A scoop of ice cream has its charms (as evidenced right here), however tender serve mixes nostalgia and self-direction with the precision of a twirled tower of chocolate and vanilla. A number of Seattle places, from specialty outlets to eating places, increase this straightforward pleasure of childhood with sprinkles, onerous shells, even the occasional taiyaki cone. Dip into our favorites under.
Matcha Man Ice Cream and Taiyaki
Georgetown
A trendy (and busy) vacation spot for flair-enhanced tender serve combos and freshly made taiyaki. These Japanese muffins formed like open-mouth fish double as cones for gravity-defying swirls of black sesame, strawberry Dole Whip, or ube and vanilla swirl (although you may as well request your taiyaki on the facet so you’ll be able to get pleasure from it heat, with out concern of your tender serve toppling when you eat it). Matcha Man started as a popup, however now could be the one tender serve store on the town with a Dozfy mural and a DJ sales space; the employees guides guests by way of the four-step course of of selecting your most well-liked cone, topping, drizzle, and swirl combo.
Spice Waala
Ballard, Capitol Hill, Columbia Metropolis
A vacation spot for Indian avenue additionally presents a rotating tender serve program that interprets these vivid flavors into frozen kind. All three places provide flavors like pistachio and cardamom, mango lassi, paan, and watermelon and fennel. Comfortable serve comes by the cup.
The Pastry Mission
Pioneer Sq.
Molly Moon’s alums Emily Kim and Heather Hodge devise some really pleasant income streams to assist fund their pastry coaching program. Together with a Friday–Sunday tender serve window, disbursed from the dutch door at their kitchen in Pioneer Sq., the place housemade toppings like coconut cake crumbs or a salty peanut brittle crumble filter nostalgia by way of some very gifted baking minds. By all means, gild that chocolate or vanilla lily with some onerous shell topping—chocolate, butterscotch, and a memorable strawberry-passionfruit combo—or some malty scorching fudge or sticky toffee sauce.
Nana’s Inexperienced Tea
Bellevue, Denny Regrade
Because the identify implies, matcha dominates the menu at this Japanese-based dessert and snack store. Amid the matcha parfaits, matcha muffins, and matcha cream puffs lies an array of sentimental serve sundaes, waffle cone swirls garnished with issues like purple bean paste, jelly mochi, even a wedge of chocolate cake. The store builds these creations round two flavors of sentimental serve—vanilla and…you guessed it.
Milk Drunk
Beacon Hill
The soft-serve window at Homer was so beloved, the house owners of the Beacon Hill restaurant made this swirly dessert a centerpiece of their follow-up bar. Right here, six flavors await swirls, waffles cones, your alternative of onerous shell (peanut butter, chocolate, or caramel), and a bevy of toppings, from fancy cherries to crushed-up potato chips. Vanilla and malted chocolate tender serve stay staples, however different specials channel the seasonal Mediterranean vibe over at Homer, like banana cardamom, rosemary and pear, vegan rainier cherry, or fig leaf and coconut. In the meantime, Homer’s window down the road continues to dispense its personal considerate flavors.
Kakigori Dessert Cafe
Kirkland, Tukwila
There’s a cause the spoons that include the tender serve are formed like tiny shovels. This pair of counter-service spots provide elaborately bedecked lineup of bingsoo, honey toast, and Thai tea concoctions. The tender serve portion of the menu could look restrained in contrast with, say, a shaved ice confection served in a hollowed-out melon. However a hefty swirl and toppings like mango and sticky rice or a slice of corn on the cob pack taste, texture, and a play of cold and warm.
Moto
Belltown, Edmonds, West Seattle
This rabidly beloved vacation spot for Detroit-style pizza presents precisely one taste of sentimental serve: vanilla. However it’s piped by way of a hard-to-find machine that edges every frosty white serving together with your alternative (or two selections) of taste and shade. All of the sudden that single order turns into laced with butter pecan, black cherry, strawberry and pina colada, or chocolate and mint. The entire expertise is novel, tasty, and much more enjoyable when served in certainly one of Moto’s candy-dusted “pipe cones”—basically a cylinder of sugary baked dough.
GoPoké
Chinatown–Worldwide District, Tukwila
The brothers, and Hawaiian transplants, behind one of many city’s finest poke outlets maintain the island vibes going with contemporary, uncooked fish—but in addition a complete dessert menu of shave ice, mochi, and pineapple Dole Whip. The latter is refreshing by itself, even higher upgraded right into a float, sprinkled with li hing mui and garnished with a couple of oversize gummy bears. A “pina dolada” takes issues even additional with a topping of coconut cream and extra coconut sprinkled on prime.
Rachel’s Ginger Beer
Capitol Hill, Denny Regrade, Pike Place Market, College Village
The quartet of ginger beer bars hopped on the Dole Whip prepare early; every of the 4 places serves the famed pineapple tender serve in addition to basic vanilla. Flip both right into a float together with your alternative of RGB taste (and booze, in the event you’re into it) however don’t underestimate the charms of a easy cup of sentimental serve topped with chunks of Hey Robin chocolate chip cookies. Different toppings embody peanut butter cups, Oreos, and nerds—ooh, and sprinkles are complimentary.
