Social Sightings: It’s Peak Ice Cream Season

Monday mornings are tough, but this series isn’t. Social Sightings is a quick taste of recent food tidbits that goes down as easy as your first cup of coffee, and should whet your appetite for the week ahead.

National Ice Cream Day is coming up on July 16, if you’re into marking food holidays. I prefer to eat whatever I want, whenever I want to. And lately, I’ve been craving ice cream. I generally go for savory food over sweet, but (finally) hot days and hail-related stress have driven me toward frozen relief. Here are some of my recent ice cream favorites:

Sadboy Creamery is the newest ice cream brand to launch in Denver, and it’s a one-man show. It was created by recipe developer Michael Kimball, who makes all of his nostalgia-inspired flavors in a studio space above City, ‘O City. Pickup is available on Saturdays, and I devoured both flavors that were available over Pride weekend. But the Rainbow Unicorn Sherbet was the standout: Tangy, fruity and oh-so-smooth, it was downright fun to eat.

Sofia’s Roman Pizza opened on the 16th Street Mall earlier this year. While I enjoy the slices, I’ve really gone back for the soft-serve ice cream. It’s available in two flavors – sea salt and olive oil or honey and fennel pollen – and a small cup is just $3. Bonus: Sofia’s also serves frozen negronis.

In May, news broke that Dairy Queen is discontinuing its cherry-dipped cones – a dumb move. Cherry-dipped cones are basically the only reason I ever go to DQ, but at least I can still get a fix when I’m visiting one of my favorite mountain towns, Buena Vista. There you’ll find K’s Dairy Delite, an old-school ice cream stand that pretty much always has a line, but it’s totally worth waiting for its classic cold treats, burgers and hot dogs.

I’m a big fan of High Point Creamery, which has locations in Hilltop, Berkeley and inside Denver Central Market (get the Tin Cup Whiskey & Pistachio Brittle flavor). But lately, I’ve been visiting its sister shop, Eiskaffe, more frequently. Located inside the 11th Avenue Hostel on Broadway, it serves a mean affogato – try the Salty Caramel or Bavarian Cream flavors. If you want an even bigger caffeine fix, you can get its namesake drink, the Eiskaffe, a larger combo of ice cream and coffee with whipped cream. Eiskaffe also has a super-fun secret menu item.

For two years in a row, Right Cream has been our editorial pick for Best Ice Cream/Gelato Shop in the Best of Denver. Since moving into the small shop next door to Denver Beer Company’s Downing Street taproom, Right Cream has really hit its stride, with a large variety of flavors available in pints or as a cup or cone to enjoy right away. It also has more regular hours; it’s currently open from 4 to 8 p.m. Thursday, noon to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and noon to 8 p.m. Sunday. Owner David Right has hinted on social media that more offerings are in the works, including cheeseburgers, so this is definitely a spot to keep an eye on.