Locals dish on their favorite ice cream

Dairy Swirl was endorsed by nearly two-thirds of readers who completed an informal survey recently.

As the summer got under way, 600 readers of various weekly newspapers published by Straus News throughout the tristate area, cast votes for their favorite local ice cream shop.

Here are the results:

• 59 percent of readers who took the survey choose Dairy Swirl. “Everything there is great,” noted one Hamburg resident.

The store, which is open year-round, has served customers for more than 32 years.

Multiple readers raved about Graham Central Station, a graham cracker flavor with chocolate-covered graham pieces folded into it.

All of the ice creams are homemade, and owner Roman Czerhoniak says it’s the “heart and dedication” that goes into each batch that makes the ice cream great.

• The second-favorite ice cream spot was Bellvale Farms Creamery in Warwick, N.Y. Multiple readers said they opt to make the trip for Bellvale Bog, a chocolate ice cream with brownies and fudge swirls.