PORTLAND, Maine — “I’ll be honest,” Joe Ricchio told me. “I have not met a lot of ice creams in my life that I’ve been, like, that’s awful, I don’t want it.”
Like many of us, Ricchio—a food writer and the host of “The Food Coma Podcast”—brings an undisguised gusto to the mission of tracking down some of the best ice creams in Maine. Here are a few of his favorite stands, places that use high-quality ingredients and, in Joe’s words, “are doing kind of different things.”
- Portland Twist in Portland. “The visual flair is sort of their strong point—with delicious ice cream.”
- Bresca and the Honey Bee in New Gloucester. “Probably the single best sorbet I’ve ever had. If they have the coconut, just drop whatever you’re doing and get that.”
- Sweet Cream in Biddeford. “They’re showcasing the better ingredients.”
- Parlor Ice Cream available at various locations in southern Maine. “Her flavors just make me weak in the knees.”
- Mount Desert Ice Cream in Bar Harbor and Portland. “The flavors are so intense it actually reminds me of gelato I’ve had, really good gelato.”
- John’s Handmade Ice Cream in Liberty. “This is the place I go for the banana split, the childhood favorites.”