All Over Albany

Crisan

You have one or two choices.

Why
Crisan sells a scoop of its housemade gelato $1. It's not a big scoop, but it's enough. And did we mention it's just a buck?

Try this
The tiramisu gelato -- it really does taste like that. Also, don't sleep on the beautiful European-style pastries here.

Find it
197 Lark Street
Albany, NY 12210
phone: (518) 445-2727

Emack & Bolio's

Deep Purple Cow. Moo.

Why
E&B's brings together quality ice cream and funky flavors. We think it's a better version of Ben and Jerry's.

Try this
Deep Purple Cow (black raspberry ice cream with white and dark chocolate chips and blueberries), an "Albany Egg" cream, doggie sundae (scoop of frozen yogurt and a dog biscuit) for your pup.

Find it
366 Delaware Ave
Albany, NY 12209
phone: (518) 512-5100
website: http://ebalbany.com/

Kurver Kreme

The opening for the season every year is like the unofficial start of Spring

Why
A great example of the open-only-in-the-summer, stand-in-the-parking-lot, soft-serve place. It's a quintessential summer experience.

Try this
The vanilla/orange sherbet swirl cone -- it's like kind of like a creamsicle. And we can pretty much always go for a cone dipped in chocolate.

Find it
1349 Central Ave
Albany, NY 12205
phone: (518) 459-4120

Moxie's

It's like a world tour in a dish.

Why
Moxie's makes six different vanilla ice creams. Nothing in them, just vanilla. And they all have their own unique flavor.

Try this
The Around the World vanilla sampler, with all the vanillas (and a scoop of Blue Moon in the middle). It's really interesting to taste how terroir influences the taste of the vanilla. We especially like the the Mexican and Tahitian varieties.

Find it
1344 Spring Ave
Wynantskill, NY 12198
phone: (518) 283-4901

Snow Man

Berry, berry good.

Why
It looks like just another neighborhood soft-serve joint, but they make their own ice cream here. And it might be the best in the Capital Region. It's smooth and dense thanks to its high milkfat.

Try this
The black raspberry -- all that smoothness with a nice berry flavor.

Find it
531 5th Ave
Troy, NY 12182

The Ice Cream Man

Bobby Flay was no match for this sundae.

Why
Housemade ice cream that was good enough to beat Bobby Flay.

Try this
The Throwdown Sundae (or Granny Apple Sundae), the ice cream and apple pie combination that won on the Food Network's Throwdown. Also, the ginger ice cream is great.

Find it
417 State Route 29
Greenwich, NY 12834
phone: (518) 692-8382
website: http://www.the-ice-cream-man.com/

Toll Gate

It's peanut butter jelly time!

Why
It was Friendly's before there was such a thing as Friendly's.

Try this
The peanut butter and jelly ice cream -- it tastes exactly like that.

Find it
1569 New Scotland Rd
Slingerlands, NY 12159
phone: (518) 439-9824