The Scoop at Walter's in Seattle, WA 98107

This small coffee/ice cream shop - located close to Golden Gardens, the Nordic Heritage Museum, and the Ballard Locks - serves up a rotating selection of the addictive local favorite, Snoqualmie Gourmet Ice Cream, in flavors like Banana Peanut Butter, Honey Lavender, and Orange Dreamsicle. Its mainstays include Mukilteo Mudd, Cookie Dough, and Vanilla. Look for espresso, bottled juices, Cokes in those cool little bottles, and Top Pot donuts.

The shop has an affable small-town feel that reflects the Sunset Hill neighborhood where it's located, as families wander in and out and sit at the sidewalk table on warm evenings. The kids who work behind the counter in the evenings are always patient with our children's endless decision-making, and cheerfully hand out samples upon request.