There are dozens of yummy ice cream shops to scream for in Greater Hartford, but there aren’t many that also make their own ice cream.
Many ice cream shops sell the warm weather treat from wholesale companies or from other shops that make their own ice cream.
But there are some who take it to the “homemade” level of taste and freshness.
It’s costly to make ice cream these days — especially with today’s rising prices — and it’s time consuming too, ice cream experts say.
But when it’s made in house there’s love swirled in there as well, and there’s no topping that.
Here’s a look at 5 Greater Hartford ice cream places that make their own:
Mortensen Dairy Ice Cream, 3145 Berlin Turnpike, Newington
Owner Rodney Mortensen has said the price of ingredients has doubled and in some cases tripled in recent years, but he will never cut corners on making the family ice cream, voted the best in the Hartford Courant’s Annual Best of Hartford 2023.
“We can’t say we’re the best ever because that sounds boastful,” Mortensen has said. “Even though we’re No. 1 we try to be even better.”
The dairy business was started by his dad, Elmer Mortensen in 1915, when it was milk delivery in Hartford via horse and wagon.
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A photo of Mortensen Dairy Ice Cream founder Elmer Mortensen at age 16, when he started the business by delivering milk door-to-door in 1915. (Aaron Flaum/Hartford Courant)
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A photo of Mortensen Dairy Ice Cream founder Elmer Mortensen at age 16, when he started the business by delivering milk door-to-door in 1915. (Aaron Flaum/Hartford Courant)
Elmer always wanted to make ice cream and that happened nearly 48 years ago when the family sold their store made ice cream out of their Mortensen’s Dairy Restaurant for decades.
Ten years ago they went to exclusively selling ice cream and offers about 60 flavors.
They’ve gotten to the top using the best and freshest ingredients, Rodney Mortensen has said. He said 95 percent of their ice cream is all natural. A few flavors, such as cotton candy, adored by kids can’t be made naturally, he said.
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The banana ice cream is made with chunks of banana ripened to the perfect state, as are their in season strawberry and blueberry ice creams. They even have a cinnamon churro flavor with chunks of churro.
They locally source as many ingredients as possible and, “We use the best cream in New England,” he has said.
“I taste every batch,” Mortensen has said.
The best part about the business, he said, are the customers, who are like family.
He has said with pride, they’ve employed over “1,000 kids.”
Mortensen’s is open every day of the year except Christmas, Easter and Thanksgiving. Their current hours are 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
Frisbie’s Dairy Barn, 951 Farmington Ave., New Britain
The dairy bar was started by Michael Frisbie in 2015 and sold to one time manager/college student Paul Parks III and his dad, Paul Parks Jr. in 2020.
The younger Parks has said of the business, “There’s a lot to love about it.”
Frisbie’s has about 30 rotating flavors and in 2021 expanded to four more locations: Bloomfield, Parkville Market in Hartford, Rhode Island and Massachusetts.
“We feel strongly about making the best ice cream with the best ingredients,” Parks III has said. “I love the opportunity to serve the community. The customers when they come here are always happy to be here.”
Parks III, a business management graduate of Nichols College in Massachusetts, has said the New Britain shop is located just down the road from Central Connecticut State University.
“The students are great customers and even better staff,” he said.
One of Frisbie’s most popular offerings is Blue Devil Cookie Monster ice cream – a nod to CCSU.
It’s a blue vanilla ice cream with Oreo and chocolate chip cookies. Another popular flavor is raspberry cheesecake.
During warmer months they’re open seven days a week from noon to 10 p.m. and generally – depending on weather – close in December and January.
On National Ice Cream Day July 16, they’ll carry on their tradition of being open 24 hours straight from midnight to midnight. The line is generally around the building at the stroke of midnight that day, Parks said.
Grassroots Ice Cream, 4 Park Place, Granby
Brandon Pappalardo, an owner of Grassroots Ice Cream, has said he can tell by their eyes that people “know the difference between ice cream that’s pre-packaged and the “homemade” kind his eatery makes.
