5 delicious ways to cool off this summer
It’s been a strange summer with lots of rain and some cooler days — like a spring that never quite turned it over, holding on for as long as it possibly could.
Still, there have been a handful of hot days that have left the pavement searing.
On those warmer days, there’s nothing better than cooling off with an ice cold delicious treat.
Options for feasting on these frigid, frosty refreshments abound — from ICEEs at the gas station to a couple of ice cream scoops at shops like Graeter’s or Cold Stone to a chilly Frappucino at the local Starbucks. On the weekend, nothing beats a trip out to Young’s Jersey Dairy.
Fortunately for all of us, there are no lack of opportunities to find something delicious to chill out with on a hot day.
Here are my top five favorite summer treats to cool off this year. It’s a short list I came up with based on flavor and singularity — a list of playful options that may not be the first to come to mind, but will satisfy and offer something just a little bit different.
Root beer float at The Rootbeer Stande
1727 Woodman Drive, Dayton
www.rootbeerstande. com, 937-640-1114
My No. 1 spot is so old school you’re going to feel like you took a time warp.
The Rootbeer Stande on Woodman isn’t the only place to get a root beer float in town, but I would argue it’s without question the best.
Drive up and wait for a waitress come out to take your order, and prepare to quench that thirst. There’s a large menu packed with enough fried food to leave you with a tummy ache for days, so go light, but you should definitely get something, right?
The menu is typical drive-in fare — burgers, dogs, a long list of sandwiches, but the “deep fried goodies” menu is where the treasure lies after you’ve ordered that incredible root beer float. The Rootbeer Stande sells root beer by the gallon and half-gallon so you could make it at home, but part of the experience is having it there. If you missed National Root Beer Float Day on Aug. 6, then you’re long overdue for a celebration. Go on, you’ve earned it.
Smoothie at Tropical Smoothie Cafe
Various locations, visit www.tropicalsmoothie. com/find-a-cafe to see all locations in a 25 miles radius
I’m a big fan of the 24ounce smoothies (plenty big enough to share) at Tropical Smoothie Cafe. It’s a quick stop if you’re hungry and don’t want to go to a fast food location. They can all be ordered without sweeteners or with Splenda and are refreshing with a medley of interesting flavors to choose from. The health nut smoothie made with blueberries, mango, banana, almonds and protein (soy, pea or whey) is a personal favorite. Alongside all of the classic flavors you’d expect to see, there are indulgent smoothies like the peanut butter cup, supercharged smoothies like the Triple Berry Oat and Superfood Smoothies like the Detox Island Green and Avocolada. Featured seasonal flavors including the Pearific Green Tea smoothie, made with pears, spinach, banana, matcha green tea, kale, basil, cucumber and lime. It is a tart punch of antioxidants. The Orange Ginger Glow made with mango, fresh ginger, green apple, pineapple, carrot and orange juice also hit the
spot on a hot day.
Handcrafted Ice Pops at Sweet P’s
At 2nd Street Market, 600 E. 2nd St., Dayton
www.sweetpicepops. 937-985-7086
These are not your grandma’s popsicles. These handcrafted ice pops are delicious, surprising, fresh and bright with a line of interesting flavors.
The water-based grapefruit, strawberry and kiwi/lime/ginger pops are always in rotation, with other flavors like strawberry/reisling pops, sweet cherry banana pops, peach, avocado, mango and blackberry pops coming in and out of the lineup.
Sea salt caramel, coffee latte and cookies and cream are regular dairybased pops with flavors like key lime pie, butter pecan, pistachio, birthday cake coconut, chocolate pudding and white strawberry peach balsamic rotating in and out. Selling at the 2nd Street Market, you can get these from 11 a.m.-3 p.m Thursdays and 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Fridays during the summer and 8 a.m.-3 p.m. year-round.
JD’s Old Fashioned Frozen Custard
322 Union Blvd., Englewood
www.jdcustard.com, 937-836-9219
There’s no question that ice cream is incredibly delicious, but frozen custard is where it’s at. All that butterfat and egg yolk makes for a smoother, creamier, thicker, richer experience.
The lemon custard at JD’s in Englewood is worth the trip alone not to mention the incredibly fun sundaes. The Pretzel Parfait (vanilla custard, caramel topping, crushed pretzels, hardened chocolate, whipped cream topped with a chocolate covered pretzel) and the Lemon Raspberry Cake (two pieces of Brandy flavored white cake, with a scoop of lemon custard, red raspberries, whipped cream and a cherry) are stand-outs, but nothing beats the Trash Can Sundae made with two flavors of custard, any two toppings, candies or nuts, whipped cream, crushed Oreo, candy eyes and a gummy worm, served up in a plastic take home container.
You can now purchase JD’s Frozen Custard at the Englewood Kroger Marketplace, but better to go to the source directly.
Fronana
27 W. First St., Dayton www.fronanaforlife.com The tagline to one of the newest downtown Dayton businesses is “no dairy, no gluten, no sugar, no guilt.”
It’s a vegan, glutenfree, healthy dessert alternative.
Because there is so much processed sugar it may very well take a visit or two to acclimate.
The portions are small, but for folks watching their waistline and their overall health, this is a great place to stop to cool down.
Ride around on the Link bikes, head to Riverscape and make a hearthealthy adventure of it.