Oh me, oh my! If you…read morecheck my reviews, you'll find LOTS of ice cream spots in my history. I'm a glutton for a creamy, frozen ball of deliciousness. Polar Bear did not disappoint. Ate lunch in the area but had to grab some scoops from the oval spot. I ordered the thin mint and chocolate/peanut butter double in a waffle cone. It was ice cream perfection! The mint was fresh and tasty with HUGE chunks of chocolate and the peanut butter/chocolate was deep and rich. The waffle cone added a nice crunch overall. The employees were friendly, fast, and helpful in answering questions about ingredients and allowing a few samples. Shop is small but was walk through so the layout works well being on the corner or a busy intersection. Highly recommend Polar Bear Ice Cream - like, seriously, you have to stop here!!

Great experience at Polar Bear Ice Cream, as the staff were kind, patient and helpful and the…read morelocation is convenient and easy to find. The menu has a good range of flavors and you can sample and try any that you might be interested in. My mom got the lemon sorbet after sampling a blackberry flavor and a honey lavender one. I opted to skip the samples and choose one of my go-to flavors - thin mint, which was delicious. It was such a refreshing treat! The shop also has some seating and chairs where you can sit and enjoy your ice cream. The prices were pretty reasonable and while we ordered junior scoops, the portion size was larger than expected. Definitely recommend!

This little snack spot on the Boardwalk may be my 2nd fave after Tater Twists. The menu doesn't…read morehave many options but even if they only served the pineapple Dole Whip it would be ok because that is all I need, lol. Creamy and sweet, it tastes just like the one I get in Disneyland...IYKYK. DELICIOUS!

I love a nice refreshing dole whip! I got the float which comes with a strawberry and pineapple…read moreswirl and pineapple juice! Very refreshing and super cute that it came with a drink umbrella. I also really love that they have paper straws, and not plastic and that they've gone compostable for cups! Way to go! This was the perfect treat for a nice stroll along the beach toward the lighthouse!

Went to try those viral fruit shaped desserts, and they're actually pretty good. So good we went…read moreback a second time. They ARE pricy though so just be aware. So far Mango is the best flavor we tried. Banana was good but it is a little small. Strawberry was good. Passionfruit was too sour for us. Blueberry was good but not my mothers favorite. Raspberry was a little on the sour side as well. The man behind the counter was very friendly, if its your first time and you like sweets probably get the mango, banana, strawberry and blueberry. We didn't get the coconut because that also has passionfruit inside which was sour. Nor any of the more dense choco or PB flavor ones.

3/5: I tried the mango $12 and coffee $11. I think these are over-hyped. The infused ganache inside…read moreis missing flavor complexity, and the texture is too greasy; more like a pudding than a mousse or chocolate ganache. The crunchy coating has no value add for me; it seems more like a gimmick. I'd rather have no coating, but higher quality flavor. Be aware that on a hot day, you need to either eat it right away, or get it to your refrigerator super fast, before the coating melts.

This one was difficult. It was really closer to a 2.5 for me, but with all of the other ice cream…read moreplaces around town, Cruz Creamery just really misses the spot. Ultimately, we came here because the other one that we wanted to go to down the street had a line into the parking lot. In hindsight, we probably should have just waited. The ice cream here just didn't stand out. It melted too quickly-almost like it wasn't really kept cold cold. The flavors meshed together and didn't really pop and you know something is odd when after going through 4 flavors, the lady up front say, "that's the best", or "that's one of my favorites" to each and every one of them. Getting your order mixed up was also a deduction. I wanted a brownie sundae and because she was out of hot fudge, asked if that could be replaced with caramel. I said yes, but ended up just getting a caramel sundae without the brownies?! Unfortunately I didn't notice until after I sat down with my sundae to which point, I just didn't care enough to get it fixed. The place seemed dingy and confused. With ice cream, but froyo, it could be a bit confusing. Overall, it just didn't seem genuine. There are too many ice cream shops around and to call this one a local and community focused ice cream shop seems like a bit of a stretch to me.

Cool dessert shop offering lovely lounge seating, ample space, a froyo station with a variety of…read moretoppings in the yogurt bar, and plenty of ice cream flavors in the display case, including vegan and sorbet options. There were 4 types of chocolate available, but no dark chocolate. I opted for a double chocolate fudge brownie milkshake. They didn't have lowfat milk but the worker was friendly and offered to put less milk. Strangely, the shake ended up being on the watery side. It also wasn't quite filled to the top, and even got foamy at the surface. But it was delicious nonetheless.

Heard about Santa Cruz's famous Marianne's ice cream years ago but finally had chance to stop by…read moreafter visit to Natural Bridges State Park to see Monarch butterflies. This is the newer shop attached to the factory (would be so cool if there were window to peek into the factory). I thought Marianne's would be like Fenton's in Oakland with more classic American flavors but I was immediately impressed by the vast selection of flavors listed on wall grouped by more classic, chocolate based, fruity, nut based and original creations. Can ask for free samples. Staff is kind and patient as you try to decide. DH and I split a double cup with ollaliberry with honey and classic vanilla in cup with a cone on top. Definitely very rich and creamy. Will definitely stop by next time in area! Parking lot is very small, street parking is available. Some bar seating inside and benches outside.

