We All Scream

For These Top Local Ice Cream Shops

You know you want it. Everyone does. Especially on a hot, sunny summer day. Sweet, creamy, smooth, velvety, cold, crunchy, fruity, chocolatey—however you enjoy your ice cream, Lynchburg has plenty of outrageous options.

As a self-professed foodie who is always checking out new additions to the local restaurant scene (and who also happens to have a sweet tooth), I was asked by Lynchburg Living to pick my top five ice cream spots in town and highlight their top treats.

Check out my recommendations on the following pages—and be sure to visit these spots this summer!

The Crazy Mason Milkshake Bar (pictured above)
Graves Mill Shopping Center, 18013 Forest Rd., Forest

The Scoop: This newest addition to the Lynchburg sweets scene is the store’s fifth location and is just as described—crazy! Touted as an “ultimate dessert destination,” their milkshake-filled mason jars are topped with indulgences such as Pop-Tarts, cake, fruit, doughnuts, maybe even a waffle—the choices are endless! But they don’t stop there. The menu hosts other artistic desserts, ice cream sandwiches, unique monthly specials, and even funnel cakes.

Creams of the Crop: Exclusive to the Lynchburg store, I recommend you try the Heart of Virginia Shake. This delectable delight begins with strawberry and cake batter ice cream with a red marshmallow swirl that was custom-designed for Lynchburg, Virginia. It boasts a vanilla frosted rim rolled in red candy hearts and then topped with a Virginia-shaped sugar cookie, crushed blue rock candy pieces, fresh strawberry, an apple slice and whipped topping. (Perfect for IG!)

MayLynn’s Creamery
4925 Boonsboro Rd., Lynchburg;
1016 Jefferson St., Ste. B, Lynchburg
maylynnscreamery.com

The Scoop: MayLynn’s serves out sweets from a food truck at its founding location in the Boonsboro Shopping Center, where you will usually find a long line of folks ready to beat the heat with a few cold ones. If you prefer to head downtown, grab a shake and enjoy a stroll on the Bluffwalk. Also important to note: both locations serve up non-dairy options so there is nothing holding you back from enjoying some MayLynn’s.

Creams of the Crop: I personally love their Frozen Banana (a frozen banana dipped in chocolate and then rolled in either sprinkles or nuts) because I can get away with thinking it’s healthy-ish! My family also thinks the Peanut Butter Bliss is pretty decadent and delicious—and it’s one of the most popular items on the MayLynn’s menu! It’s what these guys call a “stacker”— chocolate ice cream, Reese’s Cups, peanut butter, and hot fudge are stacked into one tasty treat. The stackers come in all sorts of varieties and combinations, and you can even customize your own. (Don’t mind if I do!)

Outside the Cone
1305 Enterprise Dr., Lynchburg
outsidethecone.com

The Scoop: If you have not been to this super special spot in Wyndhurst yet, what are you waiting for? The owners say their goal is to make the best ice cream in Virginia—and they do it by using only the freshest and finest ingredients and making many of their “mix-ins” in-house. You’ll also notice some very innovative flavors and flavor combinations. For example, the Bee My Honeycomb contains honeycomb they make in-house with a precise recipe they have developed. Bee My Honeycomb was named best new flavor of 2020 in a national contest sponsored by the North American Ice Cream Association.

Creams of the Crop: While flavors often sell out and change frequently, I love when we can catch “It’s All Greek to Me” on the Outside the Cone menu. They start with homemade baklava with layers of phyllo dough, chopped nuts, and honey from local Dry Branch Apiaries. Chunks of baklava and a sea salt Greek caramel swirl are then wrapped into their vanilla ice cream. (Drooling!)

Mister Goodies
21556 Timberlake Rd., Lynchburg
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The Scoop: At Mister Goodies, you get all the nostalgia of a carnival ice cream stand, without the price of admission. From the street, you can’t miss the huge ice cream cone on top of the building with bright lights showcasing ice cream, soda floats, cookie sandwiches, apple dumplings, banana splits, and much more. In addition, they offer lower-sugar and lower-calorie options. This year, Mister Goodies added homemade hard serve to the menu, something that was not available in the past.

Creams of the Crop: The aficionados behind Mister Goodies are so passionate about what they do—and Lynchburg Living readers definitely notice. Mister Goodies is a consistent winner in the Best Of Awards, even winning Gold for Best Frozen Dessert last year. With so many tasty menu items, it was hard to narrow down a favorite, but I just love the Strawberry Dole Whip. And believe it or not—it’s dairy- and gluten-free and vegan. The Dole Whip also comes in several other flavors such as mango, pineapple, and watermelon. (If you know, you know.)

Rookie’s
174 Norfolk Ave., Lynchburg;
16129 Forest Rd., Forest

The Scoop: The great folks at Rookie’s started out in Forest and now have a second Lynchburg location off of Rivermont Avenue (conveniently located next to Rivermont Pizza—a match made in heaven, if I may say). With a selection of delicious handmade ice cream sandwiches in classic combinations such as chocolate chip cookie with vanilla ice cream or sugar cookie with strawberry ice cream (my personal favorite), you really can’t go wrong. They also serve vegan and gluten-free options and tasty coffee if you’re in the mood for something warm.

