Gifford's Ice Cream & Candy Co.

There's ice cream, and then there's history. Gifford's Ice Cream & Candy Company is both.

Opened in 1938 in Silver Spring, Md., the shop sold homemade ice cream and candy to fans of all ages and fame: President Eisenhower and First Lady Jackie Kennedy were said to be regular patrons. Its ice cream, candy, cakes and accoutrements continue to bring out sweet tooths as they have for years.

Though the original shop was sold, its new owners snapped up the logos, designs, recipes and continued its tradition to make it a Washington institution. Families continue to visit its shops for treats and ice cream with families; the Bethesda location is the most popular due to prominent foot traffic and suburban location filled with kids and parents.

The shop owners travel the world for ingredients, including chocolate from Switzerland and vanilla from Madagascar. Its flavors range from typical favorites (chocolate, vanilla, pistachio, coffee and peppermint)  to different and interesting: champagne, port wine sorbet, ginger, pumpkin, egg nog and honeydew.

Its sorbets are refreshing and light: mango, lemon, black raspberry, roasted coconut and regular raspberry are the fruit options. Its ice cream also comes in an ice cream cake version for birthdays and celebrations, and even in milkshakes and ice cream floats. On cold wintry days, Gifford's specialty hot chocolates, mochas, coffees, tea and chai make a tasty alternative.

Gifford's also sells its products to take home, including sauces, caramels, hot chocolate mixes, teas and coffees. Its products are packaged well enough to be given as gifts. Currently, Gifford's has five locations: Bethesda, Friendship Heights, Baltimore, downtown DC and Rockville.

HelloMetro Tip: Despite its bright yellow and sky blue colors, customer service can wane with servers who bark at young children and slap ice cream onto counters (specifically at the Friendship Heights location, which also has a limited flavor selection and often empty cake freezer).

The experience can be rather off-putting for families who just want to enjoy an ice cream in a way Gifford would have wanted. It sometimes makes a hard decision for those who want the quality Gifford's ice cream but don't want to deal with disappointing service. Another option is to take the ice cream home and enjoy it there instead.

- by Rin-rin Yu, Washington Reporter for HelloMetro  (Click to leave a message)

Rin-rin Yu

Rin-rin is an award-winning writer and journalist based in the Baltimore-Washington area. Her work has appeared in China Daily, DAYSPA magazine, Luxury Home Design, Aquatics International, Not For Tourists and other publications. Rin-rin has also worked for ABC News, WHDH-TV (NBC) in Boston and Hanley Wood Business Media. She has a master's degree from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University. She is an avid world traveler and maintains a travel blog, www.mytravelhats.com.