"Designer" ice cream shops have been around for decades.

Has anyone else noticed all of the "designer frozen dessert" shops that have been popping up? First, it was Pinkberry. Now there are a number of Pinkberry coat-tail-riders, as well as gelato, ice cream, and "frozen custard" shops. Hey - I'm not complaining! It's just an observation.

But I can think of one ice cream landmark that has been around since my parents dated (they actually went there on a date). It is called the Bridge Drive In - a.k.a. BDI.

Here is what many readers of this blog posting will find odd. I am blogging about an ice cream stop that is thousands of miles from where I live.

What??

Well, let me explain that the Bridge Drive In is in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada (722 Jubilee Avenue), which is where I last lived in Canada before relocating to California. And the Bridge Drive In is so notable for many reasons that I am compelled to write about it - especially on these hot summer days when icy treats hit the spot.

The Bridge Drive In is hugely popular, drawing crowds on every single night during the summer, which are the only months in which it is open.

Of course, they have the standard ice cream treats that you would expect. But they also have some very interesting menu items, like the Cantaberry (a half cantaloupe with a sundae where the seeds were scooped out) and upside down milkshakes (a sundae in a cup, surrounded by a milkshake). The most infamous, and tasty, menu item is the Goog Special (see the image for the description).

But the creme de la creme (pun intended) of the ingredients at the Bridge Drive In is their hot fudge. It is the perfect combination of sweetness, thickness, and warm, chocolatey goodness.

Now, in this age of "calorie conscious" ice cream treats, the menu items at the Bridge Drive In "don't fit the bill". But if you are saving up for a little bit of indulging, you MUST make a stop at the Bridge Drive In if you EVER set foot in Winnipeg.

And get the Goog Special. You won't regret it.