As a continuation of last week’s story on the historic Pittsburgh gem, Klavon’s Ice Cream Parlor, we had the chance to talk with local icon and WQED Producer Rick Sebak about his very favorite local ice cream spots around the city.
For those of you who don’t know Rick Sebak, he’s worked with WQED since 1987. He has specialized in Pittsburgh themed documentaries and even went on to produce national documentaries because of the local success. He is a Pittsburgh icon, and we’ve heard multiple people refer to him as a local legend akin to Mister Rogers.
That being said, the man knows his local Pittsburgh facts. He’s got the scoop on all things ice cream after going around the country for his national documentary, “An Ice Cream Show”.
In our opinion, that is the perfect reason to ask Rick about his favorite ice cream flavor.
“That’s impossible to say,” Rick said. “I am guessing that I would say vanilla. Just because when I did the ice cream show, I learned from ice cream aficionados that that’s the one they want to taste. They want to taste your vanilla to see how good it is.”
We also asked Rick his opinion on the best ice cream shops in Pittsburgh. He gave us a list, and we decided to give some of ‘em a try.
😋 Get your spoons out for a taste test!
Dave and Andy’s Homemade Ice Cream
Dave and Andy’s Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough (📸: Zoey Angelucci)
I can see why so many people love Dave and Andy’s. It’s such a fun, lively spot. I got a chocolate chip cookie dough cup. It was very delicious and had real bits of cookie dough in there! If you’re ever walking around Oakland, I suggest making your way over to Dave and Andy’s Homemade Ice Cream.
Page Dairy Mart
Page Dairy Mart’s Mint Chocolate Chip (📸: Zoey Angelucci)
When I was chatting with some friends and family about this little ice cream review, they were all shocked I hadn’t been to Page Dairy Mart. Apparently, it’s a Pittsburgh staple! So based on the advice of Rick, I made my way over to the South Side to check out the road stop ice cream shop. Of course, I ordered my favorite, Mint Chocolate Chip soft serve, which was was super creamy and delicious. I definitely understand the hype and encourage you to go if you haven’t been,
Honorable mentions to Rick’s other picks: Millie’s (our Director, Francesca’s personal fav), Glen’s Custard in Springdale, and Kerber’s Dairy near Greensburg, which we didn’t get a chance to taste test for a picture.
Let us know if you try any or have any other favorite ice cream spots!
As you know, here at The Incline, we love championing our city and sharing Pittsburgh stories ─ and no one really does that better than Rick.
“It’s funny there is a book that I read when I was in South Carolina,” Rick told us. “It’s called The Last Good Kiss by James Crumley. There is a character in that book that says, ‘It doesn’t matter where you live anymore because everywhere is the same. What I try to prove all of the time is that it is not all the same. Yes, a lot of things have become franchised and standardized across the United States, but there are still wonderful places like Pittsburgh that have this weird unique quality. I love celebrating that.”