Zanesville's iconic Tom’s Ice Cream Bowl lands on Ohio’s official Ice Cream Trail

ZANESVILLE ? In 2018, TourismOhio formed the Ohio Ice Cream Trail and associated map to build awareness around Ohio’s agricultural and culinary culture. They especially wanted people to know that Ohio is No. 11 in the nation for milk production and home to more than 1,400 dairy farms — which, of course, makes great ice cream here in the Buckeye State.

So, naturally, after 70 years in Zanesville serving locals and tourists alike, it’s no wonder the iconic Tom’s Ice Cream Bowl made the list.

If you’ve already experienced the joy of Tom’s Ice Cream, then you’ve got 53 more sweet moments ahead of you. We recommend you start with this small roundup of a few of the shops on the list that are within an hour or so of Zanesville. Then you can taste of the other sweet treats when you are traveling across the state. For a complete list of the ice cream shops, visit Ohio.org.

Tom's Ice Cream Bowl, Zanesville

Tom’s Ice Cream Bowl at 532 McIntire Ave. is an icon of greatness in Muskingum County. From delicious ice cream to chocolates, nuts, and classic Midwestern dishes, this hot spot has been hitting the spot for more than 70 years.

When it first opened in 1948 on Linden Avenue, the location only had four tables and counter seating for seven. It outgrew that original location within two years and in 1950 moved to its current location on McIntire Avenue.

It didn’t officially become known as Tom’s Ice Cream Bowl until 1957.

Menu items include favorites like bread chicken and Rittberger Fried Bologna sandwiches, prime rib sliders, and soups including Campbell’s tomato soup. You can also buy fresh nuts and chocolates, staples you’ll wait in line for during the holiday season.

You can find - and sample - everything from sundaes to ice cream rolls, and big banana splits. Ice cream flavors include Black Raspberry, Blue Raspberry, Chocolate, Cherry Nut, Coffee, Butter Pecan, Caramel Chocolate Brownie, Cookie Dough, Chocolate Peanut Butter, Chocolate Caramel Marshmallow Fudge, Coconut Chocolate Almond, Champagne Sherbert, Vanilla, Berry Chocolate Bonanza, Cherry Cordial, Maple Nut, Lime Sherbert, English Toffee, Peanut Butter, Orange Pineapple, Oreo, Pineapple Sherbert, Red Raspberry, Strawberry, Salty Caramel, Peach, Orange Sherbert, Mint Chocolate Chip, Mango Sherbert, and French Vanilla Chocolate Cherry Chunk.

Jer-Zee Drive-In, Marion

At 923 E Center St. in Marion is an ice cream shop that locals line up and wait for a delicious frozen treat.

This local favorite serves up the classics such as sundaes, frozen treats, and ice creams with a twist. They also offer a classic diner-type menu that includes nachos, sloppy joes, shredded chicken sandwiches and more to meet any craving you’ve got.

This little sweet treat heaven also has a unique offering for kids and adults alike — Story Time. You read that right, sponsored by the United Way of North Central Ohio, every Tuesday at 10 a.m. it offers Story Time for summer fun, stories, and treats.

Ashery Country Store, Fredericksburg

At 8922 Ohio 241 in Fredericksburg you'll find a mean soft serve cone and an incredible array of frozen treats. There are sundaes and root beer floats, as well as Cecil’s Frozen Custard in Chocolate, Black Raspberry, Twist, and Vanilla. Ice cream flavors offer Cookies & Cream, Moose Tracks, Salty Caramel, Vanilla, Butter Pecan, Cappuccino Mocha, and Caramel Cone Sundae.

Blitzes allow you to mix different kinds of goodies into a small or large dish of Cecil’s custard including Butterfinger, Caramel Turtle, Cookie Dough, Heath, M&M, Oreo, Pecan, Twisty Chocolate Bites, and Reese’s Pieces.

Milkshake flavors include Chocolate, Fresh Ground Peanut Butter, Coffee, Raspberry, Strawberry Vanilla, Hot Fudge, or any hand-dipped ice cream.

The country store sits where a former ashery, then cheese factory, used to be until 1977. The name ashery stuck to the little corner in Holmes County where five roads come together. According to the website, “Many locals knew this corner because it was where neighbors brought wood to be burned at the ashery and later where neighbors brought milk from their freshly milked cows to be made into cheese at the Ashery Cheese Co.”

Schloneger’s Old Fashioned Ice Cream, Berlin, Kidron

The near 1,000 followers of the Schloneger's Old Fashioned Ice Cream food truck Facebook page already are marking their calendars thanks to their posting of their 2024 schedule of where they’ll be and when this summer. Why? With its 5-star rating, it’s a sure bet for a delicious cool treat during the dogs days of summer.

One of its regular locations is 4914 W. Main St. in Millersburg, the home-base is Kidron.

Schloneger’s promises on their Facebook page to “make the best true ‘homemade’ ice cream, made on the spot or close by and to ‘bring back memories’ of your homemade ice cream endeavors.” Flavors vary at any given event but its Facebook page shows flavor possibilities that include a non-dairy, diabetic friendly Mint Chocolate Chip, Mango, Dandelion, Oranges + Cream, Black Cherry, Reese’s Cup Vanilla, Cake Batter, Coconut Cream, Pumpkin Pecan, Cookies ‘n’ Cream, Espresso, Smoked Maple Pecan, Lavender, Cinnamon Pecan Crunch, Peach, Blueberry Chocolate Chip, Cookie Dough, Mt. Dew sherbet, Lemon Cream, and of course the classics of Chocolate and Vanilla.