“You see it in their eyes. You see that pause for a moment and you can tell they’re thinking, ‘This is what it’s supposed to taste like.”‘ he has said.
Pappalardo and his brother-in-law, Mark Sproule, took ownership a little more than a year ago of the well-established ice cream spot and accompanying eatery, Deep Roots Street Food.
It’s that time of year when the lines are out the door at the ice cream place known for its unusual flavors, such as goat cheese with homemade blackberry jam, honey lavender and salted licorice.
At Grassroots it is, “as homemade as you can get,” Pappalardo has said. The brand’s hashtag is “wicked good.”
They taste test the ice cream three times a various stages, including after its frozen. If a batch doesn’t pass muster for some reason, it’s not used.
“To do homemade is a labor of love. You’re not going to do it all right all the time,” he has said. “We’re particular about the homemade ice cream.”
Grassroots offers about 35 flavors at a time.
Robb’s Farm Ice Cream Shop, 91 Wassuc Road, South Glastonbury
Robb Armando and his family have been selling ice cream on their farm since 2001, but in 2005 started making the ice cream themselves.
What a difference that personal touch has made in sales of the summer time treat.
“It seems like every night’s a good night,” in terms of business, he has said. “We work hard to put out a high quality ice cream.”
There is a 70-acre farm with hay, fresh eggs, and a handful of animals, including donkeys, goats, horses and ducks. The farm has been in the family since 1905.
With the picnic tables, it’s a perfect setting, people tell him, for eating ice cream.
“People like the atmosphere of the farm and the quality of the product,” the latter of which is high in butterfat, making it creamy, he has said.
Armando has said he loves that the ice cream and farm brings a smile to such a variety of people – “from the biker pulling in on a Harley to a little kid getting sprinkles.”
“When they’re walking out they’re happy and that’s the nicest part,” he has said. “We just want to make everybody happy all the time.”
Their original ice cream flavors have cutesy farm themed names such as: Cow Pies, Donkey Tails, Gravel Road Llama Delight, Tractor Grease.
Their most popular is Dirty Barn Shoes – chocolate ice cream with fudge swirl and crushed chocolate cookies.
Another fan favorite is Goat Tracks – vanilla ice cream with peanut butter swirl, mini peanut butter cups and chocolate chip.
The ice cream windows are open May 1 to around Halloween.
During ice cream season their windows are open Tuesday through Thursday 4 to 7 p.m. and Friday, Saturday, Sunday from noon to 8 p.m.
The hours vary off season with some days reserved for egg and ice cream quart drive through sales.
Tulmeadow Farm Store ice cream, 255 Farms Village Road (Route 308), West Simsbury
Tulmeadow Farm has been in Don Tuller’s family since 1768 producing dairy and produce along the way, but today it’s the family’s own ice cream that rules.
“People love our ice cream. It put us on the map,” Tuller has said. “Ice cream has become the biggest think we do.”
The farm transitioned out of dairy to vegetables, but have a farm store where they carry a variety of produce and other products, including the ice cream. They’ve been making ice cream since 1984.
“People don’t cook as much as they used to. Produce is stable,” but sales haven’t gone up, he has said.
Tulmeadow Farm makes more than 60 ice cream flavors, but scoop about 22 at a time. They also carry many vegan varieties, thanks to daughter, Emily, as well as sherbet and sorbet.
The “scoops” are seasonal and run from around April 15 to Oct. 30. from noon to 9 p.m.
Suzie Hunter / Hartford Courant
Left to right: red raspberry chocolate chip, orange pineapple, and peppermint stick ice cream made at Tulmeadow Farms.
He has said the farm has a pleasant atmosphere and there’s a walking trail where customers can burn off some of the calories.
“Our goal is to make really good ice cream so people come back,” Tuller said. “Ice cream is a happy product, so people are generally in a good mood when they come to us.”
Tuller said he loves the “community aspect” of the attention the farm gets.
“People drive by us and the Simsbury they remember is still here,” Tuller has said.
