A Full Meal Scoop at Central District Ice Cream Company

Darren McGill and Kristine Martin-McGill come up with flavors as they go at the ice cream counter now tucked into their own Happy Grillmore burger joint, where they have plenty of meal fixings to use as inspiration. They’ll throw shiitake mushrooms, avocado, and soy sauce into a scoop; next-door sibling Nate’s Wings and Waffles provides the filling for the Chicken and Waffle ice cream expected back this summer. The couple’s Seattle Freeze shop in Georgetown also dishes a uniquely firm soft serve, complete with mixings—this team will never stop finding new ways to make us crave more calories.

Nutty Booza from Mamnoon

Not actually boozy, the middle eastern treat is named for the Arabic word for ice cream and comes in rotating flavors that pull from Turkish coffee or sunny tangerine—but Mastic Rice Pudding, which uses a Mediterranean resin that resists melting, is a perennial favorite. 

Concretes from Shake Shack

The chain may have conquered our burger landscape this year, but their frozen custard concretes redefine dense dessert. A sliver of profits from Seattle’s exclusive Pie Oh My version, made with bits of seasonal fruit pie from A La Mode, goes to our local Youth Care.

Keto-Friendly Ice Cream from ACME

With no sugar added and protein powder to pack an extra punch, the vanilla bean, butter pecan, and bacon maple scoops from the Whatcom County maker fit nicely into a keto regimen. They’re dished at Eat Local stores, including a new one on Mercer Island, along with a diet-busting local berry blend at the Capitol Hill shop.

Mad Science from FogRose

This gleaming gold and white “dessert atelier” counter in Bellevue’s Soma Tower flash freezes ice cream to order using frothy waves of liquid nitrogen. This spectacle delivers an extra-plush texture to flavors like olive oil, quinoa, or lavender. If the prep wasn’t sufficient Instagram bait, scoops come garnished with honeycomb or edible flowers.

Fireside Flavors from Salt and Straw

The Portland ice cream maker’s own mad scientist of taste, Tyler Malek, saw no reason he couldn’t cram an entire camping trip into a waffle cone this summer. Flavors include campfire s’mores (complete with pop rocks), mushroom muddy buddies, and, exclusive to the Seattle shops, skillet cornbread with candied nettles foraged from Tiger Mountain.