As a child, I remember hearing a story about how ice cream was invented: Supposedly a great and spoiled French king decreed that his chef, under penalty of death, must create a magnificent dessert that was as "hot as summer, cold as winter."
The chef quickly went to work in the royal kitchen, finally producing a sparkling glacier of icy cream, crowned with scalding rivers of chocolate — the hot fudge sundae. The king was charmed, and not only spared the chef's life, but showered money and acclaim upon him as well.
It's a memorable tale, but when I finally researched what really happened, I was surprised to discover that ice cream originates much earlier. The depraved Roman Emperor Nero (37-68 AD) enjoyed finely chipped mountain ice with fruit, according to a history of the dessert by The Ice Cream Information Network.
In the 13th century, Italian explorer Marco Polo returned from China with an ice-milk recipe that, over the years, improved with the genius of creative royal French and Italian chefs, evolving into flavored ices and sherbets, according to the Network, online at www.1-online-shopping.com/vip/food/ice-cream-history.htm.
Technical advances, like the use of ice mixed with salt to lower and control the temperature of the creamy mixture as it froze, and the invention of mechanical refrigeration, led to the development of modern ice cream. The world's first ice cream cone is credited to Charles E. Minches, of St. Louis, Mo., whose concoction became an instant hit at the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair, according to the Web site.
Even at high noon during one of those hellish summer days that are an infamous aspect of Florida living, ice cream makes you feel cool and composed. So, for those of you in need of a refreshing antidote, I would like to suggest a few places in the Bay area where you might experience subzero delicacies.
Dairy Kurl, Clearwater One of the Bay area's oldest ice cream stands, Dairy Kurl is on the cusp of its 50th anniversary, according to Larry and Al Wellman, second-generation owners. The Wellmans grew up helping their parents dispense ice cream at the little red-and-white-striped stand, a familiar sight to Clearwater residents who have patronized it through the years. It was known back in in its first incarnation as "King Kone."
Dairy Kurl's back lot boasts a lovely, lush grove of shady oaks where customers, slurping cool treats, find protection from the sun. On the menu are soft cones in vanilla, chocolate and strawberry flavors (small, $1.40; medium, $1.80; large, $2.25). The stand also sells six dips, including chocolate, cherry, butterscotch, chocolate peanut butter, toasted coconut and Key lime ($.40 extra); and freezes, shakes, malts, smoothies and sundaes.
Time Out Cafe, Dunedin This charming ice cream shop is distinctive because of its location along the Pinellas Trail. The 34-mile path is truly a paragon of outdoor beauty and one of the premier spots to jog, walk, hike, skate and bike in the Bay area, attracting more than 90,000 people a month, according to the Pinellas County Planning Commission.
The cafe sits along the trail, just south of Dunedin, and thus is a welcome sight to parched exercisers, who, for whatever cockeyed reason, are out there pumping in 90 degree heat, 90 percent humidity.
Picnic tables flank the little green and brown building, owned by Doug and Debbie Coolidge. It offers soft-serve in vanilla, chocolate and a twist of both (small, $1.50, large, $2); and hard ice cream in 11 flavors, everything from Kahlua to cherry cordial (one scoop, $1.75, two, $2.25). Just try to pick one of the 22 flavors of snow cone (small, $1.50, large, $2) — everything from tiger's blood (strawberry and pineapple), citrus (lemon and lime), to piña colada. If you're hungry, there are hot dogs (regular, $1.50, jumbo, $2.25), hamburgers ($2.50), veggie wraps ($3.95), brownies ($.55), chips ($.50) and bagels ($1.25).
Marble Slab Creamery, Ybor City: A new ice cream emporium in Centro Ybor, it is one of a small chain whose specialty is premium ice cream, freshly mixed with whatever accouterment you'd like, prepared before you on a marble slab maintained at a frosty 14 degrees F. The creamery rotates 39 flavors of really excellent hard ice cream, everything from amaretto to chocolate peanut butter, and dozens of toppings and mix-in choices, from Snickers pieces all the way to Gummi Bears ($.69 per topping).
The ice cream can be served in regular cones, or dropped into waffle cones that are made in-house, too — plain comes free with ice cream; dipped in white or dark chocolate ($.79), or dipped and rolled in chopped peanuts, Heath bar or Butterfinger crumbs or sprinkles ($.99).
We tested a banana split with six different toppings ($5.52). The store also stocks four flavors of nonfat frozen yogurt and makes fresh fruit smoothies, floats, sodas and sundaes, and icy gourmet coffee concoctions.
The ice cream is made fresh each day in every store — not in a factory, and that's why it tastes so rich and fresh.
Candies & Cones, St. Petersburg: Candies and Cones is inside The Pier, on the south side of the building, overlooking the bay. Order a strawberry-banana smoothie (12-ounce, $2.71) or one of 24 regular and eight sugar-free flavors of ice cream. The stand also sells soft, fat-free yogurt in four flavors, including chocolate, vanilla, a twist of chocolate-vanilla and butter pecan. We tried a kid's scoop of rocky road ice cream in a homemade waffle cone, dipped in chocolate and peanuts ($2.21). Along a whole wall of plastic containers are dozens of containers of candies, everything from chocolate covered peanuts to exotic bubble gums.
Ice cream is a natural for wandering around the Pier, as its portability is handy when you're riding the elevators up to the top deck. Up there, it's easy to beat the heat because it's one the coolest outdoor spots in town. There's almost always a breeze, and at night, even in the summer, it's comfortable.
Contact Sara Kennedy at sara.kennedy@weeklyplanet.com or call 813-248-8888, ext. 116.\\
This article appears in Jun 26 – Jul 2, 2002.