Sunday is National Ice Cream Day, and while I’m loathe to become tethered to National [Insert Name of Food] Days, I’ll make an exception here. Have you walked along a parking lot at 2:30 lately? Consider a scoop (or two) of the frozen concoction as a respite from the outdoor steam bath.

Our two contestants are Bright Ice Scoop Shop (St. Pete) and Chill Bros. (Tampa). Both locally owned brands opened their first stores in 2019, and have grow to five locations. Each makes small-batch ice cream in its home city. So, a good matchup.

I used a chocolate ice cream as my baseline, and then added another wildcard flavor at each place. I’ll rank them at the end.

BRIGHT ICE

We arrived at the flagship store on 5th Avenue North on Tuesday around 8, under a crepuscular sky. I ordered Deepest Darkest Chocolate Secret as Baseline #1.

Blueberries With Cinnamon captured my fancy for Wildcard #1. The counter kid said he’d been told it tasted like blueberry pie. I asked him if he’d tried it. He said no. “You don’t sample your own ice cream?” I chided. A bit nonplussed, he replied, “I’ve never had blueberry pie.”

I chose to have both scoops in a waffle bowl ($8.25 total). The mounds were huge. We ate inside, which is the only reasonable thing to do when it’s hovering around 90 outdoors.

Appearance

You saw the lead photo at top. Here’s closer look.

Taste and Texture

Baseline #1 was lusciously creamy, with the ideal level of dark-chocolate intensity. I stayed there for a few spoonfuls, but Wildcard #1 beckoned. The blueberry and cinnamon flavors were exquisitely balanced, each complementing the other. And then: actual blueberries — frozen, so they delivered a pop of fruitiness. I judiciously incorporated pieces of waffle cone.

I had intended to eat my share of the double-scoop, bring it home in an air-conditioned vehicle and rush it to the freezer for later. Ah, the best laid plans … My share turned out to be all of it.

CHILL BROS.

It was 4:15 on Wednesday when we pulled up to the South Tampa store under full sun. I would’ve dashed inside but for the picture-taking. The white-walled interior was bright and airy with a fun, multi-colored swirl on the ceiling. Chill Bros. does not have standard chocolate on its menu, so I ordered Belgian Brownie as Baseline #2.

I puzzled over Wildcard #2, tried a few mini-spoonfuls and finally decided on Guava Pastelito (named after a Cuban pastry). I got them in separate bowls ($6.85 each). We sat indoors next to the window.

Appearance

What good would words do?

Taste and Texture

Baseline #1 had an intrinsic advantage over the competition because it included brownies — some bits and a few chewy chunks. Delightful, as was the ice cream itself.

Wildcard #2 had a complex flavor that I struggled to get my tastebuds around. I liked it, but thought it just a tad too sweet. The guava flavor was potent, and I encountered one bite that included an actual piece of the fruit. The flavor grew on me over time. Bonnie loved it, so between the two of us we polished off both ample scoops.

To the Rankings! …

1 — Blueberries with Cinnamon, Wildcard #1, Bright Ice (a veritable revelation).

2 — Belgian Brownie, Baseline #2, Chill Bros. (benefited from the chunky X factor).

3 — Deepest Darkest Chocolate Secret, Baseline #3, Bright Ice (but for the brownie).

4 — Guava Pastelito, Wildcard #2, Chill Bros. (would’ve been Bonnie’s No. 1, but she does not vote).

Enjoy National Ice Cream Day.

And now that England and France are out of the World Cup — go Venezuela!