Fernweh vs. Royal Scoop + A Thai Restaurant with National Recognition + Poll

Friends and neighbors,

There’s nothing more motivating than a planned trip to eat ice cream.

This week I finally compared two local shops that readers mention over and over again: Fernweh and Royal Scoop. They both make their own ice cream, but that's about where the similarities end. One has spent decades perfecting the neighborhood ice cream parlor, while the other treats every batch as a chance to experiment.

I'm also highlighting Tong Yin, one of the first Naples restaurants recognized by the Michelin Guide. If your idea of Thai food begins and ends with pad Thai, this might be the restaurant that changes your mind.

Hope you discover something new this week.

Warmly,

Sunday was National Ice Cream Day, which gave me an excuse to do something I've been meaning to do for a while: compare two of Naples' best ice cream shops. This week, we're headed to Fernweh and Royal Scoop, both of which have fiercely loyal followings. They're both excellent—they just have very different ideas about what great ice cream should be.

Go to Royal Scoop if... you're looking for a classic ice cream parlor.

Royal Scoop has been making ice cream in Bonita Springs since 1979, producing its ice cream at the original shop before distributing it to its Naples locations. Over more than 45 years, they've created more than 150 flavors. It's old-school in the best way: generous scoops, familiar favorites, banana splits, milkshakes, sundaes, and enough choices that everyone in the family finds something they like.

Regulars return for classics like Butter Pecan and Mint Chocolate Chip, but local favorites have earned cult followings too. Dirty Banana is inspired by the tropical cocktail, blending banana, chocolate, and rum flavor, while Sticky Fingers combines vanilla ice cream with caramel, chocolate, and crunchy toffee pieces.

Go to Fernweh if... you want to try something you've probably never had before.

Opened in the Bayshore Arts District in 2019, Fernweh is a true small-batch operation run by Jessica, Job, and their three sons. Everything is made in-house—from the ice cream to the brownies, hot fudge, caramel, and even the waffle cones, which are pressed throughout the day and served warm.

They churn Philadelphia-style ice cream (made without eggs), rotate about ten flavors each week from a library of more than 100 recipes, and regularly introduce combinations you won't find elsewhere. One visit might feature Dubai Chocolate with pistachio cream and crispy toasted kataifi, Brown Butter with Candied Bacon, Tahini Chocolate, or Dominican Princess, which blends sweet plantains, guava, and dulce de leche. If you can't decide, their six-scoop flight lets you sample a little of everything. They also make house-made Italian ice, vegan flavors, and rotating boozy ice creams.

So which is better?

That depends on what you're after.

Royal Scoop has spent nearly half a century perfecting the neighborhood ice cream parlor. Fernweh feels like an ice cream kitchen, where every week brings a new flavor worth trying. 

Royal Scoop
15 8th St. S., Naples (plus additional locations)
Daily, hours vary by location
royalscoop.com 

Fernweh Ice Cream
2372 Linwood Ave., Naples
Daily 2–10 p.m.
fernwehicecream.com 

Naples has no shortage of places to order pad Thai. Tong Yin is where I'd send someone looking to experience the regional traditions behind Thai cooking.

Opened in 2024 on Ninth Street South, Tong Yin is the flagship restaurant of partners June Dispongsa and chef Somi Vasitorn. Named after June's grandmother, the restaurant draws on the recipes and techniques both women learned growing up in neighboring regions of Thailand before later refining their skills under Japanese chefs in the United States. Today, they also operate Ichi Togarashi, Sendo de Café, and Mimoto, each exploring a different corner of Asian cuisine while sharing the same commitment to craftsmanship.

The menu focuses on regional Thai cooking prepared with traditional techniques. Curry pastes are made by hand with a mortar and pestle, while dishes like Thai crab curry with noodles (khao soi) showcase the depth that comes from those methods. It's also one of the restaurant's most celebrated dishes. If you're ordering for the table, start with the miang kham, a one-bite wrap assembled with betel leaves using roasted coconut, lime, ginger, shallots, peanuts, dried shrimp, and palm sugar sauce.

Beyond those signatures, you'll find drunken noodles with mussels, green papaya salad, crab kanom jeen nam ya, larb, and a bright, herb-forward tom yum soup. The spicy shrimp and crab fried rice has become another must-order menu item, while the short rib pad Thai stays true to traditional flavors, relying on tamarind, fish sauce, and dried shrimp rather than excess sweetness.

The intimate dining room, finished in rich reds and golds, reflects the warmth of the food and its inspiration. Reservations are recommended, particularly on weekends.

Tong Yin was one of two Naples restaurants recognized when the Michelin Guide expanded into Southwest Florida, an acknowledgment that reflects its commitment to precision and technique that does not take any shortcuts.

Tong Yin
75 9th St. S., Naples • Tue.–Thu. noon–2:30 p.m. & 5–9 p.m.; Fri.–Sat. noon–2:30 p.m. & 5–9:30 p.m. • tongyinnaples.com 

Last week we asked: Restaurants seem to be in a wine-giving mood this summer. Which deal would win you over?

Here’s where you landed: 

We had our first three-way tie! A complimentary glass of wine, 50% off bottles, and a complimentary bottle with two entrées each earned 26% of the vote, while 20% of readers said they'd rather have dessert. It seems there isn't one wine deal that stands above the rest. If there's a good offer, we're happy. Fortunately, summer restaurant specials in Naples have plenty of both drink and dessert deals on the menu.

Naples is at its best when the familiar and unexpected sit side by side. One day, that means a classic scoop in an old-school ice cream parlor. The next, it means discovering a Thai dish made with techniques passed down through generations.

Wherever you go this week, order something you have not tried before. You may find a new favorite hiding in plain sight.

Elizabeth Bellotti
Editor-In-Chief
Naples, Florida
The Naples Florida Review

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