My Ice Cream Addiction

Marianne’s Ice Cream has been a staple in the City of Santa Cruz, California since 1947 and more recently, in the township of Aptos, Ca. Santa Cruz County. The original parlor is located at 1020 Ocean St. Santa Cruz. http://www.mariannesicecream.com

As a child I remember my dad taking us to Marianne’s usually after visiting the Boardwalk. As an adult, I worked down the street from Marianne’s at the Government Center. An easy walk to the parlor. To this day, on summer nights you can find the line out the door, around the corner and winding down Ocean St. at 11:00 at night or later.

Since I retired, I find it more convenient to buy ice cream from the Marianne’s Aptos location since it’s near home. Aptos is a township of the County of Santa Cruz, a few miles north of Watsonville. A place I worked for several years as a patrol deputy in my younger days at the Sheriff’s Office.

Aptos is home to Seacliff State Beach, Nisene Marks State Park, Cabrillo College, Seascape Beach Resort (celebrities hide there occasionally), Seascape Golf Club and “The World’s Shortest Parade” every 4^th of July! http://www.parks.ca.gov; http://www.seascaperesort.com; http://www.seascapegc.com; http://www.aptoschamber.com; http://www.cabrillo.edu

Most Sundays I take a stroll at Seacliff State Beach. Our climate is typically 65 to 75 degrees throughout the year. Occasionally we get a crazy heat wave into triple digits and during some winter nights we go below 30 degrees. The average temps are what makes living on the central coast great! It goes well with beach walks and Marianne’s ice cream all year long.

After my walk I like to stop in at Marianne’s, which is right outside the gates of Seacliff State Beach. A convenience that is counter productive to losing weight. Maybe I should eat the ice cream first and then do the walk? Nah!

Marianne’s, in my opinion, is the gold standard. They have no competition here! What separates them from the rest of the pack of parlors is their lifelong commitment to quality ingredients and hand-crafted products made with love and care. Every scoop of ice cream they dish out is rich and creamy, flavorful and oh so dang good!! They have over 100 different flavors in their stock of ice cream.

This time I had “pumpkin”! It was a seasonal decision on my part. It’s a flavor they have in stock all year long, but October and November seem to be the best time to have it!

Pumpkin did not disappoint! It’s basically a pumpkin pie shoved in a waffle cone! The awesomeness of the pumpkin spices takes you to that time of turkey and over eating, but still having room, oh so very slight, for dessert at Thanksgiving.

But ice cream is not for everyone. If you are lactose intolerant and trying to be flatulent responsible, Marianne’s has a variety of sorbet flavors for you. They also have sherbet and yogurt on hand for those who want something different.

History tidbit: Marianne’s original owners were Lenore and Tom Becker. They named the ice cream parlor after their daughters Mary and Anne. In 1958, Sam and Dorothy Lieberman took ownership of Marianne’s Ice cream and created many of the flavors it has today. Kelly Dillon & Charlie Wilcox are Marianne’s current owners. This information was provided by their website’s history section.

Come and check out Marianne’s Ice Cream in Aptos (218 State Park Dr.) or its original parlor in Santa Cruz (1020 Ocean St.). They have a third location in Capitola called “Beach Break” (104 Stockton Ave.) that serves food during the summer and ice cream throughout the year. Marianne’s ice cream can also be found in many local restaurants and grocery stores throughout Santa Cruz County.