It’s summer, which in my neighborhood means it’s time for Zesto! 

Friends and I send each other breaking news texts when we see the signs go up in the spring with an opening dates for the seven locations across the area, or a frantic last call alert when they post that the end of season is looming. I know summer has officially begun once I’ve had a birthday cake razzle, with sprinkles of course.

When I was growing up, ice cream options in Fort Wayne were limited. Besides Zesto!, we had Dairy Queen, Baskin-Robbins, and let’s all raise a spoon in tribute to the gone but not forgotten Atz’s Ice Cream Shoppe. That was about it. 

But these days, options abound. 

I was astonished to discover how many choices we have around here, with something for everyone craving a cool sweet treat. 

No Sleep till Brooklyn

Nestled in the heart of Fort Wayne’s West Central Neighborhood, Brooklyn Pints Microcreamery is developing a reputation for creating outside-the-box flavors plus a large selection of vegan offerings. 

I’ll be honest, I was a little skeptical about vegan ice cream, but the coffee cake flavor called to me and now I am singing its praises. The texture was slightly — emphasis on slightly — different than traditional dairy ice cream, but I think that was more about the cinnamon streusel coffee cakeness rather than the oat milk base. 

My ice cream sampling partner had vegan chocolate peanut butter, and it was very creamy and delicious. We will definitely be making return trips. 

It’s cozy inside, so best to go there on a day when you would be happy to sit outside or have your ice cream on the go. They are great about posting on their Facebook page what their current hours and flavors are. 

Back to the Future

Rusty’s Ice Cream on Lima Road in White Swan Plaza was a place I had not even heard of. But when a friend told me that visiting the ’80s-themed shop was like “walking into a Trapper Keeper,” I knew I had to pay them a visit. 

Gen X, you will enjoy this. It is kitschy retro fun, with every tabletop an homage to a movie poster or record album, bright colors everywhere, and of course ’80s videos playing on a TV in the corner. There’s even blacklight decorations in the restroom.

Even the flavors give a nod to my formative decade, including Milli Vanilla, Chocodile Dundee, and Magnum P.B. 

Of course, none of this matters unless the ice cream is good, and I’m happy to report that it is! We tried the Oreo Speedwagon Sundae and Homer’s Cookie D’oh-lilah Sundae. Even the sundaes had a nostalgic feel to them, packed with toppings, with whipped cream and a cherry on top. 

Rusty’s has their ice cream made for them by an Indiana creamery, and they actively participate in developing their own flavors. With a friendly staff and a pile of board games, this is a place to hang out while you enjoy your ice cream.

Road trip

Sometimes summer days call out for a little bit of a road trip, and ice cream is the perfect reason to jump in the car and visit a neighboring community. 

One afternoon we meandered over to Huntington to check out Antiqology. As the name implies, it is an antique store, but it also has the largest selection of craft soda in the Midwest, and oh hey, on top of that they serve up delicious ice cream. 

Their ice cream comes from a small-batch creamery in Michigan, and they specialize in flavors that are a little bit extra. No plain old mint chocolate chip for them. 

Antiqology’s fudge mint cookie is mint ice cream with chocolate-covered mint cookie balls, Andes mints, and a chocolate cookie fudge swirl. (Note to self: get that next time.) In addition to hard-scooped ice cream and milkshakes, their menu has ice cream sandwiches made to order (Note to self: get that next time) and ice cream nachos (Note to self: get that next time). 

What I did have was the peanut butter brownie (creamy peanut butter ice cream packed with fudgy brownies and drizzled with caramel) in a waffle cone, and all I have to say is note to self: get that again sometime. 

Your Friendly neighborhood Fox

The Friendly Fox on South Wayne Avenue is indeed a friendly neighborhood eatery with sandwiches and salads and a case full of beautiful baked goods, but did you know that they also make their own ice cream? I did not! 

Their menu had an abundance of milkshakes, so that’s where we focused our attention. 

I opted for the confetti cookie shake, while my ice cream partner had the monster shake, which had butterscotch, chips, M&Ms, Oreo pieces, and more. The shakes were abundant and smooth. I want their blender! 

You know how sometimes you drink a shake and it’s too thick at first to suck it through the straw? Or you can drink it, but bits of cookie or whatever is in your shake get lodged in said straw? Nope, none of that was happening. It tasted like a thick, luxurious milkshake, but it was drinkable from the word go. 

I watched them put whole pieces of cookie into mine, and I could taste the cookie flavor, but there was no grittiness, no annoying chunks got stuck — it was simply creamy deliciousness. 

But wait, there’s more

Some other specialty highlights: 

The Stand in Waynedale has soft-serve vegan ice cream, along with dairy treats, Coney dogs, and more.

Sweets on Main in downtown Fort Wayne offers an ice cream flight of six mini scoops for those who just can’t make up their mind. 

The Local Apple Cart at Electric Works has boozy ice cream — yep, you read that right! 

Sweet Monster on Lima Road specializes in rolled ice cream, where a liquid ice cream base is spread very thin onto an extremely cold metal surface along with various toppings, then scraped up into tightly wound rolls. You literally get to watch them make your ice cream on the spot — think of it as dinner and a show. And the portions are large, so if you’re an ice cream for dinner person, there you go. 

Next on the list

Next time you’re craving a sweet treat consider venturing to a new spot you haven’t tried before. 

My friends tease me that I stay in my “bubble” within a certain radius of my house, but all of these options meet my “worth driving across town for” standard. 

Did your favorite not make this list? 

Oh Five Scoop Shop, Just Cream Ice Cream Boutique, La Michoacana, Kilwin’s, Moose & Mollie’s Cafe & Gelato in Roanoke, and Joe’s Ice Cream in Syracuse, I see you. 

Clearly the Fort Wayne ice cream scene has grown substantially, and there’s only so much ice cream one writer can eat on a deadline!