Frozen Friday: Gelato at Your Door

By: Camilla Brandfield-Harvey

We're in for a long, hot summer. So to stave off heat stroke, we're bringing you our favorite summer treats each week as part of Frozen Friday, giving you the scoop on our favorite ice-cold recipes and party ideas to help you stay cool all summer long.

These days, the longest lines are for a scoop of ice cream. But some of the country's best shops ship pints right to your door. From the old hacks to the newcomers, we found seven gelaterias, parlors and shops currently packaging pints to send your way.

1. Dolcezza: Available by mail-order starting today, this D.C.-based gelateria uses only local ingredients for their Argentinian gelato. The company offers six collections of four pints, including "Virginia Bounty" with fruity flavors like Blueberry Lemon Thyme and Strawberry Tarragon (pictured above) and "Nostalgic Wintertime" with pints like Georgia Butter Pecan and Peanut Butter Stracciatella flavors. One big frozen fiesta is about to commence in the Capitol.

2. Salt & Straw: A "farm-to-cone" ice cream shop, this Portland, OR creamery churns all-natural, 17% butterfat ice cream. They'll ship you a five-pint pack of favorites, including their Stumptown Coffee & Bourbon, and Almond Brittle and Salted Ganache flavors, or a seasonal selection of berry-packed varieties, such as their Strawberry with Cilantro Lime Cheesecake and Goat Cheese Marionberry Habanero. Or go wild, selecting an assortment as intriguing as their combinations.

3. Ben & Bill's Chocolate Emporium: The New England candy and ice cream shop is best known for its signature Lobster Ice Cream, a butter-flavored ice cream with cooked lobster mix-ins. You can sample the lobster or many of their other flavors via cross-country (and sometimes international) shipping.

4. Ted Drewes Frozen Custard: Opened in Florida in 1929, moved to St. Louis in 1931 and never franchised since, Ted Drewes is a Southern institution with a 10% butterfat custard that is smoother than traditional ice cream. They'll ship 15 mini concretes or 8 pints nationally. If you live closer to St. Louis, save big by having your custard sent via UPS Ground.

5.  Gelato Greco: At Gelato Greco in Chicago, any customer can watch the chefs create gelato from scratch with all-natural, organic ingredients. If you aren't able to witness their craft, Gelato Greco will ship pints of gelato and sorbet to any continental US state. Choose from options like Bacon Maple, Wildflower Honey or Chocolate Orange, among others.

6. Il laboratorio del gelato: Deemed "the Lab," where chefs and caterers can experiment for their menus, this New York gelateria has over 200 gelato and sorbet flavors in such diverse flavors like Chocolate Amaretto Crunch gelato and Grapefruit Hibiscus sorbet. Stock up for the season with a gift pack of four 20-ounce containers, including Basil Mascarpone or Grapefruit Campari flavors shipped nationally.

7. Cloud 10 Creamery: This Houston-based shop has Smoked Corn, Cardamom Cream Cheese and Hazelnut Miso on their summer menu by acclaimed pastry chef Chris Leung. Not only does Cloud 10 source to some of Houston's hottest restaurants but the shop can also ship pints of Nutella Marshmallow and Malted Barley with Raisin Jam, among many others, to "virtually any address in the world."

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