If you like Baskin-Robbins ice cream and live in the Willoughby area, it seems like Wednesday will be a good day to go for a scoop.

The Dunkin Donuts-Baskin-Robbins combo store on Euclid Avenue will be participating in the 31 Cent Scoop Night, set for 5 to 9 p.m. May 2.

Details in the news release below:

CLEVELAND, Ohio – April 23, 2012 – Participating Baskin-Robbins ice cream stores throughout Northeast Ohio will host a 31¢ Scoop Night on Wednesday, May 2 from 5:00 pm -9:00 pm. All guests receive a single scoop serving of their favorite Baskin-Robbins flavor for just 31¢ (limit 1 per guest). Many locations will have additional offers available and will take pre-orders on cakes for Mother’s Day, Graduation and Father’s Day.
Select locations will feature “Celebrity Scoopers” who will surprise fans by serving ice cream during a portion of the evening. Local firefighters will be on hand at many locations with their collection boots to help raise funds and awareness for their Burn Unit charities.
"Scoop Night is a long standing tradition helping us kick-off the ice cream season in a fun and engaging way as we celebrate our reputation for delicious innovative flavors. Many Baskin-Robbins stores take great advantage of this family-friendly event and ensure that their guests enjoy the evening. We hope our guests keep Baskin-Robbins’ at the top of their favorites list all summer long,” said Lynne Schroeder, Field Marketing Manager, Dunkin’ Brands.
Baskin-Robbins is the world’s largest chain of ice cream specialty shops. Named the top ice cream and frozen dessert franchise in the United States by Entrepreneur magazine’s 31st annual Franchise 500® ranking, Baskin-Robbins creates and markets innovative, premium ice cream, specialty frozen desserts and beverages. Their products provide quality and value to consumers at more than 6,700 retail shops in nearly 50 countries. Baskin-Robbins was founded in 1945 by two ice cream enthusiasts whose passion led to the creation of more than 1,000 ice cream flavors and a wide variety of delicious treats. Headquartered in Canton, Mass., Baskin-Robbins is part of the Dunkin' Brands Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: DNKN) family of companies.
Please note: Westlake, Ohio and Shaker Heights, Ohio Baskin-Robbins are NOT participating in $.31 Scoop Night
To learn more about Baskin-Robbins or Dunkin’ Donuts visit www.baskinrobbins.com or www.DunkinDonuts.com or follow us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/BaskinRobbins) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/BaskinRobbins).

-- Cheryl Sadler | CSadler@News-Herald.com | @nhcheryl

Last year, former N-H staffer Dom Anselmo and I trekked alllll theeeee waaaaaay to the west side because he wanted to get banana frozen custard at Weber's Premium Ice Cream in Fairview Park. The summer-like temperatures on the first day of spring motivated us to head back there after I saw a posting on Weber's Facebook page that the ice cream parlor was planning its earliest opening ever for March 20.

Check out what we had to say in August after our first trip there.

Yesterday I had vanilla custard and chocolate custard (in alternating scoops in my cup, so they mixed together nicely), while Dom had peanut butter chocolate ice cream and strawberry custard (the banana custard hadn't been made yet). What a nice treat for the start of spring!

Not all of the flavors have been made, so first-timers might want to wait a few weeks to get a better selection. And remember, the key thing to say is, "We've never been here before." The super-nice staff will give you recommendations and samples of all the important stuff.

It's a bit of a haul to get there, but you won't be disappointed in what you get. If you're not sure you want to spend a couple hours of your day on a trip to get ice cream, you should plan a stop there when tending to other business on the West Side.

Want to learn more about Weber's? Check out this article from WestLife: Vintage machines secret to Weber's ice cream. That's a good dose of nostalgia for old-fashioned ice cream, even for those of us who never had the pleasure of eating vanilla ice cream at Euclid Beach Park or a frosted malt at Higbee's in downtown Cleveland. (That article also notes that Weber's is now sold in quarts and pints at The Grille, "a new restaurant in Cornerstone Plaza at the corner of Lorain and Clague roads").

