A is for Aglamesis Ice Cream

I'm really excited for the start of another A-Z in April Challenge! For this year's challenge, I am expanding on my Travels With Clancy project and writing an A-Z of my hometown of Cincinnati. I'm starting off with some of the best ice cream I've ever tasted. 

Aglamesis Brothers ice cream and candy store has been in business since 1908, and can still be found in the same building it was in when the store opened. The store prides itself on an old-fashioned atmosphere, and its decor recalls the early 1900s. In fact, the Aglamesis family has worked hard to keep the store looking the same now as it did back then.

The Aglamesis slogan is "Ice cream and candy made the sincere way since 1908" and, after hearing about the place for most of my life, I decided to finally check it out for myself. My mom went to Aglamesis with relatives when she was a kid in the 1930s, but had not returned since. So the two of us set out on a Sunday afternoon in early March to visit Aglamesis and treat ourselves to some ice cream.

My mom was amazed that the inside of the shop really did look just as it had when she was there as a child. While it may seem cliche, walking in to Aglamesis actually does feel like a trip back in time. The place looks exactly how I imagine an old-fashioned ice cream parlor must have looked. 

The tables are marble with pink and black chairs, and the staff members work behind a marble-topped soda fountain counter. Mirrors line one wall, while rows of homemade candy line the other.

More important than the atmosphere though is the taste of the ice cream and other products. According to the Aglamesis website, their "sincere way" refers to the fact that they make their products in small batches with nothing but natural ingredients. The ice cream is considered French because of its high egg yolk content, which adds to the richness of its flavor. 

I decided to order a chocolate soda, as I loved getting sodas at an ice cream parlor in downtown Cincinnati when I used to go there with my mom as a child. Since our visit was all about nostalgia, I thought the soda was an appropriate choice.

I wasn't disappointed, as my soda could not have been better. I don't know anything about French ice cream or egg yolk content, but I do know that this ice cream was some of the creamiest and best I've ever had. And the atmosphere of the small parlor made it taste even better.

The mirrored wall across from our table included a painting of the Aglamesis store, with a dog sitting on the sidewalk outside looking in the window at all the treats inside. 

When my mom and I left the store, we were greeted by a friendly golden retriever on the sidewalk outside who looked remarkably like the dog in the picture! Somehow, it made our visit even more charming.

According to Bon Appetit magazine, Aglamesis is one of the last authentic ice cream parlors left in the United States. It's fun (and tasty!) to have something so filled with nostalgia and history in my own hometown.

My mom and I enjoyed our time tripping back to the past and, even more than that, we enjoyed our fantastic ice cream. Now that I've finally visited Aglamesis, I can't wait to make a return trip sometime soon.


Happy April to everyone, and I'll see you all tomorrow for the letter B!