Proof that Sebastian Joe's Ice Cream Cafe is a truly great ice cream parlor: Even when the weather is colder than the product served, it's jam-packed with customers. When the weather’s warmer, it’s hard to find a table on the outdoor patio, where dogs lounge beneath their people-watching owners’ feet. The neighborhood of the original West Franklin Avenue store is full of interesting shops, so you can take your waffle cone on a window-shopping stroll instead. When the temperature dips, sit in the enclosed patio (at the Upton Street location) with a chilly cup of ice cream while warming your toes by the fireplace. You don’t have to stick with just the cold stuff. Sebastian Joe’s is also a coffeehouse, with a respectable list of rich European roasts and creative drinks such as Karlen’s Karma (espresso, caramel and vanilla ice cream). But it’s really about the ice cream. The rotating flavor selection balances old favorites with new tastes. Traditionalists find it hard to break away from ordering the rich vanilla, made with beans instead of extract. More adventurous eaters enjoy creative combinations such as ginger cream or chocolate coyote, the latter laced with cayenne pepper for a surprisingly subtle kick. Even light eaters are happy here. There’s always a sorbet or two available, with complex flavors such as orange-basil. Whatever you order, feel free to take your time enjoying it. Sebastian Joe’s encourages lounging – there’s a wide selection of complimentary local and national newspapers, free WiFi, and computers for customer use. There’s something about coffee and ice cream that inspires lingering, eh? Named Best Ice Cream Parlor in the 2007 City Pages critics poll and the 2007 Minnesota Monthly readers poll. Serving during breakfast, lunch and dinner hours daily. Late-night Fri–Sat.