Shawn Michelle’s in Bronzeville makes fantastic ice cream, with creative flavors that are interesting without seeming like they’re trying too hard - like honey-cinnamon graham cracker (which has a perfect balance of crackers and honey), the rich and creamy banana pudding, or the Delta, which tastes like an oddly satisfying creamy Kool-aid. And though handmade ice cream can sometimes have an issue with ice crystals, you won’t find that here - it’s all smooth and rich.

A cone of pineapple creamsicle gelato with a little paper umbrella at Ciao Ciao perfectly encapsulates what summer feels like. While all of the silky gelato at this Italian cafe doesn't necessarily taste like a Slip N’ Slide feels, each flavor will be rich and intense in a good way. Nothing is artificial or too sweet, like apple pie which is lightly cinnamony and not cloying. Be prepared for some decision paralysis—the Portage Park shop offers 46 flavors from a stable of 120.

As your coworker who went to Italy five years ago constantly reminds you, gelato is wonderful and “way better than ice cream.” That person is annoying, but occasionally right, and Paulo in West Town proves their theory. The gelato here has an unbelievably velvety texture, and a variety of flavors like pistachio brimming with intense nuttiness, sweet and salty dulce de leche, and cookies and cream that makes us weep tears of joy.

Scooter’s also serves frozen custard that’s made fresh daily. It’s usually a lot busier than Lickity, and the interior isn’t quite as cute - but they have a convenient walk-up window, and the custard is thick and delicious. Get the PB&J concrete: vanilla custard blended with liquid peanut butter and black raspberry topping. Then plan to make room in your kitchen for all the “liquid peanut butter” you’ll be ordering from Amazon.

Jeni’s is originally from Ohio and there are a lot of locations in Chicago. We’re glad since the ice cream here is outstanding. It’s rich and creamy, plus everything is made from scratch. And while you can buy pints of Jeni’s all over the place nowadays, the scoop shops are where you can find their homemade waffle bowls. The staple flavors are very good, but we like the limited edition ones best, like the churro, with cinnamon ice cream and actual churro pieces blended in.

Does vegan soft serve taste just like cow’s milk soft serve? No, and we’re not going to pretend it does. But it can still be rich and delicious, as proven by Vaca’s Creamery in Bucktown. This vegan ice cream shop’s oat milk-based soft serve is smooth,creamy, anda perfect base for their plant-friendly sundaes - like the s’mores sundae topped with cinnamon cookie crumble, toasted marshmallows, and fudge sauce. But one of the best things here is their housemade gluten-free waffle cone.

Black Dog has our favorite gelato in Chicago. It’s incredibly smooth, and there are a variety of interesting flavors, like pretzel Nutella and olive-oil almond (our absolute favorite is the goat cheese cashew caramel). Just keep in mind that since everything is made fresh daily, they might run out of what you’re looking for.

There are a few La Michoacanas in Chicago, but the location we really like is in Pilsen. It has a drive-thru (much appreciated this year), the staff is friendly, and they have great paletas and regular ice cream. The treats here are very sweet, perfect for when you want a dessert that tastes like dessert because not everyone wants their treats to taste like goat cheese or earl grey tea. Our favorite is the cajeta ice cream.

Located on Michigan Avenue across from the Art Institute, it’s tempting to write off Amorino as yet another tourist trap. Partly because it is—it’s constantly mobbed with tourists stopping in the doorway to take pictures. Plus it’s an international chain. But in fact, the beautifully-presented gelato is very good. Maybe it’s the allure of unusual options like bergamot or mandarin orange and cherry, or the fact that you can get an unlimited number of flavors piled into a single scoop.

Lickity Split is a retro-style sweets and ice cream shop in Edgewater that makes its own frozen custard fresh every day. There are only three flavors (chocolate, vanilla, and a specialty flavor that rotates every few weeks), all of which are fine on their own. But you need to order one of the concretes - i.e. custard blended with mix-ins. There’s a long list of things to choose from (like cheesecake pieces and pretzels), along with pre-designed combinations like the Scarlet’s Last Fall.