There isn’t much for me to say about Herrell’s that I haven’t said already , but it’s still one of my favorite places around. They make their own ice cream, and their frappes (known to people outside the area as “milkshakes,” I guess) regularly win awards.

If you’re done at Herrell’s but still feel the need to continue snacking, you might want to consider the “Fun Food Bazaar,” which is about fifty feet to the east. Last I checked (yesterday), they were advertising a “snow-eating contest.” Snow’s not exactly ice cream, but an eating contest is an eating contest.

It might just be the fact that almost everyone I know is friends with an employee and can get things for free, but it seems to me like JP Licks is close to synonymous with ice cream in Boston. There are better-tasting places to go, in my opinion, but there’s something about JP Licks that’s just next to “ice cream” in my psychological dictionary. I guess that’s what they call “branding.”

Christina’s is absolutely on the short list of best ice cream spots in the area. Last time I went, it was with a friend of mine who is also named Christina. The effect this had on the taste of my ice cream is negligible, but it was delicious anyway and your mileage may, of course, vary.

When a method to get all the way out to Newton is afoot (Look how far away it is from the rest of the map! Cripes!), Cabots is absolutely my go-to spot for local ice cream. It’s got a bunch of stupid crap on the walls and wacky dish names that are embarrassing to say and all the other hallmark features of an excellent ice cream joint. Five stars.

Emack & Bolio’s is fine. They are a place that will exchange money for unremarkable ice cream and related desserts. That’s okay by me. The name is catchy.

For the health-conscious, Berryline serves frozen yogurt that pretty much knocks it out of the park. Ice cream it ain’t, of course, but if frozen yogurt is your thing then make a beeline to Berryline.

What a horrible joke.

Earlier this year Toscanini’s was shut down for “nonpayment of taxes.” That’s bad. People liked the place so much, however, that they forgave the probably-crooked owner and bailed him out with personal donations. That’s devotion. This place is good, but it probably boils down to whether or not you’re down with supporting a guy who calls on people who give him money anyway to bail him out of financial trouble.