Brown Dog Handcrafted Premium Ice Cream
About five years ago, Miriam Elton set out to solve a problem: Her small Eastern Shore beach town was in need of a premium ice cream store. The result? Ice cream done right. At Brown Dog Ice Cream in Cape Charles, Elton treats her creamy creations with care—no artificial flavors, just fresh ingredients that are prepared and cooked for you to see and feel and taste.
The varieties on offer at Brown Dog Ice Cream, like beet and goat cheese with pistachio, or avocado with strawberry, lime and jalapeno, sound more farm-to-table restaurant than seaside ice cream store, and that’s no accident. “We try to be creative and we try to use local fruit and vegetables,” says Elton, 53, originally from Loudoun County. “So whatever becomes available from local farmers, I try to create a recipe.”
Elton does the prep work in the kitchen, roasting and cooking ingredients like local apricots, peaches, wineberries, plums, corn, figs, strawberries and blackberries. She then incorporates them into the ice cream during the freezing process. In the end, the formula is pretty simple: “The best ingredients equal the best ice cream,” says Elton. Kids, she adds, particularly enjoy chilling out in her shop with the real brown dog, Foster. Prices vary by serving size. Facebook.com/browndogicecream
See all the Made in Virginia 2015 Winners!
Overall Winner
Fern and Roby, Richmond
Home
Monolith Studios, Charlottesville (category winner)
Huger Embroidery, Richmond
Duvall Designs, Millwood
Owen Suter’s Fine Furniture, Richmond
Style
Shockoe Atelier, Richmond (category winner)
Rockbridge Guitar Company, Charlottesville
Melissa Lew Jewelry, South Riding
North End Bag Co., Virginia Beach
Drink
Belle Isle Craft Spirits, Richmond (category winner)
Early Mountain Vineyards, Madison
Texas Beach, Richmond
LUMI Juice, Charlottesville
Food
Brown Dog Handcrafted Premium Ice Cream, Cape Charles (category winner)
S. Wallace Edwards & Sons, Surry
Swover Creek Farms, Edinburg
Pennacook Peppers, Virginia Beach
Click here to see 2014 winners.
Click here to see 2013 winners.
Click here to see 2012 winners.
