The meteorologists say Arkansas has been experiencing a mild summer.
Our sweaty necks, sun-damaged skin, frizzy hair and car-seat-scorched legs say otherwise.
We went in search of cool -- and sweet and creamy and boozy and fruity -- relief. Here are some of our favorite frosty finds.
BIG ORANGE SHAKES
Big Orange, Midtown Little Rock, 207 N. University Ave., (501) 379-8715; Promenade at Chenal, 17809 Chenal Parkway, Little Rock, (501) 821-1515, bigorangeburger.com
The decadent, whipped-cream-topped shakes here are meals in themselves. The Peanut Butter & Chocolate ($4.75), also topped with peanuts and dark chocolate sauce, is richer'n Bill Gates and the Sultan of Brunei combined -- it hits just as hard flavor-wise as it does sugar-wise. The Plain Jane Vanilla shake ($3.75) offers its own little taste-bud party. Oh, and there's a Strawberry Cake Shake ($6.50), which contains a real slice of strawberry cake. Lord help us.
-- Helaine R. Williams
DAVE & BUSTER'S SNO CONES
10900 Bass Pro Parkway, Little Rock, (501) 777-3800, daveandbusters.com
A Sno Cone from Dave & Buster's is not like the ones at your neighborhood stand, although we dearly love those too. Instead of eating these with a spoon, you sip them through a straw. And slowly, because they contain hooch. Fruity Sno Cones like the Strawberry Mango ($8.49), a mix of two kinds of rum (strawberry and mango), lemonade, mango puree and a strawberry mixer, taste really cool while the Glow Kones -- Sno Cones like the Spiked Cherry Limeade ($8.99) that light up thanks to illuminated cubes -- look really cool too.
-- Jennifer Christman
DEL FRISCO'S WHITE SANGRIA
Del Frisco's Grille, Promenade at Chenal, 17707 Chenal Parkway, Little Rock, (501) 448-2631, delfriscosgrille.com
Sometimes you want a sophisticated drink. Sometimes you want a sugary dessert. Del Frisco's White Sangria ($9.50) offers both. The pretty sipper of pinot grigio, white peach puree and peach schnapps contains a strawberry peach ice pop for even more frosty refreshment. The vibrant red sangria -- featuring Malbec, Stoli Razberi vodka, triple sec, sweet-and-sour mix, white peach puree and lime juice ($9.50) -- also is no slouch, but, alas, it is ice pop-free. Enjoy one (or maybe one of each?) in the bar for just $6 during happy hour, 4-6:30 p.m. Monday-Friday.
-- Jennifer Christman
FLYING SAUCER BEER FLOATS
Flying Saucer Draught Emporium, 323 President Clinton Ave., Little Rock, (501) 372-8032, beerknurd.com
The menu says cold and creamy Beer Floats ($7.29) are made with Russian Imperial Stout and vanilla ice cream, but our server told us they actually use Young's Double Chocolate Stout. And we weren't disappointed. Roasted malt, coffee and chocolate notes combine with velvety vanilla ice cream in this sweet-meets-bitter treat. It's like an affogato for beer lovers.
-- Kelly Brant
FREDDY'S CONCRETES
Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers, 4305 E. McCain Blvd., North Little Rock, (501) 955-5577, freddysusa.com (with a location under construction in west Little Rock at Chenal Parkway and South Bowman Road)
Concrete in the steamy summer is not an appealing thought. But at Freddy's, "concrete" takes on a whole new meaning. The treat is a combination of frozen vanilla or chocolate custard and add-ins that include things like nuts, cheesecake, candies and cookie pieces. A thick, rich chocolate with peanut butter cup pieces ($4.09) makes a fine heat buster.
-- Rosemary Boggs
LEPOPS ICED LOLLIES
LePops Gourmet Iced Lollies, 5501 Kavanaugh Blvd., Little Rock, (501) 313-9558, lepops.com
Posh handmade frozen pops are the passion of Le Pops Gourmet Iced Lollies, where ingredients like local produce, even herbs, are blended to form fancy Cream (Salted Caramel, Blueberry Vanilla, Chocolate Marvel, etc.) and Ice (Melon-Yellow, nondairy Mayan Chocolate, sugar-free Pure Sunshine) flavors. A favorite is the sweet but tart, cold but smooth, lively Lemon Pie pop ($2.95), which is best enjoyed dipped in white chocolate (50 cents for chocolate and each additional topping) and eaten on a summer evening stroll through the Heights.
-- Jennifer Christman
LOBLOLLY SUNDAES
Loblolly Scoop Shop, 1423 Main St., Little Rock, (501) 396-9609, loblollycreamery.com
Here's the scoop. Two scoops, if you're talking about a sundae ($7.50). It comes with your choice of three toppings, including the wondrous candied pecans, rich butter caramel sauce and freshly made whipped cream we chose to top two scoops of yummy double vanilla ice cream. There are a dozen toppings, most are house-made and are either organic or all natural; some are vegan and dairy-free. Mmmmm. Heaven in a cup. A chilled, tasty bottle of Big Rock Root Beer ($3) was righteously earthy and sweet.
