On my daughter’s birthday, she wanted rolled ice cream. She really, really, really wanted rolled ice cream. Google helped me locate the nearest place – Urban Ice. Despite the fact that it was an hour away, we decided to try it out and celebrate her birthday with a night out in downtown Norfolk.
Urban Ice
Urban Ice is located on Granby Street. It’s cute, cozy, and has amazingly delicious options for you to try. Urban Ice is known for ice cream, crepes, and coffee. The sweet crepes come in the following options: French Classic, Banana Nutella, Berry Me, Dark Knight, Mango Cheesecake, Oreo Marshmallow, Dark Chocolate Strawberry, Peach Cobbler, and S’mores. Is your mouth watering yet?
We went with the rolled ice cream, of course. Ice cream creations come in the following: Bad Break Up, Cookie Dough, Banana Split, Cookie Monster, Gimme S’more, Hawaiian Kiss, Mango Tango, Nutella Rocher, Sweet New Yorker, and Tick Tock Coffee. I went with the Sweet New Yorker which has strawberries, cheesecake, and graham cracker crumbs. If you aren’t sure which choice to make, just ask the staff. They were super friendly, gave me honest advice, and let our kids watch them as the made the ice cream. If you haven’t visited a rolled ice cream shop before, it’s pretty cool. The ice cream is poured out in liquid form, spread out, and then rolled up as it freezes. A great, sweet treat for a night out!
When you go, don’t forget the macarons. You have to try them. I am not usually a big fan of these when I’ve had them at other places, but Urban Ice makes them so well. The raspberry was fantastic. Urban Ice also serves twelve flavors of hand scooped ice cream, boba tea, milkshakes, coffee, and tea. An insider tip – you must tell them if you are celebrating a birthday!
They are closed on Monday, open Tuesday-Thursday from 5:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m., Friday from 5:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m., Saturday from 2:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m., and Sunday from 3:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. Check them out on Facebook or on their website:
www.myurbanice.com
Granby Street Pizza
The next and final stop (because it was a school night) of our night out in downtown Norfolk was just a few steps away from Urban Ice. Granby Street Pizza has been serving up authentic Italian cuisine since 2006. There is a nice patio for outdoor dining, and space inside for diners. They were pretty busy, with diners inside and outside and to-go orders constantly going out as well. But the staff was kind and the service was quick. The lady working the counter even gave some advice for our now teenager on her birthday – priceless!
Granby Street Pizza has a variety of great menu options like salad, wings, spaghetti, and subs. We kept it simple with cheese pizza for the girls and a Hawaiian for us. The pineapple was incredible! It was fresh pineapple, not out of a can like the other Hawaiian pizza I’ve had.
Hours are Sunday closed, Monday-Thursday 11 a.m. – 9 p.m., Friday 11 a.m. – 2 p.m., and Saturday 11 a.m. – 2 a.m. Check out Granby Street Pizza on Facebook!
Essential Stops for a Night Out in Downtown Norfolk
Urban Ice and Granby Street Pizza are both great stops for family time in downtown Norfolk. Everyone we encountered was friendly and the atmosphere was great. Lots of folks were out walking their dogs and hanging out. There were also three police officers that could be seen from these locations we visited. People were happy, safe, and enjoying life. When you can, visit and enjoy!
