The West Side might not get the fancy abatements and hotels. It might not be home to million-dollar mansions and artisan shopping destinations. Heck, last week it was famous for a guy who tripped a perp with a gun at the library. But, the West Side has something that makes up for all that.
No, not the casino.
Dulce Vida Ice Cream Factory.
It’s almost overwhelming — no, not almost — it is overwhelming when you walk in the door. It’s full of golds and pinks, the universal color signals for sugar. Dulce Vida throws all the sweetness at you the second you walk in, with mouthwatering pictures of a bevy of dessert options posted up over the counter. Plus, a shelf lined with bags of Doritos for good measure. What else could you want?
It’s hard for analysis paralysis not to set in. Although prices are affordable, you can’t possibly order everything. There’s too much. There’s a freezer piled with stacks of paletas (Mexican loaded popsicles), frozen creations that hold slices of fruit, or sometimes Nutella filling inside. The Oreo one is the fix for every disappointing scoop of cookies n’ cream ice cream you’ve ever had. You know the experience, where there’s no identifiable chunks of cookie in the mix. That won’t happen at Dulce Vida: you can see the whole cookie embedded in the side of the popsicle. It’s perfect.
Then there’s the ice cream: the flavors go on forever, and range from an old-school rum raisin, to more nouveaux options like pine nut and queso, the latter of which is translated as cheese, which sounds no less odd, but think in terms of the cream cheese that adds traditional heft to icing and cheesecake. There’s also bins of toppings and sprinkles with which to customize any choice.
The picture menu that hangs over the counter shows the range of established paths for a good binge. The aforementioned bags of chips are options, not for pairing with ice cream (although, nothing is stopping you from doing that), but for savory treats on the lines of walking tacos (like loaded nachos, eaten out of the bag). On the sweet side, it’s hard to escape the lure of a banana split. Pick your flavors (one should involve the house chocolate) and toppings, they’ll sit between the slices of a banana, with a squirt of whipped cream on top, and a cherry on each peak. The best bites are always near the end, when all the elements begin to merge together. So, make plans to finish it off.
Dulce Vida is a destination point, and as a bonus: parking is ample and free. You’ll find it at 4201 W. Broad St.
For more information, visit their Facebook page.
