The real deal

When it comes to ice cream whose ingredient list reads like a recipe for homemade instead of a chemistry experiment, Petaluma producers are making quite a name for themselves. It’s a tough choice this summer: which naturally delicious ice cream to try first?

Lala’s, the new kid on the block at 134 Petaluma Blvd. North opposite Putnam Plaza, is doing ice cream the old-fashioned way, made with fresh natural ingredients served in a 1920’s-style ice cream parlor.

As owner Will Mendoza says, “If you can’t pronounce it, we don’t put it in.” So count on Lala’s banana walnut ice cream having just what the name says, real bananas, real walnuts and ice cream made from real vanilla and cream.

There are 24 more flavors including pina colada, chocolate raspberry and ultra-mango all made on site. Step into Lala’s and experience a time when families slowed down to appreciate the simple perfection of real ice cream.

A little off the beaten path but well worth the trip is the Petaluma Creamery Cheese Shop at 711 Western Ave. Sylvie Lemoine makes the ice cream in small batches every week, using milk from the same happy cows that make such great cheese for the Spring Hill Jersey Cheese Co. She adds fresh strawberries or peaches from the farmers market or blackberries that she picks herself.

Her newest flavor is a tangy yet smooth lemon. And for those who believe it isn’t worth having unless it has chocolate, there’s mint chocolate chip, peanut butter cup, and Oreo cookies and cream.

Laloo’s Goat’s Milk Ice Cream delivers the fresh, healthful and all-natural taste of Sonoma County to freezers across the country. Containing less than half the fat of most ice creams and easier to digest than dairy or soy, Laloo’s Goat’s Milk Ice Cream is available in six exotic flavors including the trademark Black Mission Fig.

This year, Laloo’s introduced Bambinis ice cream sandwiches so you don’t even need a spoon to indulge. This 90-calorie treat pairs Laloo’s award-winning Vanilla Snowflake ice cream with an all-natural dark chocolate cookie for an unbeatable combination. Look for Laloo’s products at Whole Foods Market and Petaluma Market.

We all know that Clo is a natural beauty, so it’s only fitting that she would introduce an all-natural line of ice cream that’s as wholesome as she is. Clover Stornetta Farms worked for months to perfect the recipes.

Chocoholics are going to find lots to love in their 12 flavors including chocolate peanut butter, cherry chocolate chip and Rocky Road. Clover Natural will sell alongside longtime favorite Clover ice cream in stores from Monterey to Mendocino County.

And don’t forget to say hello to Clo at the Sonoma-Marin Fair and the Sonoma County Fair, where she’ll be handing out free scoops.