There’s no better time than now to indulge in a cold treat at the Delaware beaches.
The lines at The Ice Cream store on Rehoboth Avenue block the sidewalk at this time of year. Kids with melted ice cream running down their chins fill the boardwalk. Even President Joe Biden has been known to enjoy an ice cream cone when in Rehoboth Beach.
Maybe you’re in the mood for a snow cone, Italian ice or a popsicle. There’s nothing like ice to beat the heat and fruity flavorings to satisfy your tastebuds. Sometimes, the brain freeze is worth it.
The Delaware beaches have no shortage of places to get a cold treat in the summertime, but there’s always room for more. Here are three new places to satisfy your sweet tooth when the mercury is moving up the thermometer.
Cup ‘r Cone
Vince Failla has always wanted an ice cream business.
He’s from the York, Pennsylvania, area, where Bonkey’s Ice Cream originated. A friend of the family that owns Bonkey’s, he started scooping for them as a teen before coming to Bethany Beach to help them expand, he said, and learned to make ice cream.
“After eight years of working for them, they were like, ‘Hey, you cost too much,’ and gave me the kick in the butt that was like, ‘It’s time to do your own thing,'” the 28-year-old Failla said.
He’s had the Cup ‘r Cone ice cream truck for three years now, but when his girlfriend’s family bought what is now Crusher’s restaurant in Rehoboth Beach, they proposed he take over the tiny, grandfathered-in shack on the corner of Rehoboth and Lake Avenues.
“It was a no-brainer,” Failla said. “It’s been a hit down there.”
Cup ‘r Cone’s flavors run the gamut. There are your staples, such as chocolate, vanilla and strawberry. There’s “Bigfoot,” which is a vanilla with peanut butter sauce, cookie dough bits and “scooter crunch.” There’s “minty leprechaun,” a mint ice cream with smashed peppermint patties and fudge throughout, which Failla said is a “fan favorite.” Then there’s flavors like lemongrass basil.
More:What to do on a rainy day at Delaware beaches
Failla’s 50 flavors are rotated throughout the summer, with about 20 available at a time. The truck offers milkshakes, sundaes and more, while the 49-square-foot shack is strictly “Cup ‘r Cone.”
Prices start at $5 a scoop. The shack is open 6 to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday and 3 to 10 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Check Facebook or Instagram for truck dates.
Marigold Creamery
Marigold Creamery offers small-batch ice cream from a food truck at The Station on Kings in Lewes.
Laura McKeown used to be the pastry chef at The Station. When the COVID shutdown began in 2020, she had a lot of ingredients she needed to use. She opted to make ice cream and it sold well in the early days of the pandemic.
The 37-year-old McKeown wanted to spend more time with her kids and thought moving into a strictly ice cream role would help her achieve that.
“It has not,” she laughed. “We just opened in April and it has been fast and furious ever since.”
Part of Marigold’s appeal is its trendy, modern aesthetic, which applies not only to its Instagram-worthy food truck but its flavors. They include dark chocolate, vanilla bean and fresh mint chip, as well as creations such as lavender Earl Grey with Mandarin jam. McKeown’s most popular flavor is coffee toffee, she said. She uses local ingredients whenever possible.
More:Mid-July at the Delaware beaches: Your weekend guide on what to know and do
Marigold rotates about eight flavors at a time. Ice cream is available in cups and cones. A few other items are offered, such as milkshakes and root beer floats.
Marigold Creamery is open Thursday 2 p.m. through Sunday 12 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Fusco’s Italian Water Ice
Fusco’s Italian Water Ice has been sold from an Italian flag-painted stand in Wilmington since the 1950s. Fourth-generation owner Joseph Staffieri expanded the business this year and now offers his family’s signature Italian ice from a food truck in Lewes.
The Fusco’s trailer is located across from the Lewes Dairy Queen, at the corner of Savannah Road and Cape Henlopen Drive, along with numerous other food trucks this summer. It offers one flavor: all-natural lemon.
“People have been pleasantly surprised to see not only water ice but old-fashioned, authentic Italian water ice,” Staffieri said. “We do not use any high fructose corn syrup or artificial ingredients. It’s fresh-squeezed lemon, sugar and water.”
Fusco’s offers water ice sized from 4 ounces to a gallon, ranging in price from $4 to $40. The Lewes food truck is open seven days a week during the summer, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
More:After 66 years, Fusco’s Italian Water Ice expands statewide, including at Blue Rocks games
Next year, look for new flavors: organic mango and imported Maraschino cherry. Staffieri is also looking into a brick-and-mortar location at the beach, he said.
Interested in something a little more adult? Check out Big Oyster Brewery’s Italian Ice Shandy, made with Fusco’s Italian Water Ice. Pick up the beer at Big Oyster’s Lewes restaurant at 1007 Kings Hwy.
Shannon Marvel McNaught reports on Sussex County and beyond. Reach her at smcnaught@gannett.com or on Twitter @MarvelMcNaught
