403 S. Kalamazoo AvenueJ loves to get me out of the house to go hiking and one of the best ways to do that is for us to take a “destination” hike. That allows me to find someplace to eat and, with any luck, find some ice cream treats for the kids.
Our destination for this hike was Coldwater. We met some friends for a sweaty four mile hike along the Sauk River on the Linear Park Trail. We got a pretty tasty lunch at The Willows Bar & Grill then said goodbye to our friends even though we were all heading the same direction back to Kalamazoo.
I had promised the kids ice cream if they were good on the hike and at lunch and, as they have been lately, they were good so ice cream was in our future.
There are options for ice cream in Coldwater but I’ve been hearing about a place in Marshall that makes their own ice cream and has quickly become pretty popular….so we headed back to Marshall.
True North Ice Cream is on South Kalamazoo Avenue near the intersection with Spruce Street. The small red building is hard to miss as you’re heading out of town (or in to I guess). It was an ice cream shop called Side Tracks for quite a while before True North moved in in April of this year.
It was a pretty hot day (as it seems most days have been recently) when we arrived not long after opening. There were a few families already enjoying some ice cream in the small indoor seating area and a few outside as well.
The ice cream line up changes pretty often based on what they’re making. They also have a pretty big selection and anything can be used in shakes, malts, and floats. There are quite a few people working so the line moves pretty quickly.
We all went with single scoops. L got hers in a sugar cone while the rest of us did dishes.
We still have to read the flavor list to B…he’s five and starts kindergarten next year so hopefully that will change soon…and he always stops us when we get to Blue Moon. He doesn’t care about any other options. He likes Blue Moon and that’s what he always chooses. True to form, that’s what he chose this time too..
L picked one of the newer creations…Birthday Cake. True North makes all of their own flavors so there’s always something new on the menu. This one was added the middle of June. The ice cream has birthday cake sprinkles mixed in. She loved the addition of the sprinkles to the ice cream and even started humming “The Sprinkle Song” from her favorite YouTube Channel (Moriah Elizabeth).
I picked the Oreo ice cream. My mind always goes to Cookies ‘n Cream with Oreos but this is a chocolate ice cream with Oreo pieces. I don’t really like chocolate ice cream but this ice cream is so delicious it doesn’t really matter. The ice cream is just so smooth and creamy and just bursting with flavor.
J did something different. True North has “Adult Flavors” on the menu that you have to be over 21 to order which means….booze. J picked the Honey Bourbon. I snuck a little taste of it and it tasted exactly what it sounds like it should taste. There’s sweetness from the honey and a little boozy, smoky flavor from the bourbon. I’m not aware of any other place that has “Adult” ice cream so this is something that really makes True North stick out.
Our total for four ice creams, with tip, was a little over $21.
True North Ice Cream is so unique in that they actually make their own. Most places use one of about four popular ice cream places and just dip but True North does it all in house….and it really makes a difference. The quality and taste are better than what you get at the majority of ice cream shops in Southwest Michigan.