-- Ellis Widner
ORIGINAL SCOOPDOG CONCRETES
The Original ScoopDog, 5508 John F. Kennedy Blvd., North Little Rock, (501) 753-5407, thescoopdog.com
Strawberry Shortcake, Cherry Bomb, Rice Krispies, Banana Nut Bread -- welcome to the flavor dilemma ScoopDog offers with its roughly two dozen tantalizing frozen custard specialty concretes, creamy concoctions of frozen custard (ice cream with eggs added) mixed with other treats, from fruit and candy to even coffee. The Mint Chocolate Chip takes ScoopDog's freshly made custard and sprinkles in ribbons of minty chocolate for a cool indulgence that charms with texture and smoothness. Mint Chocolate Chip Specialty Concrete ($4.29, small; note: ScoopDog accepts only cash or check, no cards).
-- Shea Stewart
PINEAPPLE WHIP
Arkansas Pineapple Whip, 7225 Arkansas 107 , Sherwood; 380 Harkrider St., Conway
What's a Pineapple Whip? It's a cool creamy cup of pineapple deliciousness on a hot summer day. The soft-serve style pineapple is like a creamy version of sorbet without dairy or soy. It's a cold refreshing treat. Order in a cup or cone for $3. The seasonal stand is open from noon to 10 p.m. daily during summer; search "Arkansas Pineapple Whip" on Facebook.
-- Cary Jenkins
RED MANGO FROZEN YOGURT
Red Mango, 5621 Kavanaugh Blvd., Little Rock, (501) 663-2500, redmangousa.com
Red Mango, a Dallas-based chain, is now pushing itself via its signs as "Juice Bar and Smoothies," and offers a range of other products, but soft-serve frozen yogurt is still its mainstay. Eight spouts deliver a selection of daily flavors (starting at $4), but it's hard to go wrong with chocolate, especially if you top it with one of a dozen or so fruit/nut/candy options (we added dark chocolate chips and slivered almonds).
-- Eric E. Harrison
SHAKE'S SUNDAES
Shake's Frozen Custard, 12011 Westhaven Drive, Little Rock, (501) 224-0150, shakesfrozencustard.com
Shake's Bopper Sundae ($4.65), a cup of vanilla frozen custard topped with caramel, hot fudge, roasted pecans and three cherries is a summer drive-thru delight.
-- Brian Scott Rippee
SONIC HOT FUDGE SUNDAES
Sonic Drive-In, various locations including 2917 Cantrell Road, Little Rock, (501) 614-9742, sonicdrivein.com
It's late at night and you're craving a hot fudge sundae. But eating one in your car just sounds too messy, and a cone just won't cut it. So get your hot fudge sundae fix ($2.19) at Sonic's Riverdale neighborhood location, which has a dining room with a retro-flavored setting. No mess in your car and you get a maraschino cherry on top of the sundae. Yum.
-- Ellis Widner
STARBUCKS FRAPPUCCINOS
Starbucks, various locations, starbucks.com
For years I'd ordered hot coffee drinks at Starbucks without trying any of the the coffee-milk-ice Frappuccinos. So I made up for lost time and ordered a visually stunning mocha and caramel Frappuccino mix, a creation liberally topped with whipped cream and which I sweetened further with stevia. Bold yet refreshing, it went down fast. Those who like their coffee fancy will find this to be the perfect drink for keeping cool during dog days. (There's also the option to skip the coffee and have a Blended Creme Frappuccino.)
-- Helaine R. Williams
TCBY PSYCHEDELIC SORBET
TCBY, various locations including 11418 W. Markham St., Little Rock, (501) 221-9020, tcby.com
What is one of the very few original TCBY outlets (from the days when TCBY stood for "This Can't Be Yogurt" and "The Country's Best Yogurt"), offers a variety of frozen yogurt products, including soft-serve, shakes, malts, "Shivers," smoothies, sundaes and splits. The Psychedelic Sorbet (starting at $3.89 for a small cup; cones are extra), one of the hand-scooped options, is a tangy swirl of citric (orange) and berry flavors.
-- Eric E. Harrison
WINK'S CHOCOLATE SUNDAE
Wink's Dairy Bar, 2900 E. Washington Ave., North Little Rock, (501) 945-9025
Sitting on a car hood or tailgate eating a cool chocolate sundae ($3.91) is a perfect way to spend a few minutes on a lazy summer afternoon. At Wink's Dairy Bar, the sundae comes in a Styrofoam cup, is coated in thick chocolate and sprinkled with chopped peanuts -- sorry, no cherry this time. The first bites are good, but the real treat is working your way down deep into the cup and swirling that rich chocolate and vanilla ice cream together in sweet, goopy spoonfuls of summertime yumminess.
-- Sean Clancy
ZAZA FROZE
ZAZA Fine Salad & Wood-Oven Pizza Co., 5600 Kavanaugh Blvd., Little Rock, (501) 661-9292, zazapizzaandsalad.com
Not very sweet but sweetly refreshing, Zaza's 10-ounce adult slurpy is what happens when you run Chilean Calcu Rose, Cocchi Americano Rosa and fresh strawberries through a frozen-margarita machine. "Adult" because it's mildly alcoholic (no takeouts) and also because that finishing tingle of quinine would make kids spit it out. It costs $7 but they let you keep the koozie -- which is a fun word to say, almost as fun as froze, which they rhyme with "oh, hey."
-- Celia Storey
Style on 07/18/2017
