You Scream, I Scream, We All Scream for...

Cambridge offers an ice cream store for everyone. Each shop has its own specialties, each consumer has his or her own tastes, and no reviewer can pick the absolute best.

Still, Herrell's on Dunster Street must come near the top of everyone's list.

This refurbished bank comes complete with tables in the vault and makes a strong showing in all important categories--location, quality, price, variety, atmosphere and hours.

The ice cream here has a creamy texture and intense flavor second to none. The flavors are somewhat limited, because the owners want you to pay extra for a smoosh-in. Still, cookies and chocolate, and chocolate chip have been appearing on the menu recently with some frequency. And Herrell's can get fancy even without adding a lot of heavy candy--try chocolate pudding or malted vanilla.

You pay for the location and the quality. Prices are towards the top of the local range. In the winter, you can save with a frequent buyer program. In the summer, hard-core ice cream eaters can save money by bringing a friend and share a pint--a hand packed carton of any flavor costs less than two small ice cream cones.

Herrell's ice cream is the basis for its reputation, but its menu also boasts several types of yogurt for the faint-at-heart-ice-cream-eating-wannabees. Don't overlook the chocolate whipped cream or the carrot cake, either.

Steve Herrell started Steve's before he started Herrell's. In the real world, Steve's is pricey. But you're not in the real world, and a regular scoop of ice cream is $1.75.

Steve's thing is chunks. Big chunks of chocolate, fruit, whatever--it'll be in your ice cream, or yogurt.

Toppings are possible on everything. There's all kinds of fruits, plus oreo cookies and peanut butter cups. It's 50 cents per dry topping and 60 cents for a wet one. Toppings are practically a must on Steve's yogurt, which retails at $1.75 for a regular scoop and $2.50 for a large.

For yogurt, there are nine basic flavors (strawberry, chocolate, vanilla and the other usual suspects), and then the people at Steve's blend in things to create flavors like, say, carrot cake.

The ice cream is rich, and, on quality alone, (gaspl) is the equal of sainted Herrell's. But Steve's has too many distractions. Under the same roof there's the Church Street Cafe, a well meaning sandwich place that gives you a mediocre lunch for about six bucks. And the atmosphere isn't there. Some nights, in fact, you'll forget you're in Harvard Square because there's no line.

To break the Herrell-Steve's price barrier, head down Cambridge Street to Inman Square, where a stop by Christina's Homemade Ice Cream shop will put you back in touch with the people. A kiddie cone at Christina's is about the same size as a single scoop at Herrell's, comes in more daring flavors, and is about 50 cents cheaper. Larger portions and sundaes are, well, LARGER.

Walking out to Inman Square will burn off the calories from the ice cream, and it's worth the trek to Christina's to enjoy the old-fashioned ice cream parlor ambience and the very Cambridge bulletin board full of "community notices." Besides, even the most dedicated Herrell's fan needs a break once in a while.

Flavors include white chocolate, reverse chocolate chip, and the increasingly popular cookie dough. As usual, yogurt is an option.

Less homey and more corporate is the one national chain which has found a permanent home in the Square. Baskin-Robbins. This narrow shop on Mass. Ave near the Hong Kong restaurant, is close by for Union dorm residents.

Baskin Robbins was the store that brought diversity to ice cream eating, breaking the mold of the usual chocolate, vanilla and strawberry by offering 31 different flavors at all times. However the days when sheer quantity of flavors was celebrated have thankfully long passed, leaving Baskin Robbins as an ordinary ice cream shop.

Unlike some of the boutique ice cream stores in the Square, Baskin Robbins won't break your wallet. A single scoop is reasonably priced at $1.65--one of the benefits to having a chain in the area.

Chocolate flavors is now the place where Baskin Robbins makes its mark. While some richer flavors can be found in other places, Baskin Robbins combines richness, a creamy texture, and variety in its chocolate offerings. On a recent night they were serving; world-class chocolate, regular chocolate, chocolate fudge, German chocolate, peanut butter and chocolate, rocky road, and chocolate mousse regal.

Baskin Robbins does offer the only certifiably kosher ice cream in the Square, although not all flavors qualify for this distinction.

Ice cream cakes are one of their specialties, and are fun for dorm birthday parties. There's freezer full of different variations, but your best bet is to call ahead to make sure they have one with your favorite flavor. Another freezer stocks pre-packed pints and quarts, although the offering usually resembles discount outlets stores--they only seem to have the least popular flavors, such as banana and strawberry and vanilla twist. They'll charge you more to hand-pack some real ice cream.

Distractions are making inroads here, too. A Dunkin' Donuts display makes you wonder if you are in a bakery or an ice cream parlor.

Toscanini's is one of a kind. The Central Square ice cream mecca is a kind of Herrell's to the MIT set. Real estate is cheaper down Mass. Ave that way, so the ice cream parlor has an airy feel to it, with lots of wood. The ice cream has a sophisticated flair, with a European influence.

You're likely to see experimentation with exotic fruit. You're likely to see Belgian chocolate instead of chocolate. You're likely to see a kind of ice cream flair.

The prices are lower than Herrell's and Steve's, but make no mistake. In a lesser city than Cambridge, Toscanini's would be considered an ice cream crown jewel. As it is, it's still a gem--and you can see them making the ice cream through the window next door.

Over a year ago, Emack and Bolio's bolted from the Harvard Square ice cream market, closing a Mass. Ave storefront (now home to Ultimate Bagel), and leaving many of their devoted fans without a home. The chain still has a store open on Mass. Ave. north, convenient to the Law School, the Quad, and the Co-Op, for diehard believers.

Don't expect a beautiful oasis after a long walk down Mass. Avenue--the decor is pretty plain and the floors were dirty on a recent visit. Graffiti marred the walls.

There are some good points to the store; a couple of video games, a shorter walk for Quadlings, and a pleasant server. On the other hand, the video games were unplugged on a recent visit. While the chocolate was a disaster, showing many frozen flakes and a bitter taste, their chocolate chip ice cream showed flashes of the old Emack and Bolio's genius which earned them a Best of Boston award. The vanilla ice cream was rich and the chocolate chunks were large and at the right temperature to melt in your mouth.

The final ice cream outlet worth mentioning is Swenson's, on Brattle Street. Strictly a takeout joint, Swensen's shares space with David's Cookies, introducing that distraction factor. On the other hand, cookies and ice cream go well together, and you might like that fresh-baked cookie smell.

Ice cream here is something of a Russian Roulette game. Flavors and freshness can vary widely. The chocolate is on the sweet side, and yogurt is, of course, available. But the weird thing is, we've never seen anyone we know at Swensen's. From what we can tell, the primary clientele seems to be tourists who don't know about Herrell's.

At Swensen's, the primary clientele seems to be tourists who don't know about Herrell's