The Scoop

Loveland Dairy Whip

2009-08-24T09:50:00.000-07:00

Location: 611 W. Loveland Ave Loveland, OH 45140 (Map It)

The Scoop says: 4 Scoops!

ice cream 8
fixin's 8.6
total package 8.2

clarity 7.5
creativity 8.6

accessibility 8.9
atmosphere 8.8
service 8.9
price 8
"it" factor 7.7

TOTAL 83.2

This week's Scoop stop took us to an eastside Cincinnati ice cream staple, the Loveland Dairy Whip. Our team had high expectations and hungry tummies, and we were extremely satisfied with the speedy service and fake model parfaits in the window. However, the scores covered both ends of the spectrum in terms of taste, menu clarity, and the elusive "it" factor. While some of us ranked this stop as an overall favorite, others were disappointed with the taste. On a side note, the Scoop team welcomes our newest Scoopers, Jason and David.

Jamie

Loved the drive-thru, cute staff tee shirts, ample seating, and kids' sized servings. On the other hand, I thought the ice cream was bland and my strawberry shortcake parfait ($3.75) was a disappointment.

Gerald

This place had a great menu that was full of creativity and awesome parfaits. I tried the famous Chocolate Mountain parfait ($3.75), and was pleased with the result. While I took off a few points for the menu not having the prices listed, this place is definitely at the top of my Scoop list.

Ellie

I told my mom that my chocolate and vanilla kids twist cone with rainbow sprinkles was the best thing ever! I'm not sure if it was the delicious ice cream or the lack of dinner that made me eat mine and my mom's, too.

Josh

Loveland Dairy Whip took me back to my glory days of little league baseball, endless summers, and enjoying ice cream with my family. While my Snickers parfait ($3.75) was indeed delicious, not even bad ice cream could have burst my nostalgia bubble.

Teresa

I love peanut butter on anything, especially ice cream, so when I saw the Peanut Butter Krusher parfait ($3.75) I was excited! Overall, the ratio of toppings to ice cream was good, as well as the fast service, but the menu and parking need help.

Billy

I was tempted to live on the wild side this week and order something craaazy, but I remembered I'm only here for the statistics. My large chocolate cone was nothing extraordinary and frankly I enjoyed the company more than the ice cream.

Bryan

I enjoyed the fixins in my Peanut Butter Krusher ($3.75) more than the actual ice cream. I give the place props for the creative parfait selection, but felt like I had no other choices. Wasn't a memorable place for me this week.

Jason

My S'more parfait ($3.75) did not live up to its name because it lacked the crucial S'more ingredient; the marshmallow! Perhaps if the menu had been a little bit clearer on what was in each parfait, I wouldn't have set my expectations so high.

David

My first group Scoop outing was christened with a Pineapple Upside Down Cake parfait ($3.75). I found the pineapple and heated cake to be yummy; a great combination of flavors. The hometown feel of this local neighborhood gathering place made the Loveland Dairy Whip a delightful stop in my opinion.

Jeni's Ice Cream

2009-08-10T09:49:00.000-07:00

This week, we have a guest Scooper (who will quite honestly be the new full time scooper starting next week, hopefully. please. pretty please?)

Jason visited Jeni's Ice Cream in Columbus during a recent trip - here is his take!

Location: Various locals throughout Columbus, Ohio (website)

The Scoop says: 4 Scoops!

ice cream 10
fixin's 8
total package 10

clarity 8
creativity 10

accessibility 1 (if you don't live in Columbus!)
atmosphere 7
service 10
price 7
"it" factor 10
TOTAL 81

Jason

Jeni’s isn’t your parents’ ice cream parlor. It’s also not your kids’ ice cream parlor. This is the fine dining of ice cream. A gourmet, four star ice cream experience.

