MooTime Creamery

The hand-rolled waffle cones hit you first — that warm vanilla smell drifting out the door, cones made fresh throughout the day instead of sitting in a box since Tuesday. It's the kind of detail that makes sense once you remember this shop sits on the island that houses the Del, where cutting corners just isn't how things are done.

The signature move is the Moopie: ice cream sandwiched between two oversized cookies, then loaded with mix-ins. Birthday cake ice cream with cookie dough between snickerdoodle cookies isn't a decision you make lightly, but it's the sort of thing that works when you've just biked the Silver Strand and earned it. The Cookie Monster flavor shows up in reviews like a local legend — bright blue, unapologetically sweet, the kind of thing kids beg for and parents pretend to resist before ordering their own scoop.

For groups, there's the flight: six scoops in an egg carton, which solves the problem of four people wanting to try everything. Apple pie ice cream tastes exactly like the name promises. The portions skew generous without crossing into wasteful — this is a navy town, after all, where value matters even when you're treating yourself.

Lines form most afternoons, especially summer weekends when the ferry dumps tourists onto Orange Avenue. The staff keeps it moving without rushing you through the decision paralysis of twenty flavors. Root beer floats are available for anyone still honoring the old ways. No seating drama — this is a grab-and-walk situation, which works perfectly when the beach or the bridge view is two minutes away.

Cash and card both work. Parking on Orange requires patience or a willingness to circle. Worth it for ice cream this thick, this fresh, from cones that were still warm an hour ago.