Salt & Straw in Portland, Oregon

Ice cream won’t solve global warming, but the sweet stuff can offer personal relief from the grips of a fiery summer day. Served in a thoughtfully conceived retail environment, a scoop of ice cream may even offer design inspiration. We went in search of such dessert oases on two continents. The journey revealed several parallel vernaculars within the project type, which range from artisanal to mad-scientist to whimsical. Click the image above to view a slide show.