Weber's Fresh Ice Cream and Custard

20230 Lorain Road
Fairview Park, OH 44126
440-331-0004

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-- Cheryl Sadler | CSadler@News-Herald.com | @nhcheryl

During the summer, former co-worker Dom Anselmo and I went to Chagrin Falls to get some Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams. It. Was. Incredible. We reviewed the ice cream on this blog, and even just talking about it now makes me want to go back for some more.

If our blog post didn't convince you that the ice cream is amazing and you have to try it, consider that Vice President Joe Biden tasted it this week during his visit to Central Ohio (where Jeni's is based).

Jay LePrete/Associated Press

Vice President Joe Biden enjoys a double scoop ice cream

cone from Jeni Britton Bauer, owner of Jeni's Splendid Ice

Creams, at the North Market in Columbus on Thursday.

From The Associated Press:

Vice President Joe Biden took in some local fare as he stopped at an indoor farmer’s market during a visit to central Ohio.
Biden noshed on locally made Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams during the brief stop at North Market in downtown Columbus, ordering vanilla and dark chocolate flavors in a waffle cone and chatting with owner Jeni Britton Bauer.
Biden, accompanied by Columbus Mayor Michael Coleman, also talked with employees and shoppers inside the market and sampled some popcorn and a Belgian waffle.
Biden was in Ohio to talk about college affordability at a separate event held at a suburban high school earlier in the day.
Later Thursday, he planned to attend a fundraising event at the Athletic Club of Columbus.

-- Cheryl Sadler | CSadler@News-Herald.com | @nhcheryl

You're going to have to take a bit of a trip to the west side of town for this frozen treat, but Weber's Fresh Ice Cream and Custard is plenty worth it.

What we got

Dom

Let's be honest, I dragged Cheryl out there for one specific reason: Weber's has banana frozen custard. I haven't encountered an ice cream store with banana since my dad had one in Medina over 10 years ago. I knew what I wanted as soon as I walked in the door. Just like at Jeni's, I couldn't pass up anything strawberry. I packed the banana and strawberry frozen custards into a large waffle cone. The waffle cone was not baked all the way, making it a little doughy, which was phenomenal. As much as I wanted to resist, I had to buy some banana to bring home. Thankfully, my mom saw the word "banana" on the lid and said "gross."

Cheryl

I learned the best thing you can say when walking into a place like Weber's is this:

We've never been here before.

The incredibly friendly employees gave us sample after sample of frozen custard and yogurt to help us make our decision. I didn't even pay attention to the menu because I knew I was sampling the best stuff they had. I got a waffle cone with two classic flavors that longtime Clevelanders would love: the original Euclid Beach vanilla and the authentic Higbee's frosted malt. The frosted malt was coming out of the machine while we were there, so I got it fresh from the machine into my cone. Fresh ice cream is incredible - though it makes for slightly messy eating. Thank goodness their cones come with a plastic holder that I used as a bowl when my cone became too messy to eat with my hands. I got a container of frosted malt to take home because I knew it would be a while before I found a flavor like that again. Don't worry, East Siders: Weber's has paper freezer bags to put your ice cream in for a long trip (though you might want to bring a cooler if it's a really hot day or a fairly long drive). I'll definitely be back.

Weber's Fresh Ice Cream and Custard

20230 Lorain Road
Fairview Park, OH 44126
440-331-0004

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

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

I needed some caffeine when I was on the road yesterday and pulled into the first drive-through I came upon, which happened to be McDonald's. I was just going to get a Coke but decided it would be a good time to try the new Frappe, which appears to be the McD's version of the Starbucks Frappuccino. Regular readers of this blog will know I'm a fan of frozen coffee-type drinks, like Wendy's Coffee Toffee Twisted Frosty and the Frozen Caramel drink from Panera.

I got the caramel Frappe, which came piled high with whip cream and caramel drizzle. I loved the first sip. But as I drank and the drink melted and the whip cream blended with the coffee-caramel mix, it started to taste just like McDonald's vanilla ice cream with caramel blended in. McDonald's ice cream is fine, but it wasn't what I was in the mood for.

