Picky Palates: What’s the Scoop?

Oh look at me here again with another overrated, overused ice cream pun. Well, it’s a little fitting seeing that I usually don’t care for ice cream at all. In fact, I almost always choose a fruit popsicle or frozen yogurt or no dessert at all over ice cream. At first, I used to make an excuse when it comes to Häagen-Dazs with my dad. Now, I make a small excuse for handmade or *specialty* ice creams. While my friends believe it’s because it’s “bougie”, I know it’s because it’s more genuine in taste. So, all the future cheap dates out there can thank Millie’s Homemade Ice Cream for my conversion.

If you’re ever in Pittsburgh, head to S Highland Ave in Shadyside neighborhood and treat your taste buds and sugar cravings to a cup (or cone) of all-natural fresh AF homemade ice cream. I always go after a visit to the neighbor restaurant, Pittsburghs famous Noodlehead. While the flavors change a little bit each season, you can count on the following (or mix of) flavors to be there:

• The Best Chocolate
• Chad’s Vanilla
• Vietnamese Coffee
• Salted Caramel
• Lavender
• something chocolate with something mint

Other flavors they throw in there include Strawberry, Apricot 5-Spice, Fig, Coconut-Lime sorbet, Pear-Port Wine sorbet, Butter Pecan, Lemon, Spiced Prune, Hazelnut, Cherry, Rhubarb, Chocolate Almond Cherry, and so on.

The size of their cups are Junior, Small, and Regular with the option of waffle cones. They also sell their ice cream and gelato by the pint, on a float, or in a milkshake. Being the non-sweet tooth I am, I always opt for the junior cup. I also always barely finish all of it. I know. You can hate me, I’ll allow it. But at least I’ll look cute getting hated on.

The core reason behind why I ignore my brain protesting the creamy sugar cup of fat is the pure taste of Millie’s ice cream. Their ice cream is made from fresh and all-natural milk and eggs in Western PA. The ingredients are also in-season, hence the constant change in flavors. The scoop shop pasteurizes the ice cream itself to ensure you’re getting the freshest batch each visit.

Personally, I think Millie’s does plain flavors best. The richness and singularity of the ingredients are so delightful and clean that you come to appreciate the flavor alone. Of course, I’ve always been the plain vanilla or plain coffee ice cream kind of girl, but never before have I had ice cream that melts into a beautiful flavor, rather than a milky cream blob, on my tongue. My personal favorite flavor is Vietnamese Coffee, a popular flavor even among non-coffee lovers. I have to say, you just need to taste it to understand the distinct and unparalleled aroma that rises from your taste buds up to the roof of your mouth, a flavor so light but so strong that you almost smell it as you eat it. My second favorite is their seasonal peppermint brownie, emphasizing the natural minty zing more than the more overrated brownie flavor in the name. (I also am not a huge chocolate person. I know. Bring it on, haters.)

The next time you’re in town, visit Millie’s and let me know what you think! Until then, look out for an OOTD post with this very bright and candy colored jumpsuit coming soon (hopefully with less ice cream and noodles in my system and a few days into the gym again… excuse my extreme sodium bloat in these pics. yikes).

Bon appétit!

 

-E.