We recently used the hot weather as an excuse to pay a visit to Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams in Chagrin Falls. The ice cream store is based out of Columbus, with a handful of locations in Central Ohio.

Jeni's isn't your typical ice cream place. The distinctive ice cream and yogurt flavors include Corn Syrup Custard with Whiskey and Pecans, Pistachio and Honey, and Rhubarb and Lime Cardamom. One of Jeni's employees assured us that tastes were encouraged, so be sure to try plenty to get a good feel for what they offer.

What we got

Cheryl

I tasted five or six flavors before I settled on what I wanted, and that was a hard decision. I ordered a waffle cone with three scoops. The flavors might not sound like they go well together, but you'll probably end up with an awesome combination. The scoops I picked were Black Currant Frozen Yogurt, Brambleberry Crisp, and Sweet Corn & Black Raspberries. I liked the bit of crunch in the Brambleberry Crisp, and the Sweet Corn & Black Raspberries kind of reminded me of corn bread. I was happy with my choice, but I easily could have selected a handful of other flavors. Next time I go to Jeni's, I'll have my eye on the Wildberry Lavender and Riesling Poached Pear Sorbet. But I'll also have to taste the Bangkok Peanut, Black Coffee, and Dark Chocolate. That sounds like one delicious cone.

Dom

I'm pretty picky when it comes to any kind of food, so I made sure to look up the flavors available before our trip. I had a pretty good idea what I wanted when we arrived. I ordered the same thing, a waffle cone with three scoops. (By the way, I watched one of the young ladies make some waffle cones, so that's how fresh they are.) Anything strawberry is always a winner, so I started with Strawberry Buttermilk. It was a creamy version of your typical strawberry ice cream. The other flavor I knew I wanted to try was The Buckeye State. It was basically chocolate chip made with peanut butter ice cream instead of vanilla, and it was absolutely delicious. The struggle for me was finding a third flavor that wasn't too wacky for my tastebuds. I tried Wildberry Lavender and Coriander Raspberry. The Lavender hit me pretty quickly and I wasn't sure if I liked it or not. The Raspberry was too sweet for my liking. I topped off my first two with the Lavender, and it really grew on me. The more I had, the more I liked it. Overall, the two berry flavors mixed with the chocolate and peanut butter was fantastic. I'm pretty proud of myself for going a little out of my food comfort zone.

A short film on Jeni's

Good Time from Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams on Vimeo.

Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams

67 N. Main St.
Chagrin Falls, OH 44022
440-247-2064
Hours: 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. all week

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-- Cheryl Sadler | CSadler@News-Herald.com | @nhcheryl
and Dom Anselmo | DAnselmo@News-Herald.com | @domanselmo