Roll It Up Ice Cream - Doraville - Atlanta Georgia

You can find Roll It Up Ice Cream at 5150 Buford Hwy NE Ste D110, Atlanta, GA 30340 - I believe this is now part of Doraville. The shop is in the front of the Asian Square shopping center. This is a regular post-restaurant stop for my Buford Highway Clawr as it's in a convenient location and there are several restaurants neaby. For the uninitiated, the square is home of the Doraville location of Sweet Hut which most will recognize. There's generally plenty of parking out front of each business and overflow contained in the main market's parking, the exception is Sweet Hut which gets very crowded.The area immediately in front of Roll It Up is also often filled up but the short walk from another parking space is worth it.

Roll It Up is similar in concept to 8 Below, the popular ice cream shop down the street (there's also I CE NY across the street - that's three similar dessert shops within a mile of each other, so there's obviously demand - each has their own approach). Roll It Up does both the cream-on-chilled-platform AND nitrogen injection into Kitchen Aid mixing bowls so you can sample either technique. I've had both and my preference is with the roll-it-up style but frankly both are awesome and worth experiencing.

The interior of Roll It Up is brightly painted and has neon-like glowing effects in the lighting. You order at the counter after looking at a chalkboard menu. I've had the Funky Monkey, the Rolling Oreo, the Coffee & Cream, the Thaiphoon and the Matcha PiChu. I think I like the Coffee & Cream the best (Coffee and Oreo). Or you can choose from a handful of base flavors then add a mix (fruit, chocolate, peanut butter or Oreo) - $5.99 for the Roll It Up or $6.99 for the nitrogen-injection. You can add toppings or go with whip and chocolate sauce (the latter is on the counter). I usually add whip, sliced banana and chocolate sauce while John F gets the roasted marshmallows (they burn them using a torch).

Service is very good with a very efficient, friendly and patient staff behind the counter. You get to watch your ice cream being made so it's a bit of a show - part of the charm. They also have free WIFI - we like to sit outside if it's not too hot (there are a couple of tables). 

(also posted to Yelp)

8 Fahrenheit Ice Cream - Doraville - Atlanta Georgia

You can find 8 Fahrenheit Ice Cream at 5090 Buford Hwy Ste 101, Atlanta, GA 30340 in the southern end (to the left facing the plaza) - this is the Intown Plaza shopping center that's also the home of Tempo Doeloe and Spicy Ga Ga Duck. Frankly the parking is pretty tight and you will have a hard time finding a space in the designated parking lot on busy nights, although this has improved a bit as other "roll-it-up" style ice cream business has opened nearby. 

8 Fahrenheit Ice Cream was the first of this style ice cream shop of which I became aware in Atlanta - it's my understanding that there may have been others (or the reference may have been for the Duluth location? Not sure). With this style ice cream cream, fresh fruit, chocolate and a whole slew of other ingredients are chopped-up and mixed using broad-bladed drywall-style knives on a stainless steel top that's continually cooled with Nitrogen. The result is a delicious "fresh" ice cream that's rolled into tubes and fit into an ice cream pint. You typically choose the base and add whipped cream and toppings so you get a really delicious ice cream Sunday that's exemplified by the natural ingredients, instead of all the sugar and fat found in most US ice creams.

I've eaten at this location about a dozen times - it's a favorite for my regular Buford Highway "Clawr" group. The interior is modern-industrial with lots of natural finishes, wood-top tables and flooring. There's a menu to the right of the counter where you order, fast-casual style. The basic ingredients, chocolate sauce and three toppings are usually included in the single price. My favorites:

1. OMG - Green Tea and Oreo
2. Sexy Georgia - Thai Tea and Peach
3. Minions - Mango and Pineapple
4. Black Humor - Original, OREO, Brownie, Chocolate Sauce
5. Butter Pecan - Original, Almond Butter, Pecan

I usually add whip, slicked banana, pecans and chocolate syrup. My friend John F. likes to get the marshmallow, which is hit with a torch to give it that open-fired, roasted texture and flavor.

