Cincy Sammy's

With summer wrapping up, I thought I'd close the month out with something we all associate with summer: Ice cream. Or, more specifically, ice cream sandwiches. And when your mom just happens to know someone with an ice cream sandwich shop, there's only so many ways this can go. Located across the street from the Mason library and next to a small souvenir-like shop, this little place is completely build-your-own, allowing customers to mix and match types of cookies with a variety of ice cream flavors and toppings. The cookie options rotate every week, but this weekend had some special ones. It turns out, the owner is a massive fan of Dolly Parton and had a few limited-edition cookies this week. Two cookies in particular got my attention. The Coat of Many Colors Confetti and The Jolene honey bun cookie. My dad, meanwhile, was interested in the banana pudding cookie. He ended up getting that one on its own while I chose the other two with vanilla ice cream in the center. Honey bun and confetti seem like an unusual combination, but the vanilla ice cream brought it together in my opinion. I took the first bite all together, than tasted the cookies individually. One consistent trait of their cookies is the softness, which I guess is important for an ice cream sandwich. The confetti cookie was more like a very colorful sugar cookie, but it was one of the best sugar cookies I've ever had. I also sampled the banana cookie my dad got, and I enjoy how they managed to get a good banana flavor in it. The white chocolate chips were a nice touch. But I'm saving the best for last, and that was the Jolene. Topped with a delicious sugary icing, it was like nothing I'd ever tried before. I can't even find the words to describe it.

10/10 experience and rest in peace Dolly Parton. The world will miss you.