Best of Cleveland 2017: Rolled Ice Cream

Jimmy Chen’s 2015 vacation to Thailand became a weeks-long business trip when he discovered a made-to-order, fresh fruit-based dessert called rolled ice cream. “Something changed in me,” he says. “I stayed there and asked people, ‘Can you teach me how to do this?’ ” Lucky for us, they did. At 8 Below Ice Cream in Mentor, customers watch each order made in front of them on a negative-20-degree-Fahrenheit surface. Fresh fruit and other flavorings are chopped and mixed into liquid cream as it slowly solidifies. Then, in a Snapchat-worthy moment, it’s scraped off the surface into tight rolls and topped with graham cracker, whipped cream, candy, fruit and more. While you can try S’mores Galore ($5.99) and the minty Oreo’s Secret ($5.99), the real experience is in traditional options such as the Green Giant ($5.99), which mixes matcha green tea and strawberry. “If you want old-time ice cream, go to the grocery store, but you can’t get this kind anywhere else.” 7641 Mentor Ave., Mentor, 440-856-1398