Amazing ice cream flavors, cool employees, fair prices. Not much atmosphere b/c it's just a big…read moreroom that can hold dozens of customers. I enjoyed a double (Mexican chocolate and Heaven ice cream scoops) Sundae with in-house made whipped cream, hot fudge and Oreo crumble instead of nuts, the cherry on top was dark, and semi-sweet (not the typical maraschino type fortunately). Btw, Heaven is vanilla ice cream with peanut butter fudge and brownies - deliciousness! Yeah, I will definitely be back ;-)

Okay, for those who love cookies I know this is a chain but the cookies are just really good. And…read morefor the cookie purist I may be cooked at the stake but they often have cookies from the previous day in their displays. And in my humble opinion a cookie from yesterday taste almost... as good as a cookie from today. But a cookie from yesterday that costs a third as much as the one from today just tastes somehow even better. Some might argue it makes me cheap but I like to think it just says I am frugal and I am saving my money to spend it at yet another culinary jewel awaiting my discovery.

A Hidden Gem in the Capitola Mall!…read more Sherri's Cookies is truly a hidden gem tucked inside the Capitola Mall! I believe it's run by the kindest married couple, and you can feel their warmth and passion the moment you walk in -- always greeted with a smile. The cookies are soft, fresh, and absolutely delicious, but that's just the beginning! They also have amazing coffee drinks, fresh pastries, and the most beautiful chocolate-covered strawberries that taste as good as they look. Everything feels homemade with love and attention to detail. Whether you're stopping by for your morning coffee, treating yourself to a sweet snack, or grabbing a thoughtful gift, this place never disappoints. Friendly service, cozy vibes, and unforgettable treats -- Sherri's Cookies is a must-visit!

Described as a cross between a cookie, candy bar, and pie (all things I love), I couldn't resist…read morechecking out the Cracked Cookies booth while attending the Spring Fling Mega Market in Santa Cruz this past Sunday. Creations in a variety of delectable flavors. I got the chocolate peanut butter and brown butter nutella. Sticky and dense, it had the consistency of raw cookie dough and was just as rich in taste. Perfect if you're in the mood for a brownie, as that's what the chocolate flavors are reminiscent of. I enjoyed the brown butter cookie too, though it was a bit salty on top. Altogether the cookies are on the sweet side, a little too sweet for my taste. But Cracked Cookies definitely provides a unique product, and it was strangely more delicious as leftovers.

From deep fried sweet treats to savory snacks like hot dogs and pizza, I've enjoyed many of the…read moreclassic carnival fare offered on the boardwalk by Whiting's food vendors. Some are consistently good, like the funnel cakes which are my fave, while others are cheaper quality at a higher price, typical for a tourist destination and amusement park. This past weekend, I grabbed a milkshake and chocolate filled churro from two different dessert stands, and the quality was not bad. No complaints about service either.

Whiting's Foods this year celebrates 70 years of operating concessions at Santa Cruz Beach…read moreBoardwalk, coinciding with the 10-year mark of a review that panned the company's revision of possibly its most innovative product ever. Jenny Whiting Gump, director of Whiting's marketing, wrote in her featured 5/24/23 SCBB "Boardwalk Archives" piece about the return of what I termed the OG Sandae in a 9/24/13 review: "In addition to creating new menu items, we have also recently brought back one of our original menu items, the Sandae (not sundae!). This cherished frozen novelty consists of chocolate malt ice cream between two graham crackers, dipped in chocolate, and the name comes from the unique topping - a dusting of crushed almonds that resembles sand." Wow, that sounds pretty darn familiar. From the aforementioned review: "In days of old, the attendant would remove from the freezer a graham-cracker ice-cream sandwich, dip it in chocolate and, before the coating could solidify, dredge it through a tray of nuts ground into a powdery texture, resembling sand, and hand it to you protected by a sheet of wax tissue." No need to further rip the successor Sandae (see first review). Neither the Whiting's website nor the 'net has any info on that product or its debut date. The firm mentions in passing the OG's revival as early as 2020, when it sought trademarks for a cellophane-packaged authentic Sandae and its name, registered in 2021. Created in 1935--arguably the equal of the storied It's-It from San Francisco's late Playland--Sandae and its Boardwalk owner-concessionaire were acquired in 1953 to found Whiting's, which decades later cast the confection to the sea gulls. What better time than now to bury that blunder, regain elderly purists, and allure all those with a sweet tooth to enjoy frozen bliss? "Boardwalk Archives" post by Jenny Whiting Gump https://blog.beachboardwalk.com/nadm-whitings-foods-celebrates-70-years/?utm_source=email&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=NADM-blo