PlanJam!From your screen to the scene

When I select places to review for PlanJam, I generally try for the types of shops, coffee houses, and restaurants that visitors to the city, or even residents who are new or have less time to wander outside of their own regular stomping grounds, may not have heard of or visited before. Sometimes though, I'm going to have to share a place that many people know about but that is worth reviewing for the one person who may not have heard of it. It would be an injustice if a single person in San Francisco, be it for good or for a few days, didn't know that Mitchell's Ice Cream is a must.

My first visit to the city last year was a whirlwind – shopping on Haight Street, visiting Coit Tower and Fisherman's Wharf, hitting Ocean Beach and the Musee Mecanique. In all of the sightseeing, my partner made very sure that we made it to Mitchell's, and, being a New England girl, I was surprised to find myself contemplating my now wavering loyalty to my favorite Vermont based ice cream men.

Mitchell's is open from 11:00 to 11:00 daily, and I've never once arrived and been able to go straight to the counter. Sometimes the line is ten or more people, and their deli style ticket dispenser is absolutely necessary. Other times, just a few people are ahead of me and I get a little panicky because I know I'll never make up my mind before it's my turn. With over fifty flavors of ice cream and sorbet in their standard queue and seasonal flavors on a rotating schedule, choosing what's going to land on my cone or in my cup is a difficult task. Thankfully, the staff is very helpful and friendly, and they'll let you sample any flavors you want without once looking at the growing line behind you.

Perhaps their most famous flavor selection is the tropical group – from avocado to lychee to thai tea, choosing a scoop from the tropical list is always an adventure of the most delicious kind. If you're not sure where to start, try a delicious Halo Halo, a traditional Philippine summer cooler (only made in Spring, Summer, and early Fall). If you're looking to get a couple of different scoops but don't know what flavors are going to taste best together, ask your server – they're always ready with an amazing combination that's guaranteed to make mouths happy.

My most recent Mitchell's experience, as suggested by my server? Their seasonal Pumpkin Ice Cream atop a scoop of Mexican Chocolate. The cinnamon of the Mexican Chocolate combined with the explosion of spices and cream in the Pumpkin was just like something that should be served after every holiday dinner. And it can – Mitchell's also pre-packs half-gallons of all of their flavors, and will hand pack a quart, pint, or half pint at your request. For larger gatherings, one and a half gallon or three gallon containers are available, as are round cakes, sheet cakes, and pies.

Visit Mitchell's and see why they've been a San Francisco favorite, earning awards and recognition from magazines, television shows, and local publications and fairs, for over fifty years.