The owners of The Good Berry, on Thomasville Road, have opened a very cute spot next door called Ariel’s Ice Cream. Like The Good Berry, it’s a cozy nook but it’s as sweet as spun sugar, decorated in pink and white.
Ariel Sonnino, who owns both spots with Joan-Manuel Pouparina (both are FSU grads), said they felt like an ice cream shop would complement their selection at The Good Berry, which specializes in sorbet made from South America’s sweet-tart berry, açaí. They offer a bunch of toppings like bee pollen and chia seeds instead of sprinkles and candy bars.
Ariel’s, however, takes a much simpler approach. Twenty flavors of ice cream, including three vegan choices, three sizes and three choices in cones: traditional cake cone, sugar cone and homemade waffle cones.
This is not the place to go for outrageous confections or a gazillion toppings, so your only choices are what flavor and what cone. My husband and I went there over the weekend and we still spent entirely too long deciding on our choices.
I usually go for mint chocolate chip but this time chose honey lavender, which was delicious and creamy. It’s a little different, with a definite hint of honey. So good. My husband, who isn’t a vegan, nevertheless liked the sound of the vegan coconut cookies and cream, and he was pleased, savoring the refreshing, coconut taste.
Ariel’s has run out of waffle cones so we had an easy choice: sugar cones.
Flavors change but Ariel and Joan-Manuel are open to suggestions to send to their ice cream maker. Some of their other current choices are peanut butter and jelly, chocolate candy bar, strawberry shorty, Lucky Charms and pumpkin batter, aside from standards like vanilla, chocolate, and my mint chocolate chip.
Ariel’s, at 1323 Thomasville Rd., has later hours than The Good Berry and most other late-night dessert options in Midtown. It’s open from 3 to 10 p.m. Monday to Thursday and noon to 11 p.m. Friday to Sunday.
The Good Berry is at 1325 Thomasville Rd., 850-778-5167 and in College Town at 631 W. Madison St. (by the Catalyst apartments).
