We’ve rounded up 58 spots for all manner of frozen treats—not just ice cream but everything from gelato to fro-yo, including Taiwanese shaved “snowflake ice” and even soft-serve, with delivery, for your pooch.
Bellezza Gelato Caffe When I paid a visit to this Harlem Avenue cafe it was so hot outside that everything was melting. Even so, my scoop of banana-caramel-praline gelato was one of the best I’ve had outside Italy. My second scoop—butter pecan—was just as good, with whole pecans sprinkled liberally throughout. There’s wide selection of gelati—for chocolate lovers there are two different choices, double-Dutch chocolate and dark chocolate-raspberry tartufo—as well as superaffordable coffee drinks and pastries. 1-9 PM Tue-Sat, 5-9 PM Sun, 3637 N. Harlem, 773-545-1239, bellezzagelato.com. —Sam Kaplan
Caffe Gelato This sleek family-run Ukrainian Village spot offers 18 seasonally rotated flavors, including bacio (chocolate hazelnut), frutti di bosco (berries), ananas (pineapple), and panna cotta. You can mix flavors or get your gelato fix in the form of a shake with a shot of espresso. 10 AM-10 PM Sun-Thu, 10 AM-11 PM Fri-Sat, 2034 W. Division, 773-227-7333, caffegelatochicago.com. —Susannah J. Felts
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Cherubs This comfortable Logan Square deli and coffee shop has a cold case of Breyer’s in 16 mostly pedestrian flavors like chocolate and a not overly sweet strawberry, plus a coffee bar, sandwiches, fountain creations like a lovely coconut and pineapple smoothie served in a coconut-shell bowl, and a shifting menu of soups. Noon-8 PM Sun, 11 AM-8 PM Mon-Sat, 2524 W. Fullerton, 773-235-8103. —Tasneem Paghdiwala
Cloud 9 The production of the Taiwanese frozen sweet xua hua bing (“snowflake ice”)—a bowl of thin, mounded ribbons of sweet, soft, rapidly melting ice shaved at high speed from a spinning frozen cylinder—is an entertainment unto itself, and this Lincoln Park spot is so far the only place in town to offer it. Three to four monthly flavors can be topped by any combination of syrups, fruit purees, chopped nuts, or fresh fruit. Noon-10 PM Sun-Thu, noon-11 PM Fri-Sat, with the possibility of expanded hours come summer, 604 W. Belmont, 773-857-1255, cloud9chicago.com. —Mike Sula
Edzo’s Burger Shop Burger places—and along with them hand-cut fries and shakes—are ubiquitous lately, but this Evanston storefront offers standout “$5 shakes”—usually just $4—including a chocolate-banana number and a Nutella malt, topped with whipped cream and a cherry. 10:30 AM-4 PM Sun, Tue-Sat; 1571 Sherman, Evanston, 847-864-3396, edzos.com. —Kate Schmidt
Gyood! New storefront offering lactose- and cholesterol-free soft-serve ice cream that’s supposed to be good for you; frozen desserts especially for Fido are also available. And they deliver. 1-11 PM Mon-Thu, 1 PM-midnight Fri, 11 AM-midnight Sat, 11 AM-11 PM Sunday, 2048 W. Belmont, 773-360-8810, gyoodsoftserve.com.
