Ice cream is not only one of the best possible summer desserts; it's one of the foods suited to eating-while-blogging, if you have a dish instead of a cone. I note that blogging while eating a cone is not recommended. Mallard Ice Cream and Cafe, on 1323 Railroad Avenue in Bellingham, Washington is a Bellingham institution beloved by locals and exceedingly well-respected as a supplier of ice cream to local restaurants. They make all their own ice cream, right on the premises, and offer an astonishing variety of flavors. Sure, they have the standard vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, and even the slightly less common varieties; you can find lemon cheesecake, coconut chocolate chunk with almonds, butter pecan, mocha, or green tea.

Where Mallard's really stands out is in the wide variety of slightly unusual flavors, like cinnamon, Earl Grey, basil, ginger, lavender, cayenne-chocolate, raspberry-mint, or vanilla with black pepper. And all the ice cream is made with fresh ingredients. You can get several sizes of sugar cone or dishes, or even pints. There's a case near of pre-packed pints near the counter, but they'll gladly pack one just for you. It's worthwhile taking a few minutes to look at what's being offered on any given day—it changes very frequently, and there's often just a brief window of time for a variety that's made with seasonal fruit, like fresh Washington Cherries or Blackberries. You can request samples if you want to try a flavor, or be adventurous and combine two different flavors in a single cone or scoop.

They also have tables inside and out, and off to the side are board games to play with your kids while you enjoy your ice cream. Do bring cash or a checkbook though; they don't take credit cards.