The ice cream, using a homemade mix, is churned using a 1927 John Deere 1 1/2 horsepower hit and miss engine, according to owner Zach Schloneger, who took over the business from his parents, Bev and Keith Schloneger, who still work there.

You can get the ice cream in a bowl or on a waffle or cake cone, as well as in a root beer float. You can also buy the ice cream in a pint or quart to go.

Mudd Valley Cafe & Creamery, Walnut Creek and Berlin

Mudd Valley is so great it offers two locations for you to get your frozen treat fix at 2641 Ohio 39 in Walnut Creek or 4727 US 62 in Berlin.

Located on the main level of the Walnut Creek store, the Mudd Valley Creamery is an Amish Country staple with its own secret recipe that has a smooth creamy taste. You can pick from Vanilla, Chocolate, and the special Flavor of the Day, which includes selections such as Mint Chocolate Chip, Black Raspberry, Peanut Butter, Strawberry, Cookies & Cream, Key Lime, Chocolate Peanut Butter, Toasted Coconut, Blueberry, Butter Pecan, or Coffee Espresso.

You can also choose from a variety of mixers, milkshakes, and specialty sundaes, like the Buckeye Blast, Homemade Brownie Sundae, or Turtle Sundae.

Hartzler Family Dairy Ice Cream Shoppe, Wooster

You can grab frozen treats from Hartzler at its shop at 5454 Cleveland Road in Wooster or find a store near you that sells the delightful treat.In the early 1950s, Harold and Patricia Hartzler started farming in Wayne County, and raised eight children, according to its website. In 1990, they bought land at the north end of Wooster and built the milk processing plant that is still used today. Hartzler Family Dairy “strives to provide wholesome products that are minimally processed, healthy, and tasty,” the website says.

Its half-gallon products and cheeses are non-GMO project verified, their cows are pasture-fed in the warm months and fed silage and hay in the colder months and not given artificial hormones, according to the website, and its “sustainable farming practices” are used to grow crops.

It sells the World’s Best Chocolate Milk and seasonal flavor quarts of milk as well as single serving naturally flavored milk in Black Raspberry, Orange Cream, Strawberry, Chocolate, and Vanilla.

The hand scooped artisan ice cream comes in over 50 flavors that are staples, seasonal, or rotating including Coconut Almond Fudge, Black Cherry, Black Raspberry, Cookie Dough, Maple Nut, Strawberry, Coconut Almond Fudge, Chocolate Royale, Butter Pecan, Hot Fudge Brownie, Mocha Caramel Chip, Banana Pudding, Cotton Candy, Cowboy Crunch, Blueberry Cheesecake, Strawberry Shortcake, Mocha Mud, Apple Caramel, Pumpkin Pie, Monkey Business, Peppermint Stick, Egg Nog, Cherry Cheesecake, and Chocolate-Chocolate.

Miller’s Creamery, New Philadelphia, Dover, Millersburg

Voted best ice cream in Tuscarawas County, you can enjoy Miller’s Creamery at 2337 E. High Ave. in New Philadelphia; 211 W. Third Street in Dover or 105 W. Jackson St. in Millersburg. You can also purchase in the following stores: Miller's Creamery / Dover & New Philadelphia locations; Buehler's in New Philadelphia and Dover; Miller’s Creamery of Millersburg; Tusky Deli Tusky; Dutch Valley Market in Sugarcreek; Dundee Market in Dundee; and Lakeside Store in Scio.

It’s best known for its soft serve sherbert that offers only one flavor each week from its selection including Lime, Lemon, Orange, Blue Moon, Mango, Pineapple, Banana, Peach, Grape, Watermelon, Strawberry, Pomegranate, Red Raspberry, Blueberry, Black Raspberry, Orange - Pineapple, Black Cherry, Passion Fruit, Tropical Island, Coconut, Prickly Pear, Pink Lemonade and Green Apple . Plus, every July on Miller’s anniversary, it adds a new flavor for customers to try.

It also offers homemade ice cream cakes including Strawberry Cheesecake, Deluxe Turtle, Peanut Butter Pretzel Paradise, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, Oreo, HoHo, and Ohio Buckeye. You can also get homemade caramel corn, banana splits, and ice cream sandwiches, as well as a regular menu of classic Midwest sandwiches and dishes.

Mark’s Homemade Ice Cream, Bucyrus

Mark’s Homemade Ice Cream is so delicious they started a club — Mark’s Homemade Ice Cream of the Month Club that gets you a variety of four different flavors of ice cream in pints each month. You can get 1 month at $20.90; 2 months at $41.50; 3 months at $62.10; 4 months at $82.70; 5 months at $103.30; 6 months at $123.90; 7 months at $144.50; or a full season of 8 months at $165.10.

Flavors available daily include Apple Pie, Mint Chip, Buckeye, Peanut Butter, Butter Pecan, Cookie Monster, Cookies and Cream, Strawberry, Chocolate, Vanilla, and Sugar Free Vanilla. Rotating flavors include Chocolate Brownie Chunk, Coconut Joy, Birthday Cake, Brownie Sundae, Coffee Chip, Lemon Pie, Butterfinger, Blueberry, Rocky Road, Toffee Butter Crunch, Black Raspberry, Cookie Dough, Banana Cream Pie, Pumpkin Spice, Buttered Graham, Caramel Cheesecake and Peanut Butter Brownie.

This article originally appeared on Zanesville Times Recorder: Ohio Ice Cream Trail includes Tom’s Ice Cream Bowl, plus 53 more stops