It's going to be in the 80s this weekend in SF. Not really the kind of heat that those in SoCal are experiencing, but enough to make you remember why those outside the City have A/C. So you're going to need ice cream (obviously), but since the line at Bi-Rite was probably forming at 7 a.m. and now reaches Maxfield's, SFist invites you to consider these alternatives:
Either in their Mission or newly opened Ferry Building location, how could you turn down a place that serves "Harvey Milk & Honey" flavored scoops of goodness. Those with super hip palates will enjoy the "those don't go in ice cream" flavors of McEvoy Olive Oil, Salt and Pepper, or Strawberry Candied Jalapeno, while those looking for the old sweet and decadent standbys can still Tahitian V*nill@ or Chocolate. Perhaps a giant cone full of Secret Breakfast will help you forget that you don't own a single pair of shorts. 2790A Harrison Street at 24th, and 1 Ferry Building
Ever been to Dogpatch? We know it's outside the TL-Castro-Mission-Haight gooey center of SF, but if you never visit you'll miss out on gems like this place. Their menu changes often, and their Facebook page doesn't seem to keep track of it either, so the only way you'll know for sure what they're serving is to go and see. You'll probably get something close to Vanilla or Chocolate. 699 22nd Street
Photo courtesy of Mitchell's
Mitchell's is a SF mainstay for a reason. And that reason is studded with scoops of ube (both the word for purple and a delicious purple yam-based ice cream), lucuma (an orange Peruvian delight), horchata, and two kinds of coconut! What other place offers both young and elderly(?) coconut in ice cream form? Mitchell's also has a ticket system, so you can possibly avoid standing in a broiling hot line. 688 San Jose Avenue
Not exactly the most exclusive ice cream spot, but before Swensen's spread its creamy goodness across the country, it was just a little shop at Union and Hyde. Swensen's is the kind of ice cream experience that sidesteps pretension and substitutes it for sundaes, sundaes, sundaes! It may mean fighting tourists in Russian Hill, but with heat like this, it may be worth a scuffle. 1999 Hyde Street
Hayes Valley's Smitten may be hard to find in its weird pop-industrial shipping crate surroundings, but its probably the freshest ice cream in the city. Molecular gastronomy tickle your fancy? Just like watching people freeze stuff with liquid nitrogen? You can watch your heat-beating treat form right in front of your eyes at Smitten. They have a handful of flavors which rotate out often, and they even made a Pride flavor last year. Their website was unreachable this morning, so just hope they have something good. 432 Octavia St. #1a (between Ritual and Biergarten)
Previously: The 10 Best Ice Cream Shops In The Bay Area