Creams of the Crop: Not really feeling a sweet sandwich? You can always just enjoy Rookie’s traditional cookies paired with ice-cold milk. Or for something different, we like the Affogato al caffe from Rookie’s. I choose the Nutella ice cream as my base; it is then drowned in hot espresso, resulting in a magical amalgamation of sweet and bitter, cold and hot. (Trust me.)

For the Love of Rice

I love rice. It does not matter if it is brown or white, short grain or long grain, boiled or fried—or puffed! I love the versatility, the taste, and how quick and easy it is to make. I eat rice several times a week and always keep multiple varieties on hand.

And it appears I am not alone. According to data from UNICEF, rice is the most important food crop with regard to human nutrition and caloric intake, providing more than 20% of the calories consumed worldwide by humans.

Rice is the seed from a grass plant, related to other grasses such as wheat, oats, and barley. It completes its entire life cycle within six months, from planting to harvesting. The rice grain is made of three main layers: the hull (or husk), the bran and germ, and the inside kernel (or endosperm).

Once the protective husk is removed, the rice grain becomes what we call brown rice. Because it still contains the rice germ and outer bran layers, brown rice contains more fiber and vitamins than white rice.

Gentle processing removes the germ and bran layers from the grain to expose a white starch center. The polished white starch center is what we know as white rice.

It was hard to pick my favorite rice recipes since rice plays a part in so many wonderful dishes, but these two are very different and great in their own ways. Enjoy!

rice pudding

Scandinavian Rice Pudding with Cinnamon Sugar

This rice pudding makes for a great breakfast and is traditionally served in a bowl with milk and sprinkled with cinnamon sugar. It’s easy, fairly quick, and filling enough to be a meal!
Servings: 4-6

Ingredients
2/3 cup of short-grained rice, such as Arborio
1 tsp. kosher salt (I like Diamond Crystal brand)
4 cups whole milk
3 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. cinnamon sugar (2/3 sugar and
1/3 cinnamon) for sprinkling on top

Instructions
In a thick-bottomed saucepan, stir together the rice, salt, and milk and bring to a boil over medium heat. Be careful because milk has a tendency to bubble over once it starts boiling. Reduce heat to low and simmer until all milk has been absorbed, about 20 minutes. Stir often to ensure it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot. If the rice is not soft and creamy, add a bit more milk. Remove from heat. Add the butter and sugar and stir until the butter has melted and the sugar is incorporated. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar and serve warm in a bowl with more milk!

fried rice

Fried Rice with Chicken, Eggs, and Vegetables

Fried rice is best when made with day-old rice. If your rice is coming from the refrigerator, bring it to room temperature before stir-frying it. If you are making the rice the same day, spread it out on a baking sheet to cool for a couple of hours. This recipe works best with a wok.
Stir-frying happens quickly, so be sure to have all ingredients measured out and lined up before you begin.
Servings: 4

Ingredients
3 large eggs
1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt, divided
2 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
1 carrot, peeled and cut into
1/4-inch pieces
4 oz. dark meat chicken, cooked and cut into roughly, 1/2-inch pieces
4 scallions, sliced
4 cups cooked jasmine rice
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 cup frozen peas

Instructions
Turn your burner to medium-high and heat the wok. In a bowl, whisk eggs lightly with a fork. Add 2 tsp. of the oil to your hot wok. When the oil is rippling, add the eggs and cook, stirring frequently, until most of the egg is non-liquid, about 30 seconds. Transfer to a plate.

Next, add 1 tsp. oil to the now-empty wok and reduce heat to medium. Add carrot and 1/2 tsp. salt and cook, stirring frequently, until just beginning to brown, 2 to 4 minutes. Add chicken and cook, stirring frequently, until the chicken is warmed through, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to the plate with eggs.

Add half of the sliced scallion and remaining 1 Tbsp. oil to the wok. Cook, stirring constantly, for about 30 seconds. Add the rice and stir until combined. Sprinkle pepper and remaining 1 tsp. salt evenly over rice. Continue to cook, stirring frequently while also breaking up clumps, 2 to 5 minutes. Add peas, egg mixture, and remaining scallion, and cook about 2 minutes. Serve and enjoy!

2022 Giving Back Awards

Lynchburg Living Magazine’s annual Giving Back Awards are designed to honor the region’s outstanding nonprofit organizations that transform our communities and enrich the lives of others in a variety of ways with charitable or cultural missions or through partnerships and programs. Honorees will be determined based on nominations submitted by either representatives of the organizations or a person familiar with their work. Considerations for selection include the strength of the organization’s mission and contribution to the community, but the final list also reflects an effort to represent the diversity and breadth of the nonprofit organizations that give back in our region. You may nominate a nonprofit below.

The deadline to nominate is July 28, 2022.
Selected honorees will be featured in the Nov./Dec. 2022 issue of Lynchburg Living Magazine.

2022 Community Impact Appreciation Awards

The Community Impact Appreciation Awards honor Lynchburg businesses and organizations that are making a tangible, measurable impact on their communities. That impact might be the result of any number of activities including job creation, workforce development programs, volunteer efforts, or innovative business models that promote a healthy work environment.

The deadline to nominate is July 29.
Nominations will be judged by a team of experts and leaders. Selected honorees will be featured in the November/December 2022 issue of Lynchburg Living Magazine.