Beat the heat with treats from Jeni’s Ice Cream

Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams — called “America’s best” by Time magazine — brings its Columbus, Ohio-born craft to Shirlington Village at 4150 Campbell Avenue, with founder Jeni Britton Bauer’s James Beard Award-winning approach to ice cream making at the heart of every scoop.  What sets Jeni’s apart is the rigor behind the flavor creation: every recipe is developed with the same seriousness a pastry chef brings to dessert, using grass-grazed dairy, Fair Trade cocoa, and real fruit — no artificial flavors, no shortcuts. The results are ice creams that taste precisely and powerfully like exactly what they’re supposed to be.

The flavor roster rotates seasonally but perennial favorites include Brambleberry Crisp (vanilla with blackberry jam and oat streusel), Brown Butter Almond Brittle (buttercream with caramelized almond candy), and the Darkest Chocolate — made with three times the cocoa of a standard chocolate ice cream and genuinely intense. Dairy-free and gluten-free options are woven throughout the menu, not treated as afterthoughts. Even in the middle of winter, the Shirlington location draws steady crowds from open through closing, which tells you everything you need to know about the quality. Open daily from noon to 11 p.m. The Shirlington Village location sits steps from Signature Theatre, making a pre- or post-show scoop a natural pairing. Order ahead at jenis.com or walk in.