A breath of simplicity in the most bourgeois of neighborhoods, Annette's recalls the glory days of capping off a day of lake swimming with a fuzzy beach towel and a staggeringly tall ice cream cone. The pedestrian-friendly storefront is actually that: a front. Head a few paces north of Armitage to the walk-up window, where you order from the sidewalk in true summertime glory.

Annette's (formerly Anthony's) offers a wide array of ice cream, fat-free soft serve frozen yogurt (in too-good flavors like peanut butter and cappuccino) and Italian ice. Don't expect your run-of-the-mill lemon, though. Flavors like coconut, chocolate banana, grapefruit and passion fruit put a tasty twist on an icy favorite. A row of adjacent picnic tables provides seating while emphasizing the "just like when we were kids!" nature of it all. The prices, however, aren't as much of a throwback: Expect to pay $2.75 for a six-ounce Italian ice.

Centerstage Reviewer: Kate Schwartz