Some might argue that Starbucks' Frappuccinos are just like milkshakes, but they taste more like blended coffee to me. The Coffee Toffee Twisted Frosty is definitely ice cream, and Panera's Frozen Caramels are borderline.

I'll probably have a Frappe again, but it will be when I'm in the mood for a coffee-caramel milkshake.

--Cheryl Sadler
CSadler@News-Herald.com

The new Coffee Toffee Twisted Frosty from Wendy's is just as it sounds: It's a (vanilla) Frosty twisted with coffee and toffee. And it's delicious. If you like all of its components, you will like this ice cream treat that's best eaten with a spoon to scoop up all the crunchy goodness of the toffee. And, it's best eaten quickly in the Northeast Ohio sun, which will melt the ice cream just about as fast as you can say Coffee Toffee Twisted Frosty.

As much as I dislike having to clarify that I want a "chocolate" Frosty when I order a Frosty at Wendy's (the original chocolate flavor should be permanently considered the default), I'm really enjoying that the introduction of the vanilla flavor has opened the door for tasty variations on the classic fast food dessert.

Just remember that the Coffee Toffee Twisted Frosty IS a milkshake and cannot stand in place of your morning coffee (not that I won't try that sometime ...).

Wendy's
Various locations
Opening times vary based on location
Visit www.wendys.com for store information

-- Cheryl Sadler
CSadler@News-Herald.com

I am picky about my ice cream.

I worked in an ice cream store for five years during high school and college. I can tell about how many ounces of ice cream are in a dish just by looking at it. I can tell if ice cream was made with expensive or cheap cream. I can come up with any flavor/topping combination to suit you.

So I won't eat ice cream just anywhere. I'm an ice cream snob.

I actually can't believe I'm going to give a recommendation to the place I'm about to recommend because this franchise is my franchise's competition. But I haven't worked in ice cream for three years, and the store where I worked has since closed and isn't even in Northeast Ohio anyway.

I stopped at Cold Stone Creamery the other night to pick up a pint for my boyfriend and I for dessert. I knew immediately what I wanted when I walked in because, after all, I had worked in a similar place for five years and knew exactly how to mix together a flavor both he and I would enjoy.

If you haven't been to Cold Stone, I'll give you the scoop for how it works:
The ice cream is all flavored plain, without any nuts, cookies, candies or fruit. The people at Cold Stone will mix it in fresh in front of you on a cold stone slab. So you can make any flavor you like -- such as cookies 'n' cream in chocolate ice cream, or strawberry with chocolate chips. (Need any more recommendations? e-mail me your interests and I'll see what I can come up with.)

At first I was disappointed in the service. It was a busy Friday night, and it seemed like not enough employees were working. I grew slightly impatient remembering how I handled busy Friday nights in my ice cream scoopin' days.

But when it was finally my turn, I couldn't have had a nicer person helping me. She asked how I was doing, and we had a nice conversation about my hometown and college. After she finished mixing together my combination (coffee ice cream with Oreos, Snickers and brownie), she scooped it into the pint container -- then offered me the remainder of what wouldn't fit. I told her I would save it for later, so she stuck it in a dish with a lid. That in and of itself was a full serving of ice cream, which makes sense because she added about 6 ounces of mix-ins to the pint she had scooped.

The cost of the concoction? A pint with three mix-ins is $5.99. While that might seem like a lot for just ice cream, it's only about $2 a serving (at least, I got three servings out of mine). And if you haven't noticed, dairy and ice cream have gotten pretty expensive in the past few years, so that's not a bad deal.

Oh, and the ice cream tasted fantastic. Coffee with Oreos, Snickers and brownies might be my new favorite flavor (and I think it could be my boyfriend's new favorite, too).

I'll definitely be making my way back this summer when it's unbearably hot. I would recommend you do the same. But if you're in the South, check out Marble Slab Creamery (the franchise that had the mix-in-your-toppings-on-a-cold-slab idea 10 years before Cold Stone).

Cold Stone Creamery
36175 Euclid Ave.
Willoughby, OH 44094
440-975-1780

9560 Diamond Centre Drive
Mentor, OH 44060
440-352-0550


-- Cheryl Sadler
CSadler@News-Herald.com