east of the Anthony Wayne Trail.

The soft ice cream shop is still serving up tasty treats to customers who are happy to see the sun shining.

“I enjoy the customers,” said owner Marcia Helman, who for the past 25 years has looked forward to spring and the start of a new ice cream season.

“People know that when the soft serve stores open, winter is over and spring and summer are coming and they are just very, very excited to see it,” she said.

Customers savoring the first taste of warm weather in the form of an ice cream cone may enjoy the taste at an outside table beneath a shaded canopy or sitting inside at a booth.

Helman, who is also part-owner of the Penguin Palace in Maumee, says the turtle sundae is a popular treat at both shops, but notes that a good old vanilla ice cream cone still does the trick for many of her customers. “Vanilla is our biggest seller and that’s all there is to it,” she said.

Ice cream items on the menu include sugar and waffle ice cream cones, sundaes, shakes, malts, sodas, coolers, freezes, banana splits, cyclones, smoothies and a host of tempting toppings.

Other menu offerings include grilled items such as hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken and chicken salad and tuna salad.

Business hours are Monday through Sunday from 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.

Toozer’s Time Out - 1003 Key St., Maumee

Toozer’s Time Out, located at the corner of Key and Seventh Streets, just off the Anthony Wayne Trail in Maumee, offers big servings for little prices.

The outdoor, soft-serve ice cream spot features all the traditional favorites and some new choices.

One manager said the hot fudge sundae is their biggest seller. The gooey concoction is your typical blend of ice cream, fudge, nuts and whip cream, topped with a cherry.

Toozer’s army of sundaes also includes peanut butter cup, tin roof, banana split, hot fudge brownie and black forest, which dazzles the taste buds with chocolate and cherries.

The mint chocolate chip sundae is vanilla ice cream drizzled with crème de menthe, chocolate chips, fudge and whip cream.

Tornadoes are another crowd favorite. These treats are candy mixed into the ice cream.

Or, if that’s too much for your palate, Flavor Bursts feature a wide variety of flavors drizzled over vanilla ice cream in just the right proportions.

Though the ice cream is good, the prices are even better.

The desserts come in budget, medium and large.

The Flavor Bursts are only $1.25 for a budget to $1.80 for a large.

Toozer’s also offers lemon ices and sherbets, all for under $2.00, and the normal choices of milkshakes and malts for as little as $1.95.

Most of the budget sundaes are less than $2.00, and the medium sundae, which itself was only $2.35, was too much for this reviewer to take in all at once.

In fact, the sundae got a rave review from my Labrador puppy, which finished off what was left in the family and pet-friendly picnic table area in front of the shop.

A good place for all the family members, Toozer’s is open from noon to 9:00 p.m.

Sweet Retreat - 1276 Michigan Ave., Waterville

Waterville residents make their way to Sweet Retreat to slurp down ice cream during the hot summer months. 

The store location has always offered ice cream, operating as Mr. Freeze for 11 years before Cindy Toerne purchased it in 1998.

It offers just about every ice cream creation possible.

“Anything that almost anyone can think of doing with ice cream, we’ll do it,” Toerne said. 

Patrons can find soft serve ice cream in traditional flavors such as chocolate, vanilla and strawberry. Health-conscious consumers can try Wow Cow, a no-sugar-added yogurt, and for those who love ice cream but have a difficult time eating dairy, a non-dairy fruit whip in a variety of flavors is also on the menu.

 Sweet Retreat’s version of a fruit smoothie is a “fruited slush shake,” which has ice cream, slush and fruit blended together. It also offers a “juicy freeze” for those who want to beat the heat with a slush and ice cream combination.

“It’s refreshing and we sell a lot of those, especially when it gets real hot,” Toerne said. 

Another ice cream favorite is the buckeye sundae, which features ice cream, hot fudge, peanut butter topping and mini buckeyes.

In addition to ice cream, Sweet Retreat also offers a light lunch menu featuring hot dogs, hot chicken, barbecued pork, chicken salad and tuna salad.

It is also noted for serving up delicious chili dogs.

“People tell us we have some of the best chili dogs around,” Toerne said.

The secret’s in the sauce and Toerne isn’t spilling it.

“The secret is in the spices, and only the employees know what they are,” she said.

Seating is available both inside and outside. Sweet Retreat is located at 1276 Michigan Ave. next to Kroger in Waterville. Business hours are Monday through Saturday 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. and Sunday noon to 10:00 p.m.

– Ice Cream Crawlers were Nancy Gagnet, Laura Kilisch and Kerri Ralls