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Nearly everybody loves ice cream, but with per-capita consumption levels off the charts, New Englanders, and Bay Staters in particular, have an incredible jones for the cool, creamy stuff. Since summer vacations and ice cream go hand in sticky hand, it's no wonder that Cape Cod has an explosion of ice cream shops--and just may be the ice cream capital of the world. So, where is the Cape's very best ice cream? Beats me. But I assembled a crack team (my extended family) to go on a rigorous tour of duty and sample some of the region's most celebrated creameries. Herewith, the first of a three-part blog series in which we attempt to identify who has Cape Cod's best ice cream.

First, some ground rules and caveats: There may be over 100 shops on the Cape peddling ice cream. Of those, there are probably at least a couple dozen that make their own. Nothing against Friendly's or places that bring in Hershey's brand or ice cream from other sources, but I wanted to focus on the homegrown variety. The six shops I chose to visit were more or less random; there may very well be other places on the Cape that serve "better" ice cream. Perhaps I'll make this an annual series and visit different shops in future years.

At each stand, we sampled vanilla, chocolate, and one flavor that the shop identified as its signature. We used a highly sophisticated five-point rating system and judged the ice cream on attributes such as texture and flavor intensity. The process was as scientifically sound as a glob of melted chocolate chip ice cream, and the results have a margin of error of plus or minus 100%. Keep in mind that all of the shops serve super-premium ice cream (and charge super-premium prices), and that even the lowest-scoring flavors (which weren't all that low) were still wonderful and infinitely better than most of the air-filled gunk passing for ice cream in supermarket freezers. OK, enough with the blather; let's get down to business.

5-pont rating system: 1=UGH! 5=COOL!

Cape Cod Creamery
Route 28, S. Yarmouth
508-398-8400

One of the newer shops on the Cape Cod scene, the Creamery's locally named flavors (Patti Page Peppermint anyone?) look irresistible and sinfully delicious. In this case, looks are not deceiving. In addition to ice cream and sherbet, the shop offers a few gelato choices. A small cone (which is quite small) costs $2.95.

• Vanilla: 4.32
• Chocolate: 4.69
• Signature flavor-- Craigville Caramel Crunch: (A near-perfect) 4.82

Polar Cave
22 Falmouth Rd. (Rt. 28), Mashpee
508-477-5553

Tucked into a small strip mall on Rt. 28, the cute shop sports a North Pole theme. Of all the shops we visited, the Polar Cave's portions were the largest (although I've seen much bigger servings at off-Cape shops) and, ironically, its prices ($2.59 for a small cone) were the lowest. While its vanilla and chocolate rated highly, Polar Cave's signature flavor didn't quite pass muster with the survey team.

• Vanilla: 4.43
• Chocolate: 4.48
• Signature flavor-- Almond Joy: 3.73

Four Seas Ice Cream
360 S. Main St., Centerville
508-775-1394

In business since 1934, the Four Seas has a longstanding reputation as one of the Cape's premier ice cream shops. The small, bustling stand, with its old-fashioned counter and blue-padded stools, is quite charming and quintessentially "Cape Cod." In addition to ice cream, the Four Seas offers sandwiches and other light fare. In what may be the biggest surprise of our ice cream quest, the perennial favorite yielded some relatively low ratings numbers. The Four Seas chocolate, in particular, was divisive. Imbued with a powerful cinnamon taste, our surveyors either loved it or hated it. Those that hated it dragged the average rating down. A small serving, which is not quite as tiny as Cape Cod Creamery's but still petite, costs $2.75.

• Vanilla: 3.44
• Chocolate: 3.70
• Signature flavor-- Penuche Pecan: 4.14

In the next part of the Cape Cool ice cream survey series, the team will visit Highland Creamery, The Sundae School, and the Ice Cream Cafe. In the final blog, I'll summarize and evaluate the ratings numbers.

Photo: Four Seas Web site