This is really my favorite style of ice cream - it doesn't hit you in the guy with sugar like the Gelato places and the fruit holds their its distinctive flavor. The walls are covered by post-it notes with short notes or doodles - not sure how that stated but it makes the place feel very well loved. The service here is very good - they're super efficient at getting you your order and you can tell they take great pride in their work.

(also posted to Yelp)

Butter and Cream - Decatur Atlanta Georgia

You can find Butter & Cream at 416 Church Street, Decatur, GA 30030, the block behind Leon's Full Service and across the street from the Decatur MARTA station. Parking is along the streets or in the occasional pay lot, but expect to pay even when parking on the streets (Decatur does have these terrific payment stations where you get notified when your parking is about to expire and can add time remotely). If it's not obvious, Butter and Cream is an ice cream shop.

If you haven't had Butter and Cream then you've basically passed up on an opportunity to have some of the best Ice Cream in Atlanta. This small local business is in the corner of the white brick building and may be a bit difficult to spot - Butter & Cream is on a black "cloud" sign above the window and and on a stylized ice cream cone to one side. There's a bright red park bench out front - there's also some park benches in the lot to the right where you can sit and enjoy this creamy goodness.

As you walk in you pass what's almost a gallery of local art including wall hangings and a really terrific starburst mirror, where the rays are made up of classic ice cream scoopers. A large chalkboard to the left is decorated, at least on this day, with an abstract mural that I liked quite a bit. You order at the counter to the back and right wall - there might be a line as this place is quite popular to locals and especially foot traffic.

And the ice cream? I was going to pass as we had just hit Makan down the street and I was full of ramen, but capitulated after seeing the selection.  I chose the Three Taverns Milk Chocolate Stout - how could I resist? It was super creamy, slightly bitter from the dark chocolate and delicious - so much so that I didn't get a photo of it (gone in a flash) - right when I was eating it I received an important call so I stood outside (in the rain/cold) and at my ice cream while talking on the phone - not enough hands to get that photo (sorry!).

The people behind the counter are awesome - super nice and you can tell that they love their product. You can thank me later.

-- John

(also posted to Yelp) 
 

Morelli's Gourmet Ice Cream and Desserts - Dunwoody Atlanta Georgia

You can find this location of Morelli's Gourmet Ice Cream and Desserts at 4514 Chamblee Dunwoody Dr, Atlanta, GA 30338. Morelli's shares the same space with Farm Burger in the same Georgetown Shopping center anchored by Kroger. Parking is out front or around the corner (but much easier to access from out front as this is a very busy shopping center).

Morelli's features some really interesting combinations that you won't typically find at other custom Ice Cream places - the product is super creamy with intense flavors, more like gelato than the stuff at Baskin Robbins. Of the local brands I rate this up there with Jenni's. The nice thing about this location is how they share the space with Farm Burger - it invites many options beyond your typical burger and fries solution to lunch - here you can order a nice milkshake or root beer float (Farm Burger has root beer on tap) or a boozy float (beer and ice cream - it may sound odd but with a nice stout it can be amazing).

Beyond your typical scoops Morelli's also offers malts and a few specialties like the Mexican Malt, the Mud Slide and the Chocolate Chimp. For Sundaes they have a really delicious Strawberry Pound Cake (and offer pound cake by itself as slices) and a Brownie Sundae that's very good. They also have an amazing Banana Split.

I tend to order ice creams with some type of nut or coconut ingredient and have been rewarded at Morelli's several times with combinations like the Pistachio Cherry - delicious. I also like their spicy ice creams like the Spicy Dark Chocolate (make sure you taste before selecting).

Service here is very personable so be patient when ordering. There's usually only one person behind the counter so it can get backed up a bit, but for the most part they haven't kept me waiting too long. So what are you waiting for? Load up on a delicious grass-fed burger and enjoy a scoop to top off an amazing lunch!

-- John

(Also posted to Yelp)