Mr. Foodie: SW Utah Restaurant Reviews

By Andy Margles

Hi. My name is Foodie, and I am an ice-cream-oholic. When I first arrived in the area, almost seven years ago, I was not sure if I could live in a land of fast-food, frozen custards and supermarket ice creams. I needed something better to feed my lifelong habit, but other than the gelato at Harmons, there was nothing really great available in the area. Oh, the horror!

Flash forward to today. The local, premium ice-cream scene has virtually exploded with the addition of two Utah creameries, Alumni and Snelgrove’s and another from Northeast Ohio, Handel’s. These three, plus the incredible gelato (Italy’s upscale version of ice cream) from Harmons, now make up the “cream of the crop” of the local, frozen dessert market. As my everexpanding waistline can attest, I tried them all, so you don’t have to. The sacrifices I make for you readers…

Harmons, (two locations) imports all of their gelato ingredients directly from Italy and then combines them in-house. Having visited Italy, I can attest that the gelato at Harmons tastes just as good as any we had there. As a plus, gelato is less fattening than ice cream, having more milk but less cream. However, because gelato is churned at a slower speed than ice cream, it has less air and thus is denser. End of science lesson.

If that all sounds confusing, I promise that if you like ice cream, you will LOVE gelato. If you already love gelato, Harmons’ version is about as good as it gets. The store carries around a dozen flavors daily, plus a few sorbets. It is sold by several minicup sizes, pints, and quarts. It can be pricey. There is in-store seating.

When I saw the Handel’s sign appear one day on Bluff Street, I almost drove my car off the road! Being a former kid from Cleveland, Ohio, I was familiar with and loved this chain, as it started in nearby Youngstown. Their product is made fresh daily, in-store and they have forty-five flavors on-hand, including some tasty, vegan choices. Handel’s is justifiably famous for having a lot of “stuff” in their ice cream. For example, black cherry ice cream has huge, whole cherries in it, while butter pecan is loaded with whole nuts. Sold by quarts, pints, cones, and cups. There is no inside seating, but there are benches outside.

Alumni Creamery, on S 3000 E, comes to us from BYU, where it originated and from where the product is shipped. They have about thirty flavors, including the best-selling Graham Canyon and Raspberry Cream Cheese. The unusual ice cream flavors and lusciousness of the product are simply outstanding! While they do not sell pints or quarts, they do have a six-scoop sampler, as well as cones/cups. They also have considerable table seating inside.

Snelgrove Ice Cream, E Brigham Road, is owned by descendants of the Snelgrove family, who started the eponymous ice cream store in Salt Lake City. This new location even uses many of the original recipes from the former iconic shop. Snelgrove makes their premium ice cream in extremely small batches and has fewer flavors (16) to choose from than the other ice cream shops. It may very well have the creamiest tasting product of the bunch, which is really impressive. Some of their interesting flavors include Burnt Almond Fudge, Blueberry Goat Cheese, and Raspberry Oreo. They are sold by pints, cones, and cups and there is some table and bench seating.

Verdict: My personal favorite is Handel’s because they have the biggest selection. Their ice cream has an overabundance of nuts and fruits, and they are the most cost-effective (by purchasing by the quart). However, if you are an ice cream connoisseur, you will absolutely be thrilled with any of these four places! Which one you choose may well have more to do with its location, or the particular flavors it carries, than the quality of its offerings.

RESTAURANT NEWS: Kaiseki Sushi and Jay Bird’s Nashville Hot Chicken opened at the mall in mid-May. Stay tuned for future reviews on them, if warranted.

Agree? Disagree? Found a great new place? I can be reached at Andymargles@gmail.com.

All suggestions, opinions, and feedback are solely the responsibility of the reviewer and not SunRiver St George Community Association