Geralds Ice Cream Bar

In our family we have a tradition that we celebrate the end of the work week together by doing the sweetest thing we can think of... getting ice cream! Our quest to support more local businesses brought us to Gerald's Ice Cream Bar. 

Walking into Gerald's, it is hard to not smile at their owner. Gerald lights up when he talks about ice cream. He fell in love with thick, creamy ice cream in France and came home and began experimenting in his own kitchen. He ended up befriending a man who was on the American gelato team.. a real thing, I looked it up and  then Gerald started working to use the finest ingredients to make small batches of ice cream. Six years later, Gerald's opened in Virginia Beach so that he could share these creations with others. 

One thing that we loved about Gerald's was the chocolate. I mentioned it to Gerald, who told me that they get their chocolate from a world famous choclotier, and you could tell. I don't normally like chocolate, but the guy at the counter talked me into their hand dipped cone. Chocolate pieces from this famous William Dean Chocolates appear in at least four scenes in the Hunger Games, as they are known for their artistic beauty.  

Head to the back and you can watch them making the ice cream or hand dipping cones most days of the week. There are several vegan options available. Hours are Sunday-Thursday noon-9:00 and Friday-Saturday noon-10. The store is closed on Monday. They opened in June, so right in the thick of Covid and they are located at Hilltop. Next time I go... I'm getting a slice of ice cream cake!