Hot, isn’t it?

A smooth, sweet — and cold — ice cream sundae might offer a respite from the summer scorch, especially since it’s advisable to eat an ice cream sundae indoors, because outdoors in the heat will quickly turn it into soup.

I’d like to say that I planned this FFF to recognize National Ice Cream Day, which is (appropriately) Sunday, but that would be an untruth. I didn’t know NICD existed until Wednesday, a day after I sundae’d with my first contestant. But hey, I gladly accept the serendipity. So — Happy National Ice Cream Day everybody!

My primary criterion in choosing competitors was that they make their ice cream in house and in small batches. It wasn’t easy to find two that also serve sundaes. They are: Small Batch Creamery on 4th Street in St. Pete and Let it Be Ice Cream in Gulfport.

SMALL BATCH CREAMERY

We entered SBC’s brightly lit interior at 9 p.m., a half-hour before closing. The AC was cranked a little past comfortable, but I didn’t complain.

The young and enthusiastic counter guy guided us through the the process of building a sundae that met our every desire. For our two-scoop Hot Fudge Sundae ($8.50), we decided to use vanilla as a control flavor, and then throw caution to the wind on the other.

Counter guy suggested Butter Cookie Crunch, with bits of Biscoff cookies, and gave us a scoop. Yum. Bonnie and I nodded in unison.

We also chose to have the ice cream placed in a waffle-cone shell, which I had a hunch was SBC’s secret weapon. We added medium portions of chocolate and caramel sauce (the latter at Bonnie’s insistence), whipped cream, a few peanuts and a dash of sprinkles for color.

Appearance

A handsome dessert, although it didn’t look like the typical hot fudge sundae with chocolate sauce slathered on top. This one had it near the bottom, basically hidden from view. The waffle-cone shell made me smile — and grab my spoon. After taking several photos, I could detect no meltage. We forgot that it was chilly in the place.

Texture and Taste

Everything clicked. Both flavors of ice cream were velvety and just the right level of sweet. And the sublime Butter Cookie Crunch did not get lost amid the other ingredients.

The nuts added crunch and the sprinkles stayed out of the way after their photo op. The fudge sauces, covered by ice cream, were not hot, and had in fact congealed. But that’s a microscopic complaint.

As predicted, the waffle cone — also made in-house — took this sundae to the next level. It melded perfectly with the other ingredients and added some chewiness that you otherwise would not get.

LET IT BE ICE CREAM

Let me first me say that any anything that references a Beatles song earns bonus points from me.

Let it Be Ice Cream, located on the southern end of Gulfport’s quaint main drag, Beach Boulevard, does its level best to evoke a 1950s-era ice cream parlor, with a pink-and-white awning and an old-timey logo on the window; then, inside, a checkerboard floor and chrome-topped tables. Don’t expect Richie Cunningham to come boppin’ in, but ownership has managed a fair approximation.

At 4:45 on Thursday, we found a parking spot nearby — which is nigh impossible at night. For our Hot Fudge Sundae ($7.95), we used vanilla as the control flavor and for the wildcard settled on salted caramel — because what Bonnie wants, Bonnie gets, at least as pertains to ice cream sundaes.

We added nuts, light sprinkles, whipped cream and gave the go-ahead on a cherry.

Appearance

Another handsome sundae, highlighted by a big dollop of whipped cream squiggled with fudge sauce. The cherry on top was dark. It all rested in a conventional cardboard container.

Texture and Taste

It was immediately apparent that the house-made ice cream was of superior quality, with a density and smoothness that was spot-on. The caramel ice cream had a potency that provided welcome flavor contrast. Like the competition’s, this fudge was cooled by its juxtaposition to the cold stuff.

The nuts added some crunch and additonal saltiness. The sprinkles made themselves scarce. I enjoyed some final scoops of rich chocolate sauce that I found lingering on the bottom.

And the Winner of the Ice Cream Sundae Showdown Is …

Small Batch Creamery.

This was a very close call. Each ice cream parlor combined cold treats that were far superior to mass-market product. But the decision came down to the waffle-cone housing of SBC’s sundae. It added a dimension that I’d not experienced before.

For those of you who read this by Sunday, head on out and get you a sundae — or, hell, have one no matter what. Go as a couple and do the two-spoon thing. It’ll bring a bit of the kid out in you.

And you can’t go wrong with either of these shops.