Best Ice Cream

Cold Stone Creamery

A surprising number of people actually voted for "Stone Cold Creamery"; so many, in fact, that the Official Best of Tucson™ Vote Counter actually thought there may be a separate ice cream place by that name. There isn't: It's just Cold Stone, folks, on behalf of the cold piece of stone, chilled to freezing, on which they knead your choice of flavors together with your choice of toppings so it doesn't melt and get all soupy. It's a simple idea, really, mashing things into ice cream, but it's pure brilliance: Every bite of chocolate can also have a bit of cookie, blueberry and almond all at once. Cold Stone is allegedly a great place to spot local sports stars-they like their ice cream mixed and mashed, just like the rest of us.

Runners up:

2. Santa Barbara Ice Creamery, 2502 N. Campbell Ave., 323-1231

3. Austin's Old Fashioned Ice Cream, 2920 E. Broadway Blvd., 327-3892