Prigel Family Creamery D.C.

Get the scoop on Prigel Family Creamery

The era of the soda fountain is long gone, but sublime and completely local ice cream–scooped by members of a smiling, apron-clad family–still prevails at Prigel.

This months-old Baltimore County ice cream shop was launched by the fourth-generation owners of Bellvale Farms, a dairy across the grounds.

Though not groundbreaking in creativity, the flavors ($3 for a single; $4 for a double) triumph thanks to local fruit and nostalgic combinations that never upstage the quality of the base ingredients.

Vanilla and chocolate-chip both trumpet the naturally flavorful, slightly grassy milk that the family uses. Converts should note that the family began selling whole ($2.50 a quart) and chocolate ($2.75 a quart) milk earlier this month.

The black cherry ice cream is both creamy and juicy from the pieces of summer fruit, and nothing like the candied pink ice cream that so many commercial companies have taught us to expect. Gelato-like cinnamon spice is just as good over baked peaches as it is between sugar cookies in an ice cream sandwich ($4.50).

Autumn beckons through spiced pumpkin ice cream, which is even better with a drizzle of caramel sauce. The toppings bar also includes hot fudge, cookie bits and peanuts, but we find that simple whipped cream is the best.

Ice cream this good needs little else.

Prigel Family Creamery, 4851 Long Green Rd., Glen Arm; 410-510-7488 or prigelfamilycreamery.com