Since Alice Handel first scooped ice cream at her husband's gas station in Youngstown, Ohio, in the summer of 1945, the brand bearing her name has grown into a franchise with more than 150 locations across 15 states. The Pacific Beach outpost of Handel's Homemade Ice Cream sits at 4475 Mission Blvd in the 92109, just steps from Crystal Pier, and is operated by local franchisees Marcus Weenig and Travis Campbell, who also run the Carlsbad and Del Mar shops. Every batch is made on-site daily using proprietary freezers designed specifically to achieve the brand's signature smooth, creamy texture, and the rotating lineup draws from more than 100 flavors of ice cream and yogurt. National Geographic named Handel's among its "10 Best of Everything," and the parlor earned a 4.8-star Google rating on over 400 reviews at this location alone. Alice ran the original Youngstown shop for 40 years before the street was renamed Handel's Court in her honor; the brand was later acquired by Lenny Fisher, who expanded it nationally while preserving her original methods and many of her recipes. Those with a sweet tooth exploring the Mission Blvd corridor can also stop by The French Gourmet for pastries and cakes baked in the European tradition. The shop is open daily starting at noon, with Friday and Saturday hours stretching to midnight for post-beach and late-night dessert runs. Sunset cocktail seekers finishing a cone can continue the evening at Flamingo Deck, a rooftop bar a short walk away.