Celebrate National Ice Cream Month

With July being one of the hottest months of the year, it makes sense that it also just so happens to be National Ice Cream Month. In honor of the sweet treat worth screaming for, we’ve rounded up some sources for the best ice cream in the city. And not just any old scoop shop either, these are great ice cream dishes found at steakhouses. Feel free to start screaming now.

National Ice Cream Month at Maple  Ash

Maple & Ash: When it comes to Americana summer comfort, it doesn’t get much better than a classic sundae. While these are relatively rare in steakhouses, Maple & Ash is a welcome exception. Courtesy of acclaimed, talented pastry chef Aya Fukai, one of the restaurant’s ultimate desserts (especially during the summer season) is the aptly named “Sundae Service.” True to form, the decadent dish consists of housemade chocolate, strawberry and vanilla ice creams heaped with customizable toppings like hot fudge, salted caramel, whipped cream, chocolate crunch, nuts, candied coconut, sprinkles, chocolate pearls and cherries.

Prime & Provisions: Some of the best housemade ice cream at any restaurant in Chicago, let alone a steakhouse, can be found at Prime & Provisions. There’s vanilla bean, double chocolate, and mint chocolate chip, all available by the scoop. The rest of the dessert menu in general is pretty impeccable as well, from a silky leche cake to their famous tableside s’mores presentation, which is leaps and bounds more gourmet than the typical campfire snack.

Gene & Georgetti: The spumoni is as famed as the steaks at this iconic River North staple. Along with a couple other ice cream desserts, this one is a traditional Italian molded creation featuring colorful layers of flavors like pistachio, chocolate, and cherry. Whipped cream, fruits, and nuts lend luster and texture to this refreshing rainbow of summer sweetness.

Bavette’s Bar & Boeuf: Most of the savory menu may skew French at Bavette’s Bar & Boeuf, but the desserts sing of classic American comforts. There’s chocolate cream pie, lemon meringue pie, and Chicago-style cheesecake, for instance. Then there’s the incomparable ice creams, delightful in their sweet simplicity. Flavors include vanilla, salted caramel, and strawberry. There’s also mixed berry sorbet for something lighter. Complimentary hot fudge is also available upon request in case you want to take it to the next level.

RL: This Michigan Avenue staple exceeds expectations with inventive, seasonal, and stunningly fresh desserts. For summer, this includes a healthy amount of ice cream. Try the strawberry rhubarb pie in a lard crust with strawberry ice cream, or the chocolate ganache cake with brandied chocolate cream, pecans, and vanilla ice cream.

RPM Steak: Along with Nutella bread pudding with banana ice cream and a popcorn and peanuts dessert served with peanut butter ice cream, RPM Steak features their signature baked Alaska. The almighty dessert is a take on one of the most legendary ice cream dishes of all time, wherein ice cream and cake are enrobed in meringue and torched. Here, the ice cream in question is salted caramel and vanilla, adorned with warm chocolate sauce and prepared table side.

Eddie Merlot’s: One of the signature desserts at Eddie Merlot’s is famous for good reason. The bananas Foster is a table side dish designed for two, featuring a mix of Jamaican dark rum, banana liqueur, brown sugar, butter, and bananas all sauteed together before being draped over vanilla bean ice cream. It’s plated just as the warm, caramel-y medley is melting down into the ice cream, and it’s absolutely perfect.

Erie Cafe: Embrace your whimsical side with some sweets at Erie Cafe. After you’ve polished off your dinner and you’re ready for desserts, some of the best ice cream dishes on the menu speak to your inner child, tugging on nostalgia strings with items like root beer floats and chocolate lava cake a la mode.