Eclectic First Day of Summer Ice Cream Picks

With summer officially upon us, there has been plenty of talk of icy delights - from boozy snow cones to Rita's debut in Plano - but if you are looking for a creamier cool down, we have a host of options for you.

From eccentrically innovative and arguably off-putting combinations to established favorites with local history, check out our ice cream picks for the first day of summer:

Bacon has trended big in 2012, and while it's true that our ancestors likely never foresaw humanity's descent toward Burger King's Bacon Sundae, City of Ate's Scott Reitz says it's "surprisingly good in that nostalgic childhood memory kind of way, until you got a bite with bacon in it. And then like all traumatic things the pain fades and you find yourself pushing more ice cream around with your spoon as a precursor to another bite."

But, the fast food royal is not the only one to mix business (protein) and pleasure (fatty, fatty sweet stuff). Among other creative chemistry on its menu, Coolhaus Ice Cream Truck boasts a "brown butter base ice cream with brown sugar candied Bacon." Not to be outdone in the meat department, word is Coolhaus also has an upcoming "Fried Chicken & Waffles" flavor with maple candied chicken skins.

For a more classic variety, Beth Marie's Old Fashioned Ice Cream in Denton offers a full-on "parlor" experience with black and white checkered floors and tin ceiling to compliment their malts, shakes, sundaes and dips, and Wild About Harry's on Knox-Henderson serves up frozen custard from a family recipe.

For those in the northern suburbs, Henry's Homemade Ice Cream in Plano is a beloved "micro-creamery" that provides ice cream for more than 400 local businesses. Henry's claims that "ice cream makes you pretty," which sounds like a win-win to us. For a European flair, Paciugo Gelato offers a variety of "concoctions" from espresso shakes and frappes to mind-melting hot/cold options like their affogato (think of it as a "coffee float") to cappuccino con gelato.

Which local ice-creamery piques your interest or tickles your fancy? Let us know in the comments below.

· All Burger King Coverage on Eater Dallas [EDFW]
· All Henry's Homemade Ice Cream Coverage on Eater Dallas [EDFW]
· Coolhaus Ice Cream Truck [Facebook]
Coolhaus Ice Cream Food Truck. [Photo: Coolhaus/Official]