Food: Sweet Dreams

The big ice cream chains are certainly in force here in Gainesville - everything from Cold Stone Creamery to Marble Slab Creamery to Ben & Jerry's. But if you want real ice cream, ice cream that's homemade by people you can shake hands with, you should probably try Sweet Dreams of Gainesville.

Sweet Dreams is an ice cream shop nestled in a shopping center on the corner of University and 34th. They aren't as well-known as the national names, but the shop itself is modestly charming - they have a waffle iron for making waffle cones, they have a water fountain for washing down that big scoop of ice cream you just had, and they have a little play area for kids to enjoy. The real star though, as you might expect, is the ice cream.

There are some curious flavors (like "Honey Lavender" - it tastes like soap), but by and large most of these confections are winners. I've had Chocolate Hazelnut, Spicy Mayan Chocolate, Guinness-flavored ice cream (oh God yes), and all sorts of other delectable flavors. There's nothing too off the wall, though, and the friendly counter folk are happy to let you sample three or four flavors until you find the one you want. If there's any complaint, it's that the ice cream doesn't come cheap - but then again, almost every ice cream place charges you ~$4 for a waffle cone nowadays.

3/4 stars