Here's the scoop on a sampling of SouthCoast stands

By Debra Altschiller, Standard-Times correspondent

There are vanilla people and there is everybody else. Ice cream flavors and favorites can spark fierce loyalties. More than half of Americans pick vanilla as their favorite flavor in this season of heat, humidity, mosquitoes and beaches.

When summer began, ice cream stands across the SouthCoast opened their shutters and began doling out scoops of frozen heaven. Undoubtedly you have a favorite in your neck of the woods. We decided to visit a few of these summer ice cream havens to see what was hot.

Our first stop was Clark's Point Creamery in New Bedford, located at 26 Brock Ave., next door to Me & Ed's Restaurant. Clark's Point Creamery is owned and operated by Peter Lorenco and Jack Stellato. The shop is covered with a cow motif and is located at the halfway point of the bike path. Clark's Point serves Giffords Famous Ice Cream from Maine.

A generous single scoop will cost you $1.25, with 25 cents extra for jimmies. A double scoop is $1.85, and the three-scoop cone will set you back $2.15 and will be a challenge to eat. Clark's Point makes sundaes and shakes and will also hand-pack pints and quarts of the rich, creamy ice cream.

"The 14 percent butterfat makes it rich," says co-owner Stellato. "My favorite flavor is 'moose tracks.' It's a vanilla-based ice cream with chocolate chunks and tiny Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. It's awesome. My kids, though, they are vanilla kids."

Two of the other popular flavors this year at Clark's Point Creamery are "Maine black fly," which is a vanilla base with strawberries and chocolate chips, and "muddy sneakers," which, according to Mr. Stellato, is similar to a Milky Way bar.

Clark's Point is open from noon to eight on weekdays and noon to nine on weekends.

Our next stop on the ice cream tour took us to a landmark in South Dartmouth -- Salvador's -- the huge black milk jug located on Smith Neck Road a stone's throw from Round Hill Beach.

Owner Dottie Brasells scoops ice cream in the jug, and leaves daily operations to her daughter Carol Brasells and partner Cathy Debalsi.

"I've been doing this since I was 13 years old," says Carol Brasells.

"It's an adventure meeting all new people and they are from all over. We've made a lot of friends. I especially love seeing the same families come back year after year," says Ms. Brasells, whose favorite flavor this season is coffee. Her partner's is chocolate chip cookie dough; Mom Brasells' prefers maple walnut.

Salvador's ice cream comes from Hood & Bliss Brothers from Attleboro, and is scooped seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. You can enjoy your frozen treat as you watch the sheep and llama frolic in the fields of Aries Farm behind Savador's milk jug.

A kiddie cone will run you $1.35 with 25 cents extra for jimmies. A generous single scoop goes for $1.85 and a two-scoop large is $1.95. Salvador's offers 22 flavors and five specialty flavors that change weekly. You can take home a hand-packed pint for $4 or a quart for $5.

The most popular flavor at Salvador's this summer is frozen pudding, a vanilla-based flavor with cherries, raisins, tangerine and rum flavoring. Buttercrunch and good old vanilla are also favorites.

Another South Dartmouth institution is Dockside Ice Cream, located at the foot of the Padanaram Bridge.

Rosa Johnson has been serving heaping cones along with a beautiful smile for 14 years.

"I just enjoy meeting people," she says of her work. "I have some regular customers and I know them by what kind of ice cream they want, but I can't remember their names."

Ms. Johnson doles out ice cream seven days a week, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. from April 1 through the end of October. She offers 35 flavors made by Garelick-Lynn (the former West Lynn Creamery has been acquired by Garelick Farms). Ms. Johnson serves two sizes -- small and large cones. A small cone comes with a heaping two scoops and will cost you $1.25; for the big appetite, an almost four-scoop large is $1.75. The best bargain is no charge for jimmies. You can get sundaes and hand-packed quarts and pints.

"I like to make banana splits," says Ms. Johnson. "It takes a while, but it's worth it."

One of the specialty summer drinks at The Dockside is the "cooler." Made with sherbet and ginger ale, it is frosty, not too sweet -- just perfect on hot, humid days (see recipe). The most popular flavor this year is "moose tracks," with "mud pie" following a close second. Given her choice, Ms. Johnson prefers a scoop of vanilla or maple walnut.

Virtually every SouthCoast community has a noteworthy place to find ice cream treats when the weather turns hot. In Mattapoisett, flock to Oxford Creamery on Route 6, and in Westport, the Handy Hill Creamery on Route 88 is a popular stop. Wherever you go this summer, one thing is certain, there's no sweeter way to stay cool on a hot summer day than with a big scoop of ice cream.

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