Stay frosty, Sactown

I can't claim to be an expert on the subject (I've yet to consume a house-made ice-cream sandwich from any Sacramento eatery), but I have sampled a fair share of frozen treats native to the Sacto area. The following are my top picks for cooling off when your air-conditioning unit won't keep the temperature down quite as far as you'd like (you probably know exactly what I'm talking about, Midtowners): Merlino’s Freeze (available at River Cats games and various Mr. Pickle's Sandwich Shop locations), a fruit-infused dessert that's somewhere between a slushy and sorbet; snow cones from Osaka-Ya (2215 10th Street)—my favorite is a scoop of vanilla ice cream embedded in root beer-flavored shaved ice; Fat Face popsicles (available at Bows & Arrows, 1815 19th Street; and the Davis Food Co-op, 620 G Street in Davis); Gunther’s Ice Cream Shop (2801 Franklin Boulevard); and Vic’s Ice Cream (3199 Riverside Boulevard).