First a little back story. Jeni’s was established in 2002 and now consists of five locations in the Columbus area. Jeni Britton Bauer, along with her husband Charly and his brother Tom handcraft each batch of ice cream, using milk from local organic farmers. These cows eat grass. No growth hormones, antibiotics, herbicides or pesticides. Likewise, all their produce is also from local organic farmers. More exotic ingredients are obtained from other responsible growers from around the world. It’s totally hippie-dippy, but I wish all businesses were this eco-conscious. I like knowing that not only am I paying for the finest end product, but that my money is staying within my community. (Many organic products in your local grocery come from places like China… I mean who knows what they’re doing over there?!)

Jeni’s has a real upscale clean sophisticated design scheme, making it appealing to an older, hipper crowd. (And by older, I mean, not 13.) On the one hand, the sophistication appealed to me, however Dylan (13) was with us and it was a bit of a challenge to find something that would appeal to him. The flavors like Sweet Corn and Black Raspberry or the new Mojito Sundae practically challenge you to try them! Not for the traditional ice cream consumer! Jeni’s offers nine Signature flavors as well as nine seasonal flavors, which in some cases are only offered for a short while, when the ingredients are at their freshest. (Currently available, Cucumber Honeydew with Cayenne.) Did I mention that they were organic and locally grown? I’m just saying.

For the waistline conscious, they also offer a selection of frozen yogurts, which are amusingly listed as “Yo” as in Apricot Yo or Raspberry Yo. They’re gangsta like that. Yo. They also offer sorbet, such as Berries and Burgundy, but that are not gangsta like that.

Dylan went with Honey Vanilla Bean. It’s astounding what a difference the honey makes differentiating this vanilla from any other. Sweet, rich, creamy and very unique.

David went with Bourbon Butter Pecan and Wow! It was stiffer than some Manhattans I’ve had! Definitely not for your friends in AA! To be honest, it was a bit much. Who wants to get a buzz from their ice cream? Okay, maybe some people. I would only have this in small doses.

I went with a Trio (offered as a “Flight” like wine) of two Signature flavors Queen City Cayenne (chocolate with cayenne pepper) and Thai Chili (with peanuts, coconut and Thai chili pepper) and one Seasonal flavor, Goat Cheese with Roasted Red Cherries. I also tried a sample of their Signature Salty Caramel and immediately regretted not getting it as part of my Flight. Seriously, my eyes rolled back in my head!

The Goat Cheese was good, but lacked the zing of the others. I wish the goat cheese was more pronounced, considering how strong its flavor is by itself. The actual ice cream came across more like a cherry cheesecake. A really good cherry cheesecake, but still, a bit pedestrian for me.

The Queen City Cayenne was love at first bite. And what a bite! I’ve only recently discovered how well pepper and chocolate work together. Decadent and rich, but with that kick… amazing! My tongue was still burning after I finished it!

The only drawback is the cayenne out burned the chili in my Thai Chili, but even without that, this was possibly the single most incredible ice cream experience I’ve ever had! Just like real Thai food, you get everything in one bite. The sweetness of the ice cream with creamy salty peanut, shaved coconut and just that little kick of heat. So deliciously complex, you have to eat it slowly to savor everything.

It’s no coincidence they compare their ice cream to wine. Tasting it is just like tasting wine. You have to ingest it slowly, let it work through your taste buds and savor each individual ingredient and how they work together. I can only imagine what their brainstorming sessions are like. Some of the flavor combinations almost feel like a dare! I honestly wanted to sample them all, but didn’t want to look like a cheap skate (ahem, Tyra Banks) who wanted to fill up on samples instead of buying a whole dish.

I considered buying a few pints to bring home, but was worried they wouldn’t last the two hour drive. (That’ll teach me to leave the house without dry ice!) However, they DO deliver. I hope at some point they expand down to Cincinnati. I mean I saw Graeter’s and Skyline up there. If we can share our unique delicacies, so can they. C’mon, Columbus! Play fair!

