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By Sheila Talley and Amanda Southall
 SHEILA: On a beautiful June day, my partner in our ongoing search for “Hanover’s Best,” Amanda Southall, and I drive off in pursuit of the best ice-cream in the county. Plenty of ice-cream is available of all varieties. Our assignment is to find something special for our Hanover Lifestyle readers, many of whom, I suspect, prefer the exotic and adventurous when it comes to enjoying the popular summer confection. Sure, eating ice-cream at home is less expensive, but don’t we all have fond childhood memories of hot summer evening drives, with Mom, Dad, and maybe (on a personal note) even Aunty Betty, to get our favorite ice cream cone?
Nacho Mama’s Bell Creek
AMANDA: If anyone knows how to handle the heat, it’s our neighbors south of the border. If you need proof, try Nacho Mama’s fried ice cream. Don’t let the name fool you, the ice cream might be fried, but it’s served as cold as can be with a cherry on top. The concoction is a cantaloupe-sized ball of vanilla ice cream rolled in coconut and crushed graham cracker, fried and served atop a cinnamon sugar tortilla with whipped cream and drizzled with chocolate and caramel sauce and dusted with powdered sugar. Instead of greasy or heavy, the coconut and graham cracker crust is so light that it practically betrays its “fried” distinction. The whole thing comes together for a dessert that is, in a word, delicioso. Nacho Mama’s Bell Creek is located at 7610 Left Flank Road.
SHEILA: The presentation alone is too beautiful to eat, but do as we did – enjoy it!
7610 Left Flank Road • (804) 730-7311
Mechanicsville Drug Store
SHEILA: Located on Old Mechanicsville Pike, Mechanicsville Drug Store is one of the few drugstores left that still offers a soda fountain. “Home of the Real Limeade,” four flavors of ice-cream are still hand dipped just as when the store opened in 1957. Malts and shakes, sodas, floats and banana splits are on the menu. Jay Thompson, owner, welcomed Amanda and I in to taste some favorites. I compared the soda with a float. The soda uses soda water, and was tasty with the rich chocolate flavor. The float was my winner, using cola and butter pecan ice-cream. Commuters to the Rivah may want to make a stop at Mechanicsville Drug Store to enjoy an old fashion malt or soda. Turn off at the Windmill and enter the village of Mechanicsville. You’ll see it on the right. Hours are 7:30 a.m. – 2 p.m. Monday to Friday and 8:30 a.m.- 2 p.m. on Saturdays. The fountain is closed on Sundays.
AMANDA: At the drug store’s soda fountain you can slide into a red-cushioned booth and sip on a root beer float with the regular lunch crowd. Like most things at the soda fountain, the ice cream flavors are classic and done the way they should be. The vanilla is smooth, the chocolate is rich, the butter pecan is velvety sweet and the strawberry is bursting with fresh strawberries. Try the four flavors in a scoop, a milkshake, Coke or root beer float, old-fashioned ice cream soda, or as a sundae drizzled with chocolate syrup and whipped cream.
8077 Mechanicsville Tpke • (804) 746-5168
Club Car
SHEILA: An old-fashioned ice-cream parlor, on the tracks in Ashland (113 S. Railroad Avenue), is the perfect spot to stop for ice-cream, candy or light fare of sandwiches or soup. The homey feeling at Club Car welcomes guests. Walls are decorated with a charming ice-cream parlor clock and family photos and a comfortable location in the window space is just for children. Ann Palmore, owner of the shop for four years, often supplies ice-cream for events such as Library programs or Ashland Street parties, showers, birthday and anniversary parties. Commercials have been filmed in her shop. Ann feels her shop is a town necessity. Club Car’s slogan is “If you can dream it, we can make it.” There are 34 flavors of ice-cream to choose from and all 4 toppings are homemade. Even milkshake syrups are just as they were 30 years ago.
AMANDA: This is the quintessential old-fashioned ice cream parlor. Club Car has 34 flavors to choose from – my favorite was peach yogurt.
SHEILA: I tried the peppermint sundae which consisted of a peppermint ice-cream topping a rich brownie with crushed peppermint, whipped cream and a cherry to top it off. “This is heaven.” My favorite of the four toppings was the strawberry. Chocolate, caramel, and pineapple are also offered, as is a new sundae called the “Pink Caboose.” It consists of 5 scoops of ice-cream and three toppings. If you finish one, the second is free.
13 S Railroad Ave • (804) 798-5632
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