PJ’s Ice Cream Parlor

Millie’s Ice Cream is the name on the case at PJ’s, Nemacolin’s 1950s-style parlor in Farmington, Pennsylvania. Around it sits a short list of resort-casual food: smashburgers, pizza, salads, popcorn and sweet concessions.

Ice cream anchors the parlor

Millie’s is the centre of the room and the named partner on the resort’s dining list, which ties the parlor to a specific Pittsburgh ice cream maker rather than to generic dessert language. Dairy-free, gluten-free and vegan options extend the case beyond a conventional dairy-only scoop counter.

The rest of the food stays in classic American snack-and-meal territory. Smashburgers, pizza and salads carry the savoury side, while popcorn and sweet concessions push the midway, soda-fountain feel. It works as a dessert stop, a snack counter or an easy meal depending on which door you come in through.

A soda fountain inside a resort

PJ’s belongs to Nemacolin’s wider dining line-up in Pennsylvania’s Laurel Highlands, where the resort has run since 1987. It is not a standalone public scoop shop: access is for overnight guests and members, and the role it plays is a family-friendly, sweets-led casual venue for that audience.

The room carries the whimsy of a vintage soda fountain, which gives it a mid-century parlor identity rather than a generic snack-bar one. Jukebox styling, Millie’s Ice Cream and a menu that runs from popcorn to pizza make it a flexible stop inside a luxury resort.

Order ice cream first, then decide how hungry you are

Treat the ice cream as the first decision. If the visit is dessert, Millie’s anchors it, with dairy-free, gluten-free and vegan options in the case. If the stop turns into more than dessert, the savoury side gives the order structure: smashburgers for a fuller casual meal, pizza for sharing, salads for something lighter.

Popcorn and sweet concessions sit between those two modes, which suits a quick snack, children who want something simple, or a group mixing frozen desserts with something salty. The 1950s framing explains the familiar choices rather than any chef-driven format. PJ’s reads best as Nemacolin’s playful soda fountain: Millie’s at the centre, classic resort snacks around it, and enough savoury food to turn a sweets stop into a meal.