Mt. Washington Creamy Whip

2009-07-20T08:34:00.000-07:00

Location: 2069 Beechmont Avenue / Cincinnati, OH 45230 (Map It)

Open Monday to Saturday 10-10 and Sundays from 12-10

The Scoop says: 3 Scoops!

ice cream 7.8
fixin's 8
total package 8

clarity 9.4
creativity 6.4

accessibility 7.2
atmosphere 6.4
service 9.4
price 8.6
"it" factor 7.4

TOTAL: 78.6

Our 2nd official stop on the Scoop tour took us to a local neighborhood favorite, The Mt. Washington Creamy Whip and Bakery. The website gave us an idea of what we’d find; a simple menu, welcoming atmosphere, and the temptation to forget ice cream and start testing cupcakes. It was unanimous decision that while the Creamy Whip had great curb appeal, friendly service, and above average ice cream, it lacked the family- friendly atmosphere we had come to expect after visiting Burger’s Ice Cream Trolley.

Hope the next stop will bring us deliciousness and a full Scoop team.

Ellie

My swirl ice cream on a sugar cone ($2.50) was yummmy! I didn't have much room to run around, though, because there were a lot of cars.

Billy
It was good. The end.

Ha Ha! I'm kiddin. Large chocolate soft serve on a waffle cone was of average taste and consistency. I enjoyed the large portion, tasty waffle cone, friendly staff, and easy to read menu. Definetly took away points for lack of creativity and limited seating.

Teresa

I found the temperature, consistency, and flavor of my large swirl with sprinkles ($3.00) good, but not exceptional. This was a nice place with that cool neighborhood appeal for people within walking distance, but the parking and seating wouldn't be adequate for a large crowd.

Josh

The 3 bites I had of my heath flurrie ($3.50) were of pleasant taste and reasonable price. I really enjoyed the staff and it seemed to me that this place is a staple of the community. You'd really have to keep a close eye on your kids because the place is on a really busy street (Beechmont Ave).

Jamie

The cool 50s retro style and exceptionally fast service appealed the most to me. I thought the small vanilla cone ($2.00) was cheap and it had a decent vanilla flavor. Points were taken away for the limited seating and busy area, but these things would definetly be enjoyed by a people watcher with no young children.

Gerald

I had a chocolate/vanilla swirl in a cup with peanut butter cup topping. While the flavor was good, it was the selection of toppings that made the total package for me. Simple menu consisted of three flavors of soft serve (chocolate, vanilla, swirl) and it lacked the creativity that I've seen other places.

Burger's Ice Cream Trolley

2009-07-07T08:21:00.000-07:00

Location: 7849 Main Street / Newtown, OH 45244 (Map It)

The Scoop says: 4 Scoops!

ice cream 8.3
fixin's 8.3
total package 8.2

clarity 7.7
creativity 8.2

accessibility 9.2
atmosphere 9.5
service 9.8
price 8.7
"it" factor 8.7

TOTAL 87

For our first stop on the tour, we decided to stay relatively close to home. Burger's Ice Cream Trolley at Burger Farm is an addition to the family owned and operated "garden center" that has been in operation since 1904 (I looked on their website - I knew it was old, but that is OLD!). The age of the Trolley is TBD - I tried looking it for awhile, but gave up. (Calls to the Trolley were unanswered.)

What the ice cream gained with it's flavor, it lacked in texture/consistency - but the real topper is the family friendly atmosphere. With a huge FREE playground for kids, tons of seating (under umbrellas), and limitless parking (although, we went when the garden center portion was closed, so parking may be a little more difficult during business hours) this seems like an almost perfect place for a family outing on a summer night!

Gerald
I got a butterscotch dipped vanilla soft serve in a cone ($3.25). I've never seen a butterscotch dip top before - and it tasted AWESOME! However, it melted way too fast! It was an unseasonably cool evening, and the ice cream was streaming down the cone before I even sat down. I can't imagine what it would be like on a hot summer day. The napkins were hard to find, and my ice cream covered hand needed them badly (wet naps would have been an awesome extra touch)! A friendly greeting was missing, and the menu was quite extensive - which made it hard to chose and was too much to read... but the creativity definitely abounded in the options.

