Mickey's Dairy Twist - Saline, Michigan's Ice Cream Source

Everyone knows about Dairy Queen, the proverbial soft-serve ice cream behemoth with barn-like outposts scattered across the country (with perhaps the highest concentration along Texas highways, it seems). Cones, Blizzards, shakes, floats, etc. You want soft-serve, you head to DQ. As much as I appreciate a mint Oreo Blizzard on a hot summer day, in the spirit of supporting the Little Guy, I haven't been to the local DQ in quite some time. That's because I visit the local joint whenever my soft-serve craving arises. Saline, Michigan's finest ice cream stand? Mickey's Dairy Twist.

Located at 751 W. Michigan Ave., aside a strip mall where you can grab a Five Dollar Footlong, chop suey, a new water purifier, and a tan all in one visit, Mickey's boasts a straight-forward menu backed by quality goods. You can order fast food staples, such as burgers, fries, and onion rings, or you can move right to dessert, as I always do. Choose from classic cones and sundaes, as well as Blizzard-like conglomerations of ice cream and candy housed under a different snowy name: the Flurry. In my younger years, when ice cream + candy sounded so much more exciting than a boring old vanilla cone, the Flurry was my gold standard. Vanilla ice cream swirled with big hunks of Oreo or cylindrical pieces of pasteurized cookie dough. It was perfect. As I have matured into adulthood, I've come to appreciate the simpler things in life - namely, those boring old vanilla cones. Other palettes have concurred that Mickey's ice cream has a fresher taste than that of DQ. Less goo, less essence of chemical enhancement. Mickey's soft serve is creamy and icy all at once, and the purist in me has come to prefer the soft serve minus the bells and whistles. The chocolate and vanilla swirl is perfect when I'm feeling indecisive. And at about $2, might as well get the medium cone. Most ice cream treats are priced under five dollars, and Mickey's does make its own hard ice cream on site, too. Add in the priceless ambiance, and you have a deal.

The small operation is usually staffed by local high school students who are always friendly and prompt, and sometime delightfully heavy-handed. You'll find Little League sluggers and motorcyclists alike on a given night. Speakers pipe in an Oldies station while you sit at a picnic bench, licking your cone and watching traffic barrel down Michigan Ave. Mickey's epitomizes everyone's image of the small town ice cream stand. It is on the fringes of town, however, and its location might make it an inconvenience for those seeking a nostalgia-laden summer stroll from the foot of their bungalow's front porch to the DQ down the street. But Mickey's is worth the extra few miles.