About Town: The Local Scoop

Nothing screams summer more than ice cream, so we thought it would be great to do a column on where to find ye olde ice cream shoppes. While conducting our research, we visited as many places as we could, and ate more ice cream than we dare admit. (What sacrifice, dear readers!) 

Listed below are our favorite ice cream shoppes. And guess what? They’re all independently owned. The whole long summer lies ahead, so take time out to visit these places and support local owners. And don't forget to let us know what you think.

, 468 Cedar Lane, Teaneck

A perennial favorite of our parents and grandparents, Bischoff’s is a traditional old-fashioned ice cream parlor and candy shop and the place to go if you want to completely satisfy your confectionary cravings.

Bischoff’s ice cream is homemade (on the premises), but whereas Van Dyk’s (see below) is a hidden treasure, Bischoff’s is a beacon on Cedar Lane. You can either eat your ice cream on a stool, at the counter or sit at one of the tables.

Don’t ever describe Bischoff’s as a retro ice cream parlor—it’s old-fashioned because it is an original ice cream parlor. If you’re in a decadent mood or just having one of those days, order the Battleship Sundae—words just can’t describe it. Bischoff’s is the type of place that newer establishments try to emulate, but come to the original.

, 145 Ackerman Ave., Ridgewood

Family-owned Van Dyk’s has been making ice cream in Ridgewood for so long that they’ve cornered the market in great tasting homemade ice cream.  And that's all they serve--no candy, no food--justall  ice cream, all the time.

They have an extensive selection of distinctive homemade flavors such as Strawberry Oreo, German Chocolate Crunch, Cotton Candy, Cheesecake Crunch, and much, much more. If you like Strawberry, Van Dyk’s is sublime—it’s as if you’re eating fresh strawberries and cream.

Some of you Patch ice cream connoisseurs out there might be asking how it is that you've never heard of Van Dyk’s. They don’t advertise and they don’t have a website. So, unless you live in Ridgewood, got lost driving in Ridgewood or someone told you about it, you’ll never find it.

Far removed from the downtown business district, Van Dyk’s is set far back from the road in the middle of a non-descript residential area. It has one worn white wooden sign that's conspicuously missing a letter. 

Lean in closely and we’ll tell you how to find it: Take West Ridgewood Ave. until you can go no further; turn right at N. Broad St., turn left at the light and go under the train trestle (this is Garber Sq.); stay on the right side of the road (it turns into Godwin Ave.) and turn left onto Ackerman Ave. Van Dyk’s is on your left.

Van Dyk’s is take-out only. Walk through one screen door, order, then walk out the other screen door. Once you have cone in hand it’s off to the parking lot with the rest of the ice cream lovers, but sitting outside in the soft summer night talking to strangers--the aroma of ice cream and Coppertone flavoring the air--you’ll feel like you’re down the shore, except you didn’t have to sit in three hours of traffic to get there. (However, we make no guarantees for the ride back to Fort Lee—if there’s an accident on the bridge and a Yankee game, you’re in for the long haul.)   

Conrad’s Ice Cream Parlor & Luncheonette, 107 Westwood Ave., Westwood

Family owned and operated since 1928, Conrad’s is an old-fashioned ice cream parlor, confectionary story and luncheonette. Stepping inside is like time traveling back to the 1950s. People come here for one thing, and that's ice cream. Summer nights get so crowded they serve ice cream from a sliding glass window. People line the sidewalk waiting to place their order.

While waiting to be served, a customer standing in line in front of us turned around and said Conrad’s  is “ice cream heaven.” We have to agree that the chocolate ice cream was possibly the best chocolate ice cream we’ve ever had, which, being an ardent chocolate lover, is saying something.

Town Scoop, 135 Park Ave., Park Ridge  

We stumbled onto this ice cream parlor when we were lost in Park Ridge trying to find the field where our travelling baseball team was playing. Seeing all the happy faces licking cones on a nearby bench, we decided to return to Town Scoop after the game and treat the boys. After almost three hours of baseball, were they ever glad we did!

A customer told us that Town Scoop changed owners last year, but it still serves some delicious ice cream. If a group of uniformed, sweaty 8-year-old boys is any indication, then we’d say Town Scoop hit a homerun (Thank goodness for that, because nobody on our team did that night!).

Ice Cream Charlie’s, 200 Park Ave., Rutherford

In Rutherford, Ice Cream Charlie’s is to ice cream what Johnny Meatballs is to meatballs—family owned and homemade. It doesn’t get any better than that. If you’re a fan of cherry vanilla, you’ll think you’ve died and gone to Bing cherry heaven. The creamy vanilla is overloaded with humungous chunks of cherries. If you didn’t have an ice cream addiction before you walked in, it’s quite possible you’ll leave with one.