Ice Cream Chronicles (Pt. 8): At Whit's End

Custard is essentially ice cream's creamier cousin, a texture that is achieved mainly through the addition of egg yolks to the mix. Generally speaking, this was something that was pretty much unknown to me throughout my life. Regular and soft serve ice cream, and in my latter California days, frozen yogurt, sorbet and gelato were in the rotation when I wanted a frozen treat of some sort.

Columbus, as it turns out, has a several options for custard, including Pennsylvania-based Rita's (who are more well known for their Italian ices) and Culver's out of Wisconsin. But really, these ice cream chronicles have focused in on Ohio mainly, and there's no better candidate for a visit in this category than Granville-based Whit's.

Whit's is a relative newcomer, having reached it's 10th anniversary as a company just last year, and sports 22 locations mainly in Ohio (singular stores can also be found in Asheville, NC, and Atlantic Beach, FL.) in the Columbus metro area, the company has outposts in Gahanna, Dublin, Hilliard and the Short North neighborhood, which is where I dropped by one recent early evening.

Only four flavors, but lots of things you can do with them

Unlike your typical ice cream shop that boasts a lot of flavors, Whit's goes in the opposite direction. Their custards are made fresh daily Vanilla and chocolate are their standard everyday flavors; in addition, they boast both a weekly flavor and a flavor of the day. If someone's favorite flavor is not featured, they can more likely than not find it in pre-packaged pints in their freezer; cakes are also available for toting home.

Customers can take the in-store flavors and request all the usuals (sundaes, blends, etc.) One particular local option that stood out was the ability to blend your custard with the delicious brownies and blondies of locally-based Sugardaddy's. Also, a few non-custard food items like hot dogs and a couple of sandwiches (pulled pork and shredded chicken) are available at inexpensive prices (from $1.50 to $3.50.)

With butter pecan only available in a take home pint, I went two scoops ($4.25) for one of the limited-time flavors (black cherry chip) and the always offered vanilla in a cup. 

The custard at first glance looked like regular ice cream, but the mouthfeel immediately told me this was a different beast altogether. As I slowly devoured my scoops, I began thinking how all the soft-serve cones I have eaten in my life would've been so much tastier if Whit's was the source.

As for my choices, black cherry chip will please fans of the flavor with its plentiful chocolate chips and juicy cherry halves. The vanilla was solid; I thought, similar to a good basic frozen yogurt tart flavor, it provided great base for any of the blends, sundaes and creations on Whit's menu.

Whit's Short North store blends in nicely with the neighborhood vibe, with a relaxed yet funkified interior (including a graffiti-version company logo and assorted pop-culture references) and flyers and other printed information for nearby events available.

Whit's has definitely turned me on to the world of frozen custard based on this first sampling. I look forward to going back not only to sample more of their offerings, but also to compare and contrast that they offer to versions in other parts of the country, including those have popped up in my old Bay Area stomping grounds such as like Lexie's Frozen Custard and Frozen Kuhsterd.

2017 Update: Whit's locations around the metro have changed quite a bit since this post. The Short North location at 814 North High Street (the location I originally visited) and the Dublin location has closed.  Meanwhile, a location farther up in the Clintonville neighborhood has opened and the Hilliard location has relocated. Information regarding this Clintonville location has replaced the original Short North address as originally posted, and other addresses reflect current locations.

Whit's Frozen Custard
3339 N High St (Clintonville - Google Maps)
Columbus, OH 43202
(614) 754-8062

121 S. Stygler Road (Google Maps)
Gahanna, OH 43230
614-418-9599

46 N, State St (Google Maps)
Westerville, OH 43081
614-799-6003

4138 Main Street (Google Maps)
Hilliard, OH. 43026
614-710-1315
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Ice Cream Chronicles (Pt. 5): No Faking It at Johnson's

I admit my first reaction when I first saw the label for Johnson's ice cream pints on local supermarket freezer shelves was a bit of a joking one. I mean, does anyone really sell fake ice cream?

But then I thought more seriously about their label and the use of the word "real." I know back when they were established in 1950, the word was most likely meant as a reassurance to the consumer. This was the real deal product, produced in-house and fresh for your consumption.

But with the arrival of Graeter's to the Columbus area in the late 1980s, and the arrival of Jeni's two decades later, and just through more sheer familiarity with those two ice cream giants, this word gained a bit of a dare aspect. "Hey, give us a shot! We've got a fine product ourselves," was what repeated inside my mind.

Friendly faces at the counter

This was a "challenge" that I was more than happy to accept.

Main Street through downtown Bexley is something of an ice cream lover's mini-mecca, with Jeni's, Graeter's and Johnson's in very close proximity to each other. Their building, a local landmark, has been expanded and spruced up a few times since their original 15' x 20' space opened for business. Even with those remodels though, one never loses the sense that Johnson's was born in a bygone era. I could imagine that someone who went to Johnson's as a child would feel the space is just as welcoming now as a senior citizen.

Johnson's has all the traditional novelty items available (cakes, pies, sundaes and even buckeyes) to please people of all ages; their flavors also tend toward the traditional favorites. However, Johnson's ties with local vendors was brought to the fore recently with their release of their special "Columbus Collection" of flavors, featuring products from local stalwarts like Crimson Cup Coffee, Sugardaddy's Sumptious Sweeties, Krema Nut and Just Pies.

Real Ice Cream? Check and Check

I went for two scoops ($4) of flavors I know I'd enjoy as well as use for comparison. In general, I'd label Johnson's ice cream as pretty traditional in terms of mouthfeel, with just a hint of the denseness that Graeter's puts into their product. Johnson's Buckeye Blitz has been my favorite version of such so far, with a bright creamy peanut butter base and chunks of chocolate scattered throughout. Their butter pecan was also a no-complaint flavor for me, though I did like Graeter's version slightly better.

The Deli Menu at Johnson's

Prices seem reasonable all around, even extending to things like their T-shirts ($12.95) and their deli items ($7 or less,) an option not offered by their frozen confection competitors that I've visited. The walls also detailed their own special ice cream eating challenge, which involved four pounds total of ice cream and assorted toppings; those who beat the current time by themselves would get all that sugary dairy goodness for free.

To be truthful, I didn't have any doubts about the realness of Johnson's ice cream going into this tasting. I think the "real" in the name now points to my gut feeling after walking out. This is the neighborhood place that did good, has stood the test of time and continues to fit comfortably in your hand like a waffle cone freshly filled with two scoops of your favorite flavor.

Johnson's Real Ice Cream
2728 E Main St (Google Maps)
Bexley, OH 43209
(614) 231-0014
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