Ellie and Jamie
We shared a "Munchkin'"- a chocolate soft serve in a cone with sprinkles and face ($2.50). Ellie struggled to eat the cone as it melted all over her hand, even with the boys teaching her how to properly eat a cone, it was a mess. However, the whole eating experience was short lived as the lure of the playground grew. This place is extremely kid friendly with a play area and seating area for parents. The lack of any sort of greeting or napkins were over shadowed by the relaxation caused by a sugar rushed 5 year old being preoccupied while I enjoyed the rest of the cone.

Josh
I ordered a small vanilla soft serve cone ($1.75) and a bottle of water ($1.00) - although I learned that I could have just asked for a free glass of water, they didn't offer me this option. Newtown isn't really a convienant loaction for me, but the well thought out theme was nice. The menu was hard to read, simply becasue there were different menus, with different options, in different areas. You could easily walk by one and not see it - or the options it offered.

Teresa
Medium chocolate soft serve in a cup, with chocolate sprinkles ($2.75). I originally ordered a twist, so I could try both flavors, but I ended up with straight up chocolate. It was good, just not what I ordered. However, the mess up was overshadowed by the willingness of the employee to upgrade my coupon to fit what Billy and I wanted to order (before the mishap). Hey, free food makes up for all. (Click HERE for printable versions of your own coupons - good all Summer!) The ice cream was really rich, and the bowl was nice and sturdy, but the sprinkles left a really waxy residue in my mouth when I was finished.

Billy
I ordered a large chocolate cone ($2.75). I thought the price was extremly good for the gargantuan cone I received. I didn't have any of the melting issues everyone else had - however, I did have the largest serving and finished first, so that could have something to do with it.

Bryan
I ordered a brownie cup ($4.50) - which was definitly large enough to share, but still a bit over priced in my opinion. The brownie did not taste that great, and my vanilla ice cream became soupy before I was even half way finished. I needed water, couldn't find a drinking fountain, so decided to just go back to the window, wait, and just ask for a glass of "free water". It was kind of a hassle, but for free - what are you gonna do?

What's 'the Scoop'?

2009-06-29T17:00:00.000-07:00

Ten friends, one mission - to find the BEST ice cream experience in Cincinnati.

Join us as we explore Cincinnati's ice cream establishments. First, we invite you to read our reviews. Then, personally visit each restaurant on the tour. Finally, come back and add your own scores and comments to the blog. Also, make some recommendations of where we should stop by next!

(Can't take credit, this idea is based/stolen from Cirque du Savory - except they do burgers, we do ice cream.)

Scoring System

2009-06-29T13:57:00.001-07:00

How does "the Scoop" score?

Team members of are asked to look at ten factors of their ice cream experience and rate those factors on a scale of 1-10. These ten factors include:

THE DISH

1. Ice Cream (Quality, Consistency, How was the overall taste?)
2. Fixin's (cone, sprinkles, syrup, etc.)
3. Total Package (How was it? How did all the pieces come together?)

THE MENU

4. Clarity (How easy is it to read the options? Are they easy to understand?)
5. Creativity (How many different options are available? How unique are the options?)

THE JOINT

6. Accessibility (How easy was it to find? Parking readily available?)
7. Atmosphere (Cleanliness, Was seating made available? How about water?)
8. Service (How was the wait staff? Did they solve any problems? How efficient were they?)
9. Price (Do you feel like you got what you paid for?)
10. "It" (Did the place have the intangible "it" that we are looking for?)

After members have rated all of the factors one through ten, those numbers are added together, determining that members score for the restaurant. All of the members scores are then averaged, making the official "the Scoop" score.

Once the official score has been determined, the establishment is then given an overall scoop rating:

* 90-100.................... 5 Scoops
* 80-89..................... 4 Scoops
* 70-79..................... 3 Scoops
* 60-69.................... 2 Scoops
* 0-59...................... 1 Scoop

The Scoopers....

2009-06-29T13:46:00.000-07:00

The Team:

(top row) Teresa, Billy, Jamie, Bryan, Ellie
(bottom row) Shawn, Lene, Josh